Allowable free mail

Exemptions from postage (free mail) was permitted under certain circumstances including mail under a Universal Postal Union regulation that permitted unfranked mail to pass between international postal authorities provided it was official business; the Queensland International Exhibition of 1896; Government Savings Bank books to or from depositors, Money Order Advices,  Electric Telegraph delivery envelopes and returned unclaimed letters and unclaimed registered letters from the Brisbane Dead Letter Office. 

For allowable free mail examples of returned mail from the Brisbane Dead Letter Office, see here:

Here are the examples posted in Brisbane I have seen, excluding returned unclaimed mail from the Brisbane Dead Letter Office, shown in chronological order. They are all rated 4R

Extract from Queensland Postal Regulations 1892. Regulation 29, Exemption from Postage. Click on image to enlarge

And here is the list from Pugh's Almanac 1900. Click on images to enlarge

Allowable Unfranked Mail - Brisbane

1885

Initialled OHMS envelope dated Brisbane 22 May 1885. Seen in Leski auctions

Envelope from the Electric Telegraph, Queensland dated Brisbane 18 August 1885. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1887

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Brisbane dated 14 February 1887. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1888

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Brisbane dated 29 February 1888

1891

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Queensland dated 5 November 1891. Seen on Ebay

1892

Envelope from the Treasury, Saving Banks Business, dated Brisbane 13 December 1892. Seen in the Hans Karmen Exponet exhibit

1894

Envelope from the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science dated Brisbane June 1894. Seen in Abacus auction no 257 lot no 838. This may or may not have been allowable

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department, Queensland dated Brisbane 16 November 1894. Seen in Abacus auction no 234 lot no 237

1895

Initialled envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Money Order Office, Brisbane dated 9 January 1895. Seen in the Butler Collection

1896

Initialled by Jules Joubert (exhibition manager) "On Public Service" envelope from the Queensland International Exhibition 1896 dated Brisbane 11 December 1895. Seen in Phoenix auction no 55

Money Order Advices from the Post and Telegraph Department dated Boonah 22 December 1896. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1897

Initialled envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Money Order Office No. 1, Brisbane dated 6 February 1897 Seen in Abacus auction no 239 lot no 1787

Initialled by Jules Joubert (exhibition manager) "On Public Service" envelope from the Queensland International Exhibition 1896 dated Brisbane 17 February 1897. Seen in the Butler Collection

Initialled by Jules Joubert (exhibition manager) "On Public Service" envelope from the Queensland International Exhibition 1896 dated Brisbane 2 March 1897. Seen in Phoenix auction no 56 lot no 996

Initialled by Jules Joubert (exhibition manager) "On Public Service" envelope from the Queensland International Exhibition 1896 dated Brisbane 8 June 1897. Seen on Ebay

1899

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department, Queensland dated Brisbane 3 March 1899. Seen in a private collection

1900

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department, Queensland dated Brisbane 17 September 1900

1901

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Money Order Office, Brisbane dated 2 August 1901

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Registration Branch Brisbane, dated 23 September 1901

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Brisbane, dated 6 December 1901. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department, Queensland dated Brisbane 11 December 1901. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1428. Ex Griffiths

1904

Envelope from the Treasury, Saving Banks Business, dated Brisbane 27 April 1904. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1908

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department, Queensland dated Brisbane 30 April 1908. Seen in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock. Ex Griffiths

1911

Envelope from the Postmaster-General's Department, Queensland dated Brisbane 9 January 1911. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 139 lot no 349

Envelope from the Post and Telegraph Department Registration Branch Brisbane, dated 13 January 1911