Description:

1832 Wesleyan missionary outer to London rated "3" in red, British boxed 'INDIA LETTER/PORTSMOUTH' h/s & rated "1/-" (4d inwards shipletter + 8d mileage), London arrival b/s of 3JY3/1833 in red, docketed on the reverse from "Macquarie Harbour/Dec 26 1832/John Manton/State of the works...", unusually fine for such items. An important piece for the collector of convict-related mail, being the later of only two Macquarie Harbour covers in private hands. Carried to Hobart per the Government brig "Tamar; and to England per "Katherine Stewart Forbes", departed 11/2/1833, arrived Portsmouth 2/7/1833. Ex Brian Peace. [Examples of the 3d rate that operated only between 17/5/1832 & 1834 are rare. NB: Between April 1832 & May 1837, no postal markings were used at Hobart.



Macquarie Harbour was an infamous convict station for "irreclaimables" on the west coast, and the backdrop for Marcus Clarke's famous novel "For the Term of His Natural Life". Known colloquially as "Hell's Gates", escape was considered impossible. One group that attempted the impossible suffered such hardship that they resorted to cannibalism: the two who made it back to Macquarie Harbour died from the impact of their ordeal. The convict station operated from 1822 until 1833, when all the inmates were transferred to the newly established, and somewhat more civilised, Port Arthur. John Allen Manton succeeded Rev William Schofield at Macquarie Harbour in 1830, and was the first chaplain at Port Arthur.