The Courier No.47 Special Edition, July 2009

The authors are undertaking new annotated and illustrated listings of the beer duty stamps of Australia, both State and Commonwealth.  The aim is to update existing catalogue listings and incorporate additional archival information and contributions from other collectors. This is especially the case for the Commonwealth issues from 1903 to 1918, when the stamps incorporated the names of the States and for the later period when there was a truly standard issue throughout Australia.

The plan is to separately publish listings for each State, wherever possible in conjunction with an appropriate specialist society. The Tasmanian Philatelic Society (TPS) has kindly published Part 1 as a Special Edition of The Courier, the Research Journal of the TPS. The 21 page study has seven pages devoted the methodology of the listing and a summary of State and Commonwealth legislation.   

This is the first of a series of articles produced with the intent of demystifying the many and varied beer duty stamps issued by the Australian States and Commonwealth. It is appropriate that Part 1 is for Tasmania as that State was the first, in March 1880, to issue beer duty stamps in Australia Following the principles set by Martin Walker’s 2006 listing of South Australian revenues this listing was originally compiled from archival and legislative sources. When that was done, we began to assess the stamps held by today’s generation of revenue stamp collectors combined with previous attempts to catalogue them by collectors, researchers, dealers and publishers.

Issues are tabulated with columns for denomination, colour/variety, and earliest recorded date of use. Four columns of tick boxes then indicate the existence of the stamp as a proof (P),specimen (S), mint (M) or used example (U).These are indicated as items:

·         not yet recorded.

·         recorded as in the hands of collectors or the marketplace.

·         recorded but only in archival collection(s).

What we continue to ask is for your help to further identify what was actually produced and what has survived of these fascinating issues. This article is to enable collectors and researchers to record their observations and report them back to the authors to produce a consolidated list, not only for Tasmania, but for all of Australia. The authors welcome all ideas, suggestions and contributions and can be contacted at the addresses below. All future contributors will be acknowledged unless they wish to remain anonymous, in which case we will certainly respect that wish.

For non-members of the TPS the Special Edition can be purchased at a cost of $A10.00, plus $1.10 postage within Australia and $4.50 for all overseas addresses. Payment can be by Australian cheque or by PAYPAL, payment by credit card is not possible. Orders either by post to The Tasmanian Philatelic Society, GPO Box 594, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia or via the TPS web site www.tps.org.au and follow the links.

Beer Duty Stamps of Tasmania; Part 1 Tasmania will be available, in colour, on the TPS website although this is restricted to TPS members. It is our intention to incorporate additional information as it becomes available onto the TPS web site. Those interested in joining the TPS can obtain details of membership on www.tps.org.au. The annual subscription for overseas and for mainland Australian addresses is $A21.00.

 Martin Walker PO Box 247, Torrensville Plaza, South Australia 5031; martin.walker@drakes.com.au

D. Ingle Smith 5 Vest Place, Weetangera, ACT, Australia 2614; dsm30722@bigpond.net.au