At this time there were no other regulations or orders concerning the handling of letters received into the Colony but it is evident, as will be seen from the first regulations, later cited, that some abuses had arisen in regard to the distribution of letters received from overseas.

To overcome the undesirable practices which had developed, and at the sane tine to provide that adequate controls should be maintained, a general government order, dated 25th April 1809, was promulgated. This read as follows

"Complaints have been made to the Lieut. Governor that numerous frauds have been committed by individuals repairing on board ships on their arrival at this port, and personating others, by which they have obtained possession of letters and parcels, to the great injury of those for whom they were intended.

The Lieut. Governor, in order to prevent the practice of such frauds in future, has been pleased to establish an office at which all parcels and letters addressed to the inhabitants of this Colony are to be deposited previous to their distribution, which office shall be under the direction of Mr. Isaac Nichols, Assistant to the Naval Officer, who has entered into security for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in him.

The following regulations are, therefore, to be observed, viz

On the arrival of any vessel, Mr. Nichols, or a person properly authorised by him, is to repair on board, and to require that all letters and parcels directed for the Colony be delivered to him, for which he is to give a receipt to the master, mate or supercargo.

An office for their reception shall be established at his house, and in consideration of the trouble and expense attended on the duty, the following sums shall be charged by him on their delivery, viz:-

For every letter 1s.

For every parcel not exceeding 20 lb. weight 2s. 6d., and

For all exceeding that weight, 5s.

A list to be published in the Gazette of the names of persons to whom letters and parcels are directed.

Soldiers' letters (agreeable to the established regulations) to be charged only one penny

The effect of this order was to establish the Post Office in Australia, with Mr. Isaac Nichols as the first postmaster, and the date of 25th April 1809, is regarded as the foundation day of the Australian Post Office of today.

A Commemorative Postage stamp was issued in April 1959 to mark the 150th anniversary of this event. The design of the stamp represents Isaac Nichols boarding the brig "Experiment", which vessel was the first to reach Sydney from the United Kingdom after Nichols had received his appointment. The "Experiment", of 142 tons, dropped anchor in Sydney Harbour on 26th June. 1809. It carried convicts and also His Majesty's mails. It was not a naval vessel and had left Cork Cove on 21st January 1809, in a West Indian convoy (no doubt because of the war with France then in progress) and had reached Sydney via Cape Horn. This brig "Experiment" is not to be confused with another "Experiment", a local vessel, which was in port about the same time, and normally ran between Port Jackson and the Hawkesbury.

The theme of the design illustrates the first official taking over of an inwards overseas mail by Australia's first postmaster. Undoubtedly, Nichols would have received some mails from vessels returning from Van Diemen's Land or Norfolk Island and perhaps from the several whalers which touched at Sydney after his appointment on 25th April 1809, and before the arrival of the "Experiment" two months later. The latter would have brought the first English mails to have been received in the Colony for many months.

Expansion of Postal Services.

Mr. Nichols's initial postal position would today be described as that of a non-official postmaster. However, he was appointed an official postmaster in the following year, at which time an official post office was created. The relevant order, quoted below, is further of interest as showing marked reduction of the delivery charges levied on letters and parcels.

"Headquarters, Government House,

23rd June 1810.

Government Order.

In order to the convenience and general accommodation of the inhabitants of the Colony, His Excellency the Governor has deemed it expedient to establish a regular Post Office in the town of Sydney, at which all parcels or letters, either colonial or foreign, are to be deposited previous to their distribution. His Excellency has accordingly been pleased to appoint Mr. Isaac Nichols to be Postmaster - Mr. Nichols having entered into security of five hundred pounds for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in him.

The following regulations are therefore to be strictly observed, viz: First - On the arrival of any ship or vessel in the harbour, Mr. Nichols (or a person properly authorised by him) is to repair on board, and to require that all letters and parcels directed for the Colony (public Government despatches excepted) shall be delivered to him, for which he is to give a receipt to the master, mate or supercargo.

Secondly - An office for the reception of all letters and parcels shall be established from the 25th instant, at the house of Mr. Nichols, in High Street, and in consideration of the expense and trouble attendant on this duty, the following sums shall be charged by him on their delivery, viz: - For every letter, English or foreign, eight pence; for every parcel not exceeding 201b. weight, one shilling and sixpence; for all parcels exceeding 201b. weight, three shillings; and for every colonial letter from any part of the territory, four pence. Soldiers' letters and those addressed to their wives (agreeably to the established regulations) to be charged only one penny.

Thirdly - A list is to be published in the Gazette of the names of the persons to whom letters and parcels are directed.

By command of His Excellency,

(Signed) J.T. CAMPBELL

(Secretary)"

The revised regulations did not indicate the means by which letters and parcels were to be distributed beyond the bounds of Sydney town and the scanty evidence available suggests that interior mails were conveyed by Government officials or private individuals according to whatever arrangements Mr. Nichols might make at the time.

Despite lack of knowledge concerning the details of Mr. Nichols's control of the mails it is clear that he carried out his duties competently, as evidenced in the newspaper panegyric, following his death on 8th November, 1819

"He was the first who received the very useful and much required office of Postmaster, the duties of which office he has performed highly to the general satisfaction during the last eight or nine years of his lifetime."

In the Gazette of 12th November, 1819, appeared the notice

"George Panton, Esq., is to be Postmaster of the Territory of New South Wales in the room of Mr. Isaac Nichols, deceased. Mr. Panton is to take charge of this Department on Monday next, the 15th instant."

Mr. Panton assumed office at a time when the population of the Colony was commencing to increase rapidly and while, no doubt, his duties boo e heavier it would not appear that any further Governmental measures to control the mails were taken until 1825 when an Act entitled "An Act to regulate the Postage of Letters in New South Wales" was passed. It leaned heavily on am earlier Imperial Act and its purpose was to give the Governor power to establish post offices in Sydney and other parts of the Colony, to fix rates of postage and to appoint Postmasters and to determine their salaries and allowances.

This Act set the postal service on a sound basis and its gradual development followed orthodox lines of the day. Postmasters were appointed, mail routes established and postage rates fixed in detail for both internal and overseas letters of various categories. A franking privilege was granted to the chief public officers of the Colony and rules concerning the carriage of letters on ships were issued. The first postmasters outside of Mr. Panton were appointed for Bathurst, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Newcastle, Parramatta, Penrith and Windsor by an Order of 8th March 1828. At this tine also Mr. Panton became known as the Postmaster General.

Following the death of Mr. Panton on 24th April 1829. Mr. James Raymond was appointed to the charge of postal matters in New South Wales, a position he retained until his own death on 29th May 1851.

During his regime the postal service was greatly expanded and improved. To him goes the credit for providing the Sydney stamped letter sheets and envelopes of 1838 and he was also responsible for initiating action which resulted in the issue of the first adhesive stamps in 1850.

Based upon Articles in the APO Philatelic Bulletin, 1959