A SUNRAYSIA collector is keen to add old Mildura postal items to his $10,000 collection.
Tim Rodger said he had thousands of items in his archive, the most expensive being a $238 letter recovered from the wreck of a ship on its way to Scotland after being sent from Mildura Homestead in 1862.
He said there were some items missing from his compilation, “but there aren’t many”.
Mr Rodger has “learnt a lot about the history of Mildura through collecting these sorts of things”.
“People who might not have known about the RAAF base can see the air force facilities at Mildura Airport were changed into Mildura University — the postmark changed in 1947.
“And I have an air mail letter from the first plane flight that came into Mildura.
“Then again, not many people know Mildura had a university either and that when the university closed down it became a Commonwealth immigration centre.
“People wouldn’t know that unless they’re interested in the history of Mildura.
“I find history interesting and I find Mildura interesting.”
Mr Rodger said he had a letter from November 12, 1918, the day after the end of World War I.
“This letter was sent from one soldier to a fellow soldier who was wounded and sent home early,” he said.
“I reckon they would have been mates and he was sending a letter saying, ‘The war is over, isn’t that terrific?’”
He said he bought the letter for $50.
Mr Rodger said he had his sights set on turning his collection into a display he could share at conventions.
“If I turned the collection into a display, it would be to show different postmarks, different slogan cancels, evidence of different post offices, different registration labels and historic postal usages to try to demonstrate to the audience the variety of postal history,” Mr Rodger said.
“History is important.”
Mr Rodger displays his collection electronically at www.stampboards.com.
“I started a thread on Mildura postal history,” Mr Rodger said.
“Other people add pieces they have of Mildura which I don’t have.
“I absolutely encourage other Mildura residents to come forward with their items and to share them.”
