Notes on the Early Cancellations of New Zealand

**COPYRIGHT HAS LASPED**

By Dr. K. J. L. SCOTT.

One cannot begin a discussion of New Zealand cancellations without paying tribute to R. J. G. Collins of Christchurch, New Zealand, whose monograph "The Cancellations of New Zealand" published in 1926, was a very careful and complete study. Additional information and corrections were given in his section on "Postal Cancellations" in "The Postage Stamps of New Zealand" published in 1938. Most of the information in the following notes is derived from the admirable researches of Collins and his predecessors, but having some new material to describe and being cognisant of the scarcity of the publications referred to, it is thought that a general review of the subject might be appropriate.

On January 29th, 1840, while New Zealand was still a dependency of New South Wales, Captain Hobson arrived at Korohucka in the Bay of Islands as Lieut.-Governor. One of his first acts was the setting up of a Post Office. Previously one or other of the local residents had acted as unofficial postmaster, receiving the mails and making them up for despatch by an obliging master of a whaling ship. The establishment of colonies in New Zealand by the New Zealand Company from 1840 onwards, created sufficient trade to warrant the occasional visit of ships, but it was still a rare occurrence to receive an answer to a letter to England in less than two years. Communication between the various settlements in New Zealand was in 1840 via Sydney, and a letter from Auckland to Wellington would take some three months. For the first two or three months after the P.O. was established at the Bay of Islands, the only communication possible was between this place and Sydney. The rate charged was 4d. for a single letter. From Sydney the postage was 3d. but the letters were subject to a surcharge of 4d. in New Zealand. Robertson, in his "Early History of the New Zealand Post Office" published in 1905, records that in mail No. 6 despatched from the Bay of Islands to Port Nicholson (Wellington) on 12th November, 1840, there were no paid letters, one unpaid letter, and ninety-eight newspapers. Newspapers travelled free. In the mail from Sydney to Port Nicholson on 

31st October, 1840, received December 5th, were ten paid letters, fourteen unpaid letters, two ship letters, and seventy newspapers. The conditions of the first P.O. were chaotic, as the following quotation from Robertson's book shows:

"We think it well not to name the first postmaster. In addition to failings of a more reprehensible nature, he appears to have been a man of little education, with a peculiar inability to make sense of the complicated accounts required by the Audit Office ...During his term of service the dignity of the postmaster's office was contemptuously set aside by the principal government officers who frequently opened mail bags without the knowledge of the postmaster, a proceeding against which he feebly protested. Not many months of his term of office had expired when some letters, on which postage to England had been paid, were found in the house 'of a person named Jones'; these, it is superfluous to add, should have been far from there. An illness supervened during which the incident of the person named Jones occurred, and the delinquent recovered to find his place filled by a new postmaster".

Following the establishment of the first P.O. at Kororareka others were set up in quick succession at Port Nicholson (later Wellington) on June 4th, 1840, Auckland and Coromandel Harbour at about the same time, and at Hokianga and Waimate near the Bay of Islands very soon after. The new postmaster at Kororareka speedily evolved order out of the chaos into which the P.O. had drifted. One of his first acts was to apply for dated stamps and by dint of perseverance he had obtained these by the end of the year (Robertson). The stamp obtained for the principal office had the name "New Zealand" without the name of any town on its face, no doubt due to the uncertainty as to the future site of the capital. Early in 1841 the chief P.O. was moved to Auckland.

Collins illustrates Fig. 1. This may have been used at either the Bay of Islands or at Auckland. Walter Mercer of Edinburgh has two covers with Fig. 2. Post Offices were established at Wanganui (then called Petre) in 1841, and at New Plymouth in 1843. The first South Island Post Offices were opened in 1842 at Nelson and at Akaroa, and offices were established at Port Chalmers and at Dunedin in 1848 (on the arrival of the Otago early settlers), at Lyttelton in 1850 (on the arrival of the Canterbury settlers), and at Christchurch in 1853.

From 1844 onwards handstruck markings become more common and Fig. 3 has been seen for Wellington from 1844, for Nelson from 1845 and for New Plymouth from 1852. There are minor variations of the design.

