Real Photo Cards - Tasmanian Military Subjects - Post Here

[Ross Ewington]

I just received this card today for a future auction featuring a fine portrait of "The Commandant & Staff Tasmanian Military Forces...." taken at Anglesea Barracks, Hobart for
use as a Christmas · New Year 1907/08 greeting card. Postally used to Col. E.T. Wallack at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.

__________________________________________________to view the whole card, please "click" on the image once__________________________________________________________

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A fine bunch of men and Tasmanians must have slept securely in their beds knowing that such men were forever vigilant.

There are a few Tasmanian military-related postcards already posted on this site but they are quite rare in general. If you have a real photo card or two with similar content, please share
them with us in this topic.

[Mike]

A couple of Claremont Camp postcards. Both unused.

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[Mike]

Now for a couple of real photo cards, both unused. I wonder who the solders were? Training at Claremont?

The "Indian" looks like a fun bike to ride!

1. J.Barnett photo, Glenorchy
2. DIC photo 173 Elizabeth St Hobart.

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[Mike]

A military parade on the Domain Hobart? Postally used 24/3/10

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[Ross Ewington]

Now for a couple of real photo cards, both unused. I wonder who the solders were? Training at Claremont?

I notice a close resemblance between the soldier depicted on both cards.

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If this is the case it brings to mind a couple of queries, namely a) was there a 'connection' between Barnett and Fellowes (D.I.C.)
and the Army (these photo cards look like promotional material) and b) is there a possibility that these same photos may have appeared
in the Tasmanian Mail during WWI (as wartime propaganda) where the location of the camp (most likely Claremont although it could
have been at Brighton) and the identity of the soldier(s) is revealed??

[Hobbit123]

While going through my boxes (all six of them) I picked out the Naval/Military cards that I could find. there were only six, and one has already been posted (the 'Claremont Camp' card). Herewith the rest of them.

The first shows "Return of Troops to Hobart, Tas". It has been postally used to Dunedin, NZ, but the stamp has been removed, so the date has gone. The card has an undivided back, so is presumably fairly early, and the troopship is labelled 'K27' (I think). Could this be a return from the Boer War?

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The second shows a Naval parade in Burnie, complete with Marines Band. The building on the right is inscribed "State", "Public Buildings", "Commonwealth" in the stone above the windows and in the portico. The only clue to the date is the car (1920s?) and the Kodak imprint on reverse which has a small cross in all four corners (sorry, Ross, I cannot lay my hands on your key to dating these).

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The third is a DIC card of "Troopship SS Geelong leaving with our Troops Oct. 20th". It is annotated in pencil on the reverse 'This was first shipload of troops to leave for WWI', so it definitely 1914. The Geelong was numbered 'A2' which can be discerned on its side.

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The fourth is another Naval parade, possibly a church parade and presumably in Hobart. The hatbands of the sailors are not legible. The photographer is again DIC. Note the barefoot child walking by the parade. You must have been poor in Hobart in those days!! No definite clues as to date other than dress, which looks pre- or during rather than post-WWI.

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The fifth and final one is an Army parade, probably in Hobart (see tramlines), and it is written on the back by one of the troops in the parade to 'Amy'. The photo is on Kodak paper, with crosses with elongated uprights as compared to the crossbar in each corner. There is no date ,but I think from the uniforms it must again be WWI. Note the man in the bath chair who is not being pushed. He is either watching or propelling himself along with the parade.

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I would be pleased to have further information on any or all of these.

[Mike]

Unused real photo card by Spurling. I think this is taken at the Old showgrounds Launceston? What does A.S.C. stand for? I believe "The Right of the Line" is a military term.

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Real photo card by R.McGuffie, Hobart. Unused, no names unfortunately.

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[Hobbit123]

A bit more searching revealed two more cards, both related to Claremont.

The first is a group photo of "No. 4 School of Instruction, Claremont, 1916-17"

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And the second shows a parade at Claremont camp itself.

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Both cards are by Beattie on Kodak paper with four fleur de lys in the corners.

[Ross Ewington]

It took some time including a couple of enjoyable 'confirmatory walks' around the city but I have
been able to locate both locations of the photo cards posted by Patrick (see above)

The 4th card featuring a photo of a naval parade ......

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has been taken near the corner of Brisbane and Elizabeth Streets (DIC's studio was just around the corner
at 173 Elizabeth Street!). The Congregational Church hall at left (with steps and large gate posts) is virtually the same today
which can't be said about the rest of the street. Judging by Patrick's description of the back of the card, I would
suggest that the photo dates from 1918/20.


The 5th card featuring a photo of an army parade......

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has been taken at the bottom of Liverpool Street with the soldiers marching towards the Hobart Railway Station. The
two storey house in the centre of the photo is still there, now surrounded on two sides by the rather large Menzies Medical
Research Centre. At the left side of the photo you can see the brick wall of Andrew Mather's Domain Stores (yes, he's the
one who published lots of early Tassie postcards!)
The uniforms worn (there's quite a mixture if you take a close look) suggest that the photo dates from 1914.

[Mike]

Another postcard addressed to Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Townshend Wallack. (See first post above)

This real photo card was posted at Hobart 29/4/04. I believe the photo is of Wallack at a Ross Military Camp in 1904.
Does the word at the bottom of the photo say "ME" ? It appears that he posted the card to himself!

Wallack had a long career, serving in the Boer War and WW1 and his final rank was Brigadier General.

He was Acting Commandant in Tasmania in 1903-1904.

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[Ross Ewington]

1908 - "TASMANIA'S GREETINGS 1909 · FROM THE COMMANDANT AND STAFF" real photo card mailed by "P.W.G.P" to a Capt. Wilson D.S.O. at the Victoria Barracks, Melbourne

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Definitely a fine photographic collage produced by unattributed photographer

Does anyone know who "P.W.G.P" may have been?