Deputy Radio Inspector 1935??

[admin]

Very interesting item. I havnt seen it. I really have no idea about this cancel, but radio licenses were introduced in Australia in the early 1930s - 1932 I believe. Maybe it was possible to pay your radio license with postage stamps?

[Ross Ewington]

Interesting item and a datestamp that I certainly haven't seen before. I don't think it's strictly a postmark but a P.M.G.'s Department datestamp used at the Hobart GPO in the relevant department (i.e. Deputy Radio Inspector) to record outwards and probably inwards mail too.

Throughout the 1920s through to 1939, the Deputy Radio Inspector in Hobart was Mr. E.J.G. Bowden (I think he may of been ABC broadcaster Tim Bowden's grandfather but that requires further research)

If you would like to find out what the Deputy Radio Inspector actually did, there's a lot of reading ahead of you in this link!

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/resul ... +Inspector

[Jeffharris]

Hello,
Radio licenses were still required as late as at least 1972. I know, because I got caught by a radio licence inspector for not having one. I was working at the Joint Defence base at Nurrungar [near Woomera] at the time and was visiting my wife in Adelaide [who was yet to obtain her security clearance for the Woomera Restricted Area].
She was at work when there was a knock on the door. The Radio Licence Inspector had been standing outside and had heard the radio. He requested my radio licence - didn't have one! I told him I was only visiting and that as I lived in the Staff Mess at Woomera, I did not need one as the Mess had its own Licence. I showed him my two security passes. He was happy with this and promptly left.
Jeff.

[Colin Salt]

Just a general comment from a UK resident who remembers the days when payment of any bill or account for £2 or more required a 2d stamp on the document cancelled by the recipient. Perhaps this also applied in Tasmania and would explain the item under discussion.

[Ross Ewington]

The stamp has a light machine cancel on it which suggests that the datestamp was applied to 'date' the arrival of the envelope to which the stamp was affixed. There are some private companies and government departments that still do this to this day as a standard procedure when sorting (important) incoming mail.

P.S. The Deputy Radio Inspector's duties went well beyond radio licenses ..... see link to newspaper clippings in my previous post above.

[John Hardinge]

Have a copy of this cancel on form. It's quite rare. First time I have seen it on stamp

[sheeow]

Thanks to all those who have commented on this unusual stamp and I have gained a lot from your comments
Thanks all Ian