"PAID AT" marks are also seen at this period and take the forms of Figs. 4-6. Fig. 4 has been seen from 1843 (Auckland) and from 1846 (Wellington). Fig. 5 has been seen from 1845, and Fig. 6 has been seen used in 1843. All are in red.

Crowned circle stamps have been seen as follows:

• Auckland from 1848
• Wellington 1847
• Nelson 1848
• New Plymouth 1855
• Port Victoria (later Lyttelton) 1851
• Otago 1852
• Petre (later Wanganui) 1852
• Russell (Bay of Islands) 1858

The latest date of use of a crowned circle seen is at Wellington in 1861.

The photo reproduced here illustrates a crowned circle mark "PAID AT CHRISTCHURCH CANTERBURY" which has been found on a 2d. stamp of the Richardson printing on white paper.

The handstruck "2" in red is often seen in conjunction with a crowned circle (Fig. 7). It appears to be identical on letters which have passed through the various offices. A handstruck "2" of the same type, but in black, is also common on unpaid letters. A "2" with a horizontal instead of a curved foot was used at Christchurch (Fig. 8). A handstruck "4" in black is seen on letters from Australia of 1849-53 (Fig. 9).

In the early days of the Post Office postage on letters could be prepaid or paid on delivery. Rates were high, a letter to or from the U.K. costing about 2/6. There were extensive franking privileges. Collins illustrates Figs. 10 and 11. Franking was still being used to a considerable extent in the sixties, and Figs. 12 and 13 are found on correspondence between the offices of the various Provincial Secretaries, etc. Fig. 12 is known on a Maori War letter of 1864, addressed to England via Marseilles and which has paid the normal rate of 10d. The frank stamp has not been cancelled and I am at a loss to explain its use.

Fig. 14 is an interesting type which occurs on a cover addressed to Nelson and franked by the Provincial Secretary at Lyttelton. It is marked "On Public Service Only".

OVERLAND MAILS

Before 1840 letters between the various New Zealand settlements travelled by chance ship. Local letters were sent by foot or by canoe. Following the arrival of Governor Hobson in 1840, mails were carried for a short time by mounted trooper between the Bay of Islands and Hokianga. The first overland mail of importance was opened in 1841 between Wellington and Wanganui. This was a fortnightly service, the mail being carried by Maoris on foot. The rate for a single letter in 1842 was 1/-. In 1843 a similar service was inaugurated between Auckland and New Plymouth: this followed the coastal route via Kawhia. In 1844 the two services were linked monthly, the trip taking the runners about three weeks. The distance travelled was about four hundred miles, and as the tribes were not always willing to allow the mails to pass, these posts were uncertain and intermittent. In 1843 the rate for inland letters was reduced to 4d. per ½ oz. and in 1861 it was further reduced to 2d. per ½ oz. Letters carried by the overland posts of this period bear the town stamps, a handstruck "2", and a manuscript direction "Per Overland Mail", or something of the sort. From 1850 onwards persistent efforts were made to establish post routes, especially in Auckland Province, but such efforts were often defeated by hostile natives, floods and an inadequate knowledge of the bush country. An Auckland-Napier service was opened in 1857 and the Hawkes Bay Herald of October 10th 1857, contained the following note:

"On Tuesday evening we had to welcome the arrival of the first mail from Auckland, the bearers of it being detained by the extreme severity of the weather. We are sorry the foot-sore natives should not, on their arrival, have received better welcome than that of a bed on the island, without food or refreshment; but we hope that better arrangements will be made before the coming of the next mail."

The Auckland-Napier route soon had branches to Tauranga and to Poverty Bay from Napier. The Auckland-New Plymouth service now followed the inland route through the Waikato, with the Napier service branching off at Otawhao (Te Awamutu).

The first overland service of consequence in the South Island was opened in 1854 between Dunedin and Invercargill. By 1859 a Dunedin-Canterbury overland mail was functioning, with connections to Picton and other places in the following years. The first mention of horses is a reference to the use of light carts in 1856, and coaches appear on the scene when Cobb's Coaches replaced pack horses to convey the mails to the Otago Goldfields in 1862.

By 1864 the overland Christchurch-Dunedin mail was carried in three days but sea services now became prominent, the principal centres being served by sea at weekly intervals.

