Auction 321 - 332 Australian States & Commonwealth of Australia, St. Helena, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Swaziland, Brazil 1843 –1870 - Day 1

1844 (July 11): Entire letter from Adelaide rated '6d.'  prepaid in red and '5d.' in black manuscript for amount due upon arrival, struck on reverse with oval framed "♚ / GENERAL POST OFFICE / ADELAIDE / S.A." datestamp (July 11) in black. Interesting content concerning selling 1'300 sheep at 5/6d. per head and "I have just received a letter from Robert (Leake) where he says he has settled at a place called Lake Leake, he has had an attack by the Blacks twice losing 50 of the sheep, shooting one black and wounding another...several copper mines found also lead mines...". A fine entire.rnrnNote: The entire was written by Robert Leake, son of John Leake (1780-1865), who arrived with his family in Van Diemen's Land in May 1823 on the 'Andromeda'. A successful banker and farmer, he was later a member of the Legistlative Council and his house at Rosedale was restyled by James Blackburn into a stately Italian villa.rnrnProvenance: Prestige, Melbourne, 4 March 2006, lot 644.