The Garden Palace exhibition was so popular that the government bought many of the star exhibits and set up the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum, the antecedent of the Powerhouse Museum. But in 1882, before the museum could be opened to the public, the Garden Palace mysteriously burnt down in a spectacular six hour fire. Fortunately some of the exhibits - and more importantly the momentum to build a museum - survived the Garden Palace fire.

This envelope from the Garden palace post office should not be confused with the much more common envelopes posted by the organising committee of the Garden Palace exhibition which were often posted in pillar boxes and bear the GPO Sydney cancellation.

Richard Peck, Curator Philately, 2001

This envelope is one of two known from Australia's first temporary post office at the Garden Palace international exhibition in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The postmark dates the envelope as being posted at the Garden Palace on 26th February 1880.

This envelope is one of two known from Australia's first temporary post office at the Garden Palace international exhibition in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The postmark dates the envelope as being posted at the Garden Palace on 26th February 1880. It was received by Adelaide M Smith in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America on 31st March 1880.

The temporary post office at the exhibition was staffed by officers from the GPO Sydney and was located in a shed outside the main exhibition building, which may explain why so little mail has survived despite the enormous popularity of the exhibition itself! This was the first temporary exhibition in the Australian colonies to have its own postmark.

The number "991" is explained by the fact that when adhesive postage stamps were introduced in NSW in 1850, each post office (apart from the GPO Sydney) was allocated a number which was included in its obliterator. This instrument (so called because it was supposed to effectively prevent the stamps from being re-used) was used to cancel the stamp until 1912 when the date stamp, which had been applied on the back, took over. So the Garden Palace post office was the 991st opened in New South Wales. Strikes of this obliterator on stamps only are very rare.

Envelope, posted at Garden Palace Post Office, paper / ink, made in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 26th February 1880 and owned by Adelaide M Smith, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 31st March 1880

An addressed, stamped and post marked envelope. The stamp in the top right corner of the envelope has been printed in pale lilac ink and features the head of Queen Victoria in profile, wearing a crown. The stamp has been cancelled with the '991' obliterator which was only used at Garden Palace post office. Near the stamp is a 'Garden Palace' postmark. Three post marks have been stamped on the back of the envelope, providing evidence of its trip to the United States.

Maker: unknown; Sydney, New South Wales; 26/02/1880


User: unknown; Garden Palace Building, Sydney; 26/02/1880

Owner: Smith, Adelaide M; Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Owner: unknown; 31/03/1880

Handwritten address reads 'Miss Adelaide M. Smith / 24 Williams st / Boston Highlands / U.S.A'. Handwritten to one side of the address 'via San Francisco'.
Text printed on stamp reads 'NEW SOUTH WALES / POSTAGE SIX [6] PENCE'.
Circular postmarks stamped on the front envelope read 'GARDEN PALACE/ FE26 / 1880 / NSW', 'REC'D In BOSTON MASS / MAR / 31 / 10AM'.
Circular postmarks on the back of the envelope read 'SYDNEY / FE26 / 1880 / N.S.W', 'SAN FRANCISCO / MAR 24 / CAL' and partial stamp reads 'ROXBUR / MAR / 3 / 11AM / REC'D'.

91/212

26/02/1880

77 mm

139 mm