The first through railway was the Christchurch-Invercargill line, opened in 1878. The Auckland-Wellington main trunk line was not open for traffic until 1909.

The opening of the Otira Tunnel through the Southern Alps in 1924 marked the discontinuance of the last important coach mail service.

CANCELLATIONS - FIRST TYPE

Cancel stamps were included in the consignment of the first adhesive stamps supplied by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co. The invoice, dated 26th September, 1854, included:

• 36 Brass cancel stamps. 1-36.
• 50 lbs. cancelling ink.

These cancellers were in the form of eleven-barred ovals with a numeral in the centre. Numbers above 18 in this type have not been seen, and Collins suggests that there were two sets each numbered 1 to 18. The following notes are based on covers in my collection or that I have seen.

1. This was used at Auckland. Proving covers from 13th August, 1855. Adhesives were issued at Auckland on 18th July, so earlier dates than above can no doubt be found. Collins suggests that there were originally two cancellers used at Auckland, one with thicker bars and figures and with a wedge shaped serif to the "1". Cancellers of this type generally gave coarser and thicker impressions after long use, and as these stamps were also used to make impressions on the wax with which the mail bags were sealed, it is not surprising to find obvious signs of wear in the sixties. Fig. 15 shows a typical example of this type of cancellation in its original state, and Figs. 16 and 17 show later examples of the Auckland mark. Fig. 18 is, I think, an odd variety without serifs, but it is just possible that it is a "4" in which only the upright has registered.
2. A cover is described by Collins showing this cancellation used at Russell in 1857. I have it on stamps of 1855 to 1864. It shows little if any signs of wear in 1864. It is a scarce cancellation.
3. This is given in the records as being used at Hokianga. I have it on stamps of the issues of 1855 and 1856-59. It is a very scarce cancellation.
4. Akaroa. Proving covers of 1860 and 1865.
5. Timaru. Proving covers from 1860 to 1871. Seen also on stamps of 1874. Fig. 19 is from a cover dated 1860. Campbelltown. Proving cover of July, 1869 (Fig. 20). This is quite definitely a different canceller from the Timaru one.
6. The difficulty of distinguishing "6" from "9" appears to me to be quite insuperable. Apart from the evidence of the invoice, it seems likely that "6" was left out or may not have been issued.
7. Wellington. Proving covers from 1860 to 1865. Collins states that a second one was allocated to Blenheim when a P.O. was opened there in 1857 and that this was later transferred to Havelock. I have not seen either of these.
8. Petre. Proving cover of 24th October, 1860, but others with date stamp Wanganui from 1867 to 1872.
9. New Plymouth. Proving covers from 1855 to 1871 and on stamp of the 1874 issue. On the earliest cover the month is given as "DC" in the date stamp, and the "Z" of "New Zealand" is reversed.
10. Wellington. Proving covers from 1856 to 1861. Note overlap with the 7 canceller, both being in use together in 1860-61.
11. Ahuriri. Proving covers from 1857 to 1861 and with date stamp Napier from 1862 to 1872. The only cover with date stamp "Port Ahuriri" which I have seen is of 1870 and with a cancellation of quite a different type.
12. Petre. Proving covers of 1856 to 1862, and with date stamp Wanganui in 1864. The old name, Petre, thus appears to have been dropped at some time between 1864 and 1867 (see 8 above).
13. This and number 3 are easily the rarest of the series. Collins states that 13 was originally sent to Akaroa but was evidently soon replaced there by 4, and that 13 was later used at Waimate, another Canterbury office. I have this cancellation on stamps of 1862 issues.
14. Nelson. Proving covers from 1855 to 1866. From 1864 the "4" is square topped, due, I suppose, to damage to the canceller.
15. Nelson. Proving covers from 1860 to 1875. Again we have an overlap, both 14 and 15 being in use at Nelson from 1860 to 1866.
16. Port Victoria. Proving covers from 1856 to 1870 and with date stamp Lyttelton from 1860 to 1870. Kaiapoi. Proving cover of 1863.
17. Christchurch. Proving covers from 1855 to 1865. Rangiora. Proving covers of 1861 to 1873. Fig. 15 is from a cover of 1861. Rangiora is only about 15 miles from Christchurch but I have the cancellation on a local Rangiora letter, so that there is no doubt that cancellers with No. 17 were in use at both places during the same period.
18. Otago. Proving covers from 1858 to 1860 and with datestamp Dunedin from 1861 to 1862. Also seen with date stamp Port Chalmers from 1865 to 1873.

