Philatelic CV

I have a lengthy association with Australasian philately and continue to research to further knowledge of this subject.

I started collecting stamps at the age of 5. Encouraged by my grandfather, who collected stamps from the mail of the company he worked for in the 1920s and 1930s, I specialised in Australasia from the age of ten.

I joined the Leeds Philatelic Society Juniors as a boy of 13, and was mentored by Bob Wright, a member of the British Society of Australian Philately (BSAP). I obtained the British Philatelic Association Diploma in Philatelic Knowledge at age 16, this being presented at London 1960, the first international I attended.

After joining the BSAP at 15, I became the editor of its Bulletin from 1966-70 and again from 1982-89. I am a Fellow of the BSAP and was awarded the Thomas E. Field Trophy for services to the Society and Australian Philately in 1970 and was President from 1997 to 1999.

I also joined the Australian States Study Group of The Royal Philatelic Society London in 1970 and made contributions to its Newsletter concerning Australian colonial postal history. I am a member of the Australian States Study Circle of The Royal Sydney Philatelic Club and have made similar input to their journal.

My book, Australasian Wreck Mail (1997), has been awarded a National Gold Medal at Canberra (1998) and an FIP Vermeil Medal at Milan (1998). It is the only comprehensive work of its type in book form. A second edition of this work, completely revised, was published in April 2013.

The second book, Mail Robberies by Bushrangers in Australia 1833-1908, was published in November 2011.

My New South Wales Pre-adhesive Postal History exhibit was awarded two FIP Gold Medals at New Zealand 1990 and London 2000.

I have been a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London since 1971 and have attained fellowship. In 1989 I presented a paper entitled Australasian Disaster Mail to the Royal Philatelic Society London.

The series of 5 volumes on Australasian Crash Mail has been completed. I have spent over forty years researching and writing on this subject.

In 2013 I was awarded both the BSAP Research Medal and the Australian Philatelic Federation Philatelic Research Medal.

Over fifty years I have formed the largest private library of Australasian philatelic literature.

You may also like to read a short philatelic biography about me in the June 2015 edition of The Bulletin, BSAP pp xxv-xxvi.