Friday 26 August 2016

Mail sent in Queensland without going through a post office

I have recently discovered that it was legal to send mail in Queensland without going through a post office. This newspaper article explains:

Logan Witness (Beenleigh, Qld), Saturday 25 February 1882, page 2

Road Letters

The Governor in Council has been pleased to approve the following new regulation under section 5 of the ‘Postage Act of 1871,’ which is published for general information. 

Notwithstanding anything contained in the postal regulations issued on the 29th May, 1880, and clauses 13 and 16 of the General Conditions attached to Mail Contracts, contractors or other persons employed as mailmen in the conveyance of mails shall when required by any person on the road beyond the precincts of a post town or a distance of one mile from the nearest Post Office, take in charge any letter or packet bearing the proper postage in stamps affixed thereto and deliver such letter or packet at any place on the mail line, before arriving, at a Post Office and such letter or packet shall be deemed to have been sent by post in terms of the ‘Postage Act of 1871.'

Provided that the stamps affixed thereto shall be obliterated or destroyed on delivery by the addressee or receiver in the presence of the mailman: and any person neglecting to so obliterate or destroy such stamps shall be liable on conviction thereof to a penalty not exceeding £5 for each offence, and the mailman or person in charge of the mail shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding £5 for each case for neglecting to see the stamps so obliterated or destroyed at the time of delivery thereof. And any person again using such unobliterated stamps shall be liable to the penalty provided by clause 68 of ‘The Postal Act of 1871.' Any mailman or other person in charge of the mail receiving or delivering any letter or packet under these regulations without the proper stamps affixed thereto, shall be liable on conviction thereof to a penalty not exceeding £5 for each offence. N.B. Mailmen are not allowed to take money in payment or postage for road letters or packets.

I think I have found two examples of this practice (seen on Stampboards) both addressed to Mt Morgan and would love to see more!



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