CANCELLATIONS - SECOND TYPE

Cancellers of a somewhat similar but heavier type were introduced in the sixties.

19. Oamaru. Proving covers from 1865 to 1870.
20. Said to have been used at Queenstown in 1864-65 but I have not seen it.
21. Hokitika. Proving covers of 1869 and 1872 (Fig. 22).

22 and 23 were allocated to Mataura and to Dunstan (Clyde) according to Collins, but I have not seen either in this type.

24. Said to have been allocated to Manuherikia (Alexandra), but I have not seen it in this type.
25. Queenstown. Proving covers of 1863 and 1872. This canceller has five short bars at each side instead of three.

In 1852 the Constitution Act was passed, granting representative institutions to New Zealand and dividing the country into the six provinces of Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. In 1858 Hawkes Bay province was instituted, and in 1859 Marlborough province was separated from Nelson. In 1861 Southland province was separated from Otago and finally Westland province from Canterbury in 1868. From 1863 onwards cancellations become more numerous and varied in type and are best considered under the headings of the various provinces. I have tried to indicate the period of use of the various types, but as the dates given are based only on items in my collection, or that I have seen, and on illustrations by Collins, these dates are in most cases capable of considerable extension.

AUCKLAND PROVINCE

The Otahuhu cancellation is seen from 1863 to 1865 and probably later. The Onehunga cancellation has not been seen by me earlier than 1867 on cover but occurs on stamps of the 1862 printing; it was probably introduced at the same time as the Otahuhu mark. Both places are within five miles of Auckland City G.P.O. and the numerals refer no doubt to some local list.

MAORI WAR CANCELLATIONS

In 1843 twenty Nelson settlers were killed in a dispute over land, at Wairau. This had a bad effect on relations elsewhere. Hone Heke cut down the flagstaff at Kororareka in July, 1844. It was re-erected but Hone Heke repeated his performance, and emboldened by his success sacked Kororareka on March 11th, 1845. Soldiers from Sydney, local militia and friendly Maoris set to work to subdue him and finally took his pa (fortified stronghold) in June, 1846. Some skirmishes in Wellington and at Wanganui in 1847 finished the first Maori War.

Some fighting went on intermittently in Taranaki during 1860-61 and was followed by two years of uneasy peace. War blazed up again in the Waikato in 1863. At this time there were about 10,000 Imperial troops in New Zealand. The Militia Act produced an equivalent number of colonial troops, and the Imperial forces were gradually withdrawn. The Maoris were skilful and stimulated by a mad priest who persuaded them that if they had enough faith they would be bullet proof, but they were very badly armed in comparison with the settlers. The British Headquarters was at Otahuhu, and the Field Headquarters, known as the Queen's Redoubt, some 27 miles southward on the road to the Waikato river. The main resistance was overcome by the end of 1865 but desultory fighting continued, and flared up once more in 1868 on the East Coast, under a brilliant but unscrupulous guerilla leader, Te Kooti, who escaped from imprisonment in the Chathams and returned with his own version of the Hau Hau cult. He was not overcome and peace was not finally established until 1872.

Special cancellations were used during the Second or Waikato War. Fig. 25 was used at Otahuhu and a similar cancellation, but with "Queens Redoubt", at the Field H.Q. Only two examples of the Headquarters cancellation on cover are known to me; one is on an officer's letter to England which bears the normal postage, and the other on a soldier's letter to Nelson which bears the penny stamp of the special rate. Both are used in 1864. Headquarters cancellations on stamps, however, do not appear to be any more rare than those with the Queens Redoubt cancellation. Major Hopkins has shown the Headquarters cancellation used on a penny brown, watermark NZ., of 1872.

