The following pictorials have all been in use for nine or ten years, so will not be available for much longer (unless replaced). Issue year shown, and date last sighted.
Just wondering I am going to Canberra tomorrow (Friday), beyond the GPO and Parliament does anyone know any pictorials in the ACT? Preferably fairly close to the centre as I cannot drive.
For anyone interested: Parliament House P.O. (which was already closed by the time I got there, having restricted hours when Parliament is not sitting) has a special posting box specifically for their pictorial postmark. (I’ve seen photos of these from overseas, but didn’t expect to see one here). Remains to be seen if it will work. Both designs at the GPO are still available.
Don’t want to clog the forum too much, but does anyone know when (or if) Morpeth NSW dropped their pictorial (Great North Road)? Went today but the staff were… very unreceptive.
…‘My most recent date for Morpeth is 2018, wrote to post office last year for an update but got no reply. I’m pretty sure the dateline expired and the PO didn’t bother to renew it.’
If memory serves me correctly the 2018 Morpeth strike was sent to me when I wrote in 2019. So either the PO forgot to alter the date, or 2018 was the last year that would show on the date wheel.
Thank you all for the Morpeth info. Pity about that, I have some family connections there.
Got a copy of the now-abandoned Katoomba pictorial today. It’s really beautiful - I’m going to write to ask them to reinstate it or one similar; there is after all an official address for that sort of thing.
(Buckley’s of that but if I don’t ask…)
Apologies for what might be a silly question but I know very little about postmarks. I asked at our local post office and they couldn’t tell me either.
To get a specific postmark do you have to go (or send??)to the specific post office in that wonderful list that I saw @helent posted? Is there a central address could send cards to get any postmark? Someone sent me a screen shot of a Pantone card with a marine emblem stamp and postmark on the front someone clever had made.
Hi! Yes you can write for any still current (post 2017?) postmark to:
Australia Post, Sprintpak
Postmarking Department
15 Enterprise Drive
ROWVILLE VIC 3178
enclosing a card or envelope with sufficient postage for the return (although they will send your requested postmarked cards back to you in a registered envelope).
You can go or write to the specific offices but I have found the knowledge of staff can result in you having to go away empty handed (unless you are very persistent and willing to explain what pictorial postmarks are). They are usually kept in the back of the office under the care of the Postal Manager and if a staff member hasn’t been asked for it before they might not know it exists.
When applying for first day of issue postmarks there is one month leeway (which means the above Swansea FDI postmark is now unfortunately unavailable).
Thank you so much @austviolin, your help demystifying it all, it is much appreciated
I shall give that a go! And I shall remember I have to be quick off the mark for first day covers!
When you write to them, Do you include like a stamped address envelope for their return?
A SASE is not required (they use their own envelopes), but each postmark request has to be accompanied by something suitable to put it on (an envelope or card with sufficient postage ($1.50 now) that would cover its return). Often individual P.O.s will just send the postmarked card directly, but the Postmarking Department uses semi archival packing material.
I visited the PO in Winton, Queensland today and while a staff member was applying their pictorial postmark to my mail they informed me that a commemorative pictorial postmark celebrating the 150th anniversary of the town will be available next year
thanks x
