The accompanying illustrations are of essays for the first stamps of New South Wales. These essays are contained in the official Departmental collection and were first exhibited to the public at the Australian National Philatelic Exhibition, Sydney, 1959.

Fig. 1 is of three essays of a 2d. stamp prepared by Thomas Ham of Melbourne in 1849. It will be noticed that two of the essays have not been completed and show different treatments of the head surround. These essays were engraved on a single plate and pulls taken on glazed card. Those illustrated are in blue color. The notation is thought to be in Ham's handwriting. Also contained in the official collection is a further pull of the same essays in red color. At the base Ham wrote "1d." and "This red can be a little darker. T.H."      When submitting his essays Ham also offered to produce the stamps. The essays were not accepted, and, mainly because of difficulties of distance, he was not entrusted with the production of any New South Wales stamps. However, he subsequently engraved the die and printed the first Victorian stamps.

The essay illustrated by Fig. 2, 3 and 4 was prepared in 1849 by Robert Clayton of Sydney. It is perhaps not apparent in the illustration that the impressions have not been made directly on the paper, but have been cut from another sheet and attached by adhesive to a piece of paper on which the name "Clayton" has been pencilled. It would appear that originally there were four copies of the essay, as a rectangular adhesive stain can be seen between Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is in red colour and Fig. 3 in blue colour. In Fig. 4 the vignette is in blue and the frame in red.

A further essay by Clayton is shown in Figs. 5 and 6; again, these impressions are gummed on, and traces of gum indicate that there were originally three impressions attached. Fig. 5 is in red color. In Fig. 6 the central circular portion is in red color and the remainder in blue. This design was the prototype of the first New South Wales stamps. The notation appearing below the essay is believed to have been written by the Colonial Secretary, Sir Edward Deas Thompson. Clayton subsequently engraved the original 1d. plate of the "Sydney Views."

Additional references to these and other relevant essays of the period are contained in the following publications:- "History of the Post Office, together with an Historical Account of the Issue of Postage Stamps in New South Wales", by Andrew Houison (1890); "The Postage Stamps, Envelopes, Wrappers, Post Cards and Telegraph Stamps of New South Wales", by A.F. Basset Hull (1911) and "The Stamps of New South Wales", by G.J. Hutson (1960).