Fig. 26 shows another cancellation of similar type. I have this on a 6d. blue of 1871. It is a decidedly rare cancellation: there were only seven in the Goodfellow collection. It has not been seen on cover to my knowledge.

Stamps of the 1864-65 period are sometimes seen cancelled by a circular date stamp, which has "PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND NZ" round the perimeter and the date in two lines in the centre. The only example I have on cover is on a letter with Auckland date stamp of the more usual type, addressed to a Mrs. Laver, 12th Regiment . . . Auckland.

From about 1865 new types of cancellations appeared, which were used in Auckland City. They contained the numeral "1", were of many types, and were used both as single and as combined cancellers. Shortly after 1870 the letter "A" took the place of the numeral in a series of similar cancellations.

Collins in "Cancellations of New Zealand" (1926) gives lists of the provincial district offices, which he extracted from the Establishment Registers at the Chief G.P.O., Wellington. I have taken the liberty of reproducing his lists. That for Auckland province is as follows:

A1 Ahipara	A2 Alexandra	A3 Devonport	A4 Matakana
A5 Arch Hill	A6 Drury	A7 Howick	A8 Kaukapakapa
A10 Muddy Creek (Brooklyn)	A11 Newton	A12 Queen Street	A13 Orewa
A14 Port Albert (Onehunga)	A15 Kaitaia	A20 Aratapu	A21 Helensville
A22 Dairy Flat	A24 Raglan	A26 Mangawhaere	A27 St. John's College
A32 Mercer	A33 Huntly	A34 Kawau	A30 Kawakawa
A38 Te Kapa	A39 Ngaruawahia	A40 Waimate North	A46 Matakohe
A47 Mauku	A48 Maungaturoto	A54 Newmarket	A55 Okaihau
A56 Clevedon	A57 Omaha	A58 Waitemata Mills	A59 Waiuku
A65 Wangarei Heads	A67 Tauranga	A68 Pahi	A70 Pakiri
A71 Panmure	A72 Papakura	A73 Paparoa	A74 Whakahara
A76 Whangaroa	A77 Rangiriri	A78 Churchill	A79 Waitetuna
A80 Tuakau	A81 Te Awamutu	A82 Whau Bridge, later Avondale	A83 Batley
A86 Pukekohe	A87 Papatoitoi	A88 Tairua	A89 Wade
A94 Otorohanga	A95 Waikoukou	A96 Upper Parnell	A97 Wharehine
A98 Mititai	A99 Dargaville	A100 Bombay	A101 Oruawharoa North
A102 Tryphena	A108 Ohaupo	A104 Ohaewai	A105 Waterford
A110 Kaipara Flats	A112 Awhitu	A113 Titirangi	A115 Waipu
A119 Tauhoa	A120 Waiwera later at Ohinemutu	A121 Kirikiriroa	A122 Totara North
A123 Te Kuiti	A125 Paparanga	A126 Kihikihi	A127 Northcote
A128 Upper Waiwera	A129 Parakaukau	A134 Whitianga	A137 Paterangi
A138 Morrinsville	A140 Tuhikaramea	A148 Mullet Point	A151 Kaiwaka
A152 Te Kopuru	A154 Pama Bay	A157 Pokeno	A158 Tangihua
A159 Penrose	A160 Muangakaramea	A161 Ngunguru	A162 Point Curtis
A165 Taheke	A166 Kaikohe	A1G8 Whitford	A172 Pokeno Valley
A174 Hunua	A178 Mt. Albert	A180 Takapuna	A184 Buckland
A193 Taupaki	A194 Waimauku	A197 Waikomiti	A203 Upper Mill
A210 Tawhere	A211 Whatawhata	A213 Waihou	A223 Walton
A233 Waharoa

These district offices used for the most part single cancellations like Fig. 30. They are not very common, proving covers are rare, and indeed all the numbers may not have been issued.

Of the Auckland series, I have so far managed to acquire (only on stamps, alas) A26, A67, A81 and A99, while Collins illustrates A76 and A152. I have also A41 and A42 which are not included in the list. My specimens are all on the stamps of the middle issues.

Thames was made a chief P.O. in the seventies (Collins) and used A3 as in Fig. 31. It is seen from 1871 to 1879.

