Query about early private pictorial lettercards

[bill]

This query relates to early pictorial lettercards sold by private firms
to the public for advertising the attractions of Tasmanian scenery.
The customer had to affix adhesive stamps to pay the postage.

(By the way, these are not quite the same as picture postcards but
this query is more closely related to picture postcards than anything
else on the BB.)

Private lettercards superscribed "Picturesque Tasmanian Letter Card"
sometimes turn up. Apparently, the earliest dates reported are circa
1900 but the earliest examples I can think of are dated Dec 1902. An
example was illustrated by O.G. Ingles in PfromA circa 1967.

Other private lettercards are superscribed "The Tasmanian Letter Card"
and appear to be from the same era.

It has been stated in the philatelic literature that such private issues
first appeared in 1895. What is the evidence for this claim? If so,
these private issues would predate the official lettercards made by
the Tasmanian Post Office by three years or so.

This query is not related to the Walch lettersheets of Hobart and
Launceston, which were in plain format without any pictures.

Bill