Machine cancellers were introduced to speed up postal operations. Like duplex obliterators, they combined the functions of the date stamp and the obliterator in one instrument, but were quicker and more efficient. They were introduced into the Brisbane GPO in mid-1906 and five different types were used
Top row: Left Type 1, right Type 2
Middle row: Left Type 3, right Type 4
Bottom Row: Type 6
Detailed Information
Type 1
American Columbia machine. The obliterator area comprises three sets of six wavy lines, divided by pairs of vertical lines; the total area is about 62 mm long and 17 mm high. At the left is a framed circular datestamp, 22 mm in diameter, with 'BRISBANE' round the top and 'QUEENSLAND' round the foot (in 2mm high letters, with a comma after the former and a stop after the latter); in the centre, in three lines, are the month and day, time, and the year in full. The earliest date seen is 15 June 1906 and the latest is 21 December 1909. Rated 3R
Type 2
This was a continuous roller type. The obliterator consists of a centre with six horizontal lines, 3mm apart, either side. There is a framed circular datestamp, 21 mm in diameter, with 'BRISBANE' round the top and 'QUEENSLAND' round the foot (in 2mm high letters, with a dash after the former and a stop after the latter); in the centre, in three lines, are the time, day and month, and the year in full at the bottom. The earliest date seen is 17 August 1908 and the latest is 1 November 1910. Rated 3R
Type 3
A continuous roller type of seven lines, the two outer being 24 mm apart. There are no circular datestamps, but the 3rd to 6th lines are interrupted in two places to include, first, 'BRISBANE' and below it in one line the time and month and day, and secondly, 'Q' with below it the year in full. The earliest date seen is 4 March 1909 and the latest is 1913. Rated 4R. (Campbell type 3a)
Type 4
A continuous roller type of six lines, the two outer being 24 mm apart. There are no circular datestamps, but the third to sixth lines are interrupted in two places to include the date portion of of four lines; 'BRISBANE', PAID *D, time/date (day, month, year in two digits), with amounts 0.5d, 1d and 2d apparently seen by Campbell. The only date known by me is 10 February 1912. Rated 5R. (Campbell type 3c)
Type 6
A Krag continuous roller type machine characterised by double-circle datestamps, 24.5 mm in diameter and 52-53 mm apart, and between them six straight lines, the third and fourth interrupted to contain 'QUEENSLAND'. The datestamp portion comprises two circles, one outer and one inner, the latter broken by two chords, between which, right across the centre of the outer circle, are the day, month, year in two digits, and the time; with the outer inscriptions being 'BRISBANE' round the top with 'QUEENSLAND' round the foot. The earliest date seen is 10 October 1911 and the latest is 25 July 1913. Rated common. (Campbell type 4b)
(Adapted from Campbell, Queensland Postal History, p. 201and Marius Wytenburg's Brisbane GPO exhibit)
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