Collins' list of Thames District Offices extracted from the official list, is as follows:

• T2 Paeroa
• T16 Waihi
• T22 Rotorua
• T23 Maketu
• T25 Matata
• T26 Te Puke

I have not seen any of these but Tauranga used Fig. 32 in 1883 and Te Aroha a similar cancellation but with TS14 in 1886.

TARANAKI

Taranaki cancellations with numerals seem to be uncommon. Collins illustrates a cancellation containing the letters NP within an oval of seven bars, like the provincial district type shown in Fig. 30.

 This cover has a New Plymouth date stamp of 1866 on its back.

HAWKES BAY

Collins records a Hawkes Bay provincial district cancellation of the Fig. 30 type with HB1 used in Napier in 1859. Fig. 34 is seen from 1869 to 1872 also in Napier.

There are also Napier cancellations with N1 in a seven bar oval and with large letters N or NA.

WELLINGTON

A Wellington series of provincial district cancellations has been recorded from the following offices:

W1 Foxton	W2 Turakina	W3 Shannon	W4 Hutt
W5 Upper Hutt	W6 Manawatu	W7 Rangitikei	W8 Wairarapa
W9 Featherston	W10 Wanganui	W11 Patea	W12 Marton
W13 Masterton	W14 Otaki	W15 Johnsonville	W16 Pahiatua
W17 Carterton	W19 Grey Town	W20 Palmerston North	W21 Eltham
W22 Campbelltown	W23 Waitotara	W25 Woodville	W26 Manaia

The only one of these that I have seen is W4 which I have on cover from Hutt (now Lower Hutt) used in 1866.

NELSON

A similar series for Nelson Province is as follows:

C1 Riwaka	C2 Upper Moutere	C3 Redwood	C4 Baton
C5 Wakefield	C6 Takaka	C7 Motupipi	C8 Spring Grove

I have not seen any of these on cover and the numbers are gathered from stamps only. This series went into use fairly late, about 1879 (Collins).

MARLBOROUGH

The following is a provincial district series for Marlborough:

M1 Spring Creek	M2 Tua Marina	M3 Renwick	M4 The Wairau
M5 Picton	M6 Fabian's Valley	M7 Upper Awatere	M8 Ward

I have M2 and M6 on cover, 1869 and 1870.

Blenheim used a single cancellation B1 from 1872.

CANTERBURY

A similar series for Canterbury is as follows:

CH1 Papanui	CH2 Ashburton	CH3 Kaiapoi	CH4 Saltwater Creek
CH5 Hororata	CH6 Okain's Bay	CH7 Little Akaloa	CH8 Little River
CH9 Prebbleton	CH10 Sefton	CH11 Cust	CH12 Langford
CH13 Governor's Bay	CH14 Okuku	CH15 West Melton	CH16 Russelltown
CH17 Leeston	CH18 Wakanui	CH19 Southbridge	CH20 Oxford
CH21 Rakaia	CH22 Halkett

The only one of these that I have seen is CH4 on stamp. I have, however, seen CH23 on cover from Malvern in 1869.

From about 1870 various Christchurch cancellations were used with letters CH or C as in Fig. 38.

The following are known:

C1 Montreal Street	C2 Avonside	C3 Spreydon
C4 Richmond	C5 Lincoln Road	C7 Riccarton

CH3 was used at Head Office, Cathedral Square.

OTAGO

A similar series for Otago is as follows:

D1 Waitahuna	D2 Oamaru	D3 Dunstan	D4 Cromwell
D5 Hyde	D6 Naseby	D7 Tokomairiro	D8 Lawrence
D9 Palmerston	D10 Clinton	D11 Riverton	D12 Roxburgh
D13 Alexandra	D14 Arrow	D15 Portobello	D16 East Taieri
D17 West Taieri	D18 Queenstown	D20 Wyndham	D21 Arrowtown
D22 Cardrona	D23 Winton	D24 Gore	D25 Outram
D26 Waihola	D27 Mataura	D28 Anderson's Bay	D29 Forbury
D30 N.E. Valley	D40 West Harbour	D41 St Kilda

I have D16 on cover used at East Taieri in 1869. The offices shown under D28 to D41 were suburban offices of Dunedin and stamps with these numerals are fairly common. D1 is thought to have been used at Waikouaiti before the numbers were allocated (Collins). The Dunedin suburban offices were using datestamps with letter D in 1872.

