Parcel post labels

[bill]

It is known from Chapter 15, written by O.G. Ingles, in Tinsley's book (1986) on Tasmanian stamps
and postal history that parcel post labels were provided by the Tasmanian Post Office with earliest
dates from 30 January 1893 onwards. These labels are mentioned in the Parcel Post regulations as
early as the Postal Guide, No. 1 (January 1891) on page 62.

Turning now to Orchard's "Tasmanian Postal Rates and Regulations", Part 6: 1883-1891, we see that
a Parcel Post service was introduced on ! July 1890 and presumably the regulations published in the
Postal Guide, No. 1, commenced on 1 July 1890 as Orchard implicitly suggested (see pp. 79-80). It
is suggested here that the Parcel Post labels were first introduced around July 1890 but this is well
before the 1893 date given in Tinsley's book.

Adhesive stamps had to be affixed to the label and cancelled by an officer of the Post Office before
being affixed to the parcel. An example is illustrated in Tinsley's book bearing a 1s Platypus. This
is Fig 11-15 in Chapter 11 of that book.

Has anyone seen examples of parcels post labels dated earlier than 1893? Such items would surely
be hard to find.