Dunedin Chief Office used D over 1 at some period between 1862 and 1870 (Fig. 40), though the significance of the D in this case is obscure, and about 1873 used letters DI, DO and DN (Dunedin North) as in Fig. 41. DN was also used by Outram according to Collins.

Perkins Bacon supplied a dozen cancellers to the same pattern as the first type (Fig. 15) in 1862. These had a figure 0 replacing the denominator in the original series and were used first at Dunedin and later at other Otago offices. Invercargill used the 0 over 18 sometime before 1862 and Milton had one in the sixties (Collins).

SOUTHLAND

Southland was established as a separate province in 1861 but rejoined Otago in 1870. The Otago District list contains several Southland Offices. Fig. 63 is seen from 1865 to 1869.

Various single and combined cancellations were used containing "S", "Sl", or "1". Figs 64-65 show examples. I have two covers used at Invercargill, the chief town of Southland, in 1869 and 1871, with the cancellation shown below.

Collins describes a Southland District cancellation with "SD" over "1" used at Gore and he tells me he has now found some Southland cancellations with "S" over a numeral. Riverton used Fig. 66 in 1867-71.

A large spectacular "S" is sometimes seen on the full faces (Figs. 66a, b, c). There are three forms of it and a fourth version of the ringed type, but more cleanly cut, is seen on the early middle issues (Fig. 66d). These were probably used at Invercargill, but so far none has been seen on cover. There were about a dozen of these in the Goodfellow collection.

CHATHAM ISLANDS

The cover illustrated here bears a cancellation used in the Chathams in 1868. The central letter or numeral is not clear. I have seen another of the same year but the centre of the cancellation fell on the edge of the adhesive and was not decipherable. A P.O. was functioning in the Chathams from 1856 (Collins) and Te Kooti escaped from prison there to lead the last Maori war of 1868-72.

Fig. 67 illustrates a fairly common mark used in 1862-88. It is most often seen used as a cancellation, but also functioned as a date stamp in conjunction with a cancellation of different type.

The following exist: B2; C3; D4; E5; F6; H3, 8; L1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 16; W1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13.

"W2 has been identified as Taitai in Wellington Province and Mr. Bett of Nelson has identified C7 as Riwaka, E5 as Wakefield and F6 as Takaka, all in Nelson Province" (Collins). I have B2, D4 and H8 all on Nelson letters, W5, W6 and W8 on local Wellington letters, W13 on a piece with Wellington date stamp, W12 on a proving cover used at Marton (Wellington Province) in 1870, and W2 and W12 on letters from Wellington to U.K. in 1868. There is no evidence of which I am aware to show where the L numbers were used.

CANCELLATIONS WITH INITIALS

About 1879 a new series of cancellations appeared in the shape of Fig. 68. The list which follows is compiled from that given by Collins', and a few from my own covers; some of these have already been referred to in the description of provincial types.

A S - Albany St. (Auckland)	AK - Auckland	AN - Ashburton	B - Blenheim
DN - Dunedin North	G - Greymouth	GN - Gisborne	HW - Hawera
H - Hokitika	IN - Invercargill	L - Lyttelton	LN - Lyttelton
M S - Masterton	NA - Napier	N - Nelson	NN - Nelson
NP - New Plymouth	OU - Oamaru	ON - Onehunga	OX - Oxford
PA - Patea	PH - Port Ahuriri	PC - Port Chalmers	RE - Reefton
TA - Tauranga	TS - Thames	TU - Timaru	WG - Wanganui
WT - Westport

This brings us to the end of a somewhat sketchy review of the early cancellations. A further large group of great interest embraces the various forms of pen cancellations. These are not uncommonly seen on ordinary letters posted at places which may or may not figure in the official lists of post offices, but which were evidently not in possession of cancelling stamps. Some of these places no longer exist; they may have been tented towns which sprang up overnight as it were, in the locality of a new goldfield. When the goldfield disappointed, or was worked out, the town disappeared.