This fine feathered bird related to the galleon on which Francis Drake sailed around the world.
Now you may be puzzled at this, because we know it today as the "Golden Hind" - however when she sailed out of the harbour on the maiden leg of its voyage, she was called "The Pelican". She was only renamed about half way round in honour of his patron, and sponsor, a man called Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a female deer, or a hind, in gold.
This set was first listed in our original W.D. & H.O. Wills reference book part III, as :
50. 100. BIRDS OF AUSTRALASIA. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour; backs with descriptive text. Australian Issues :-
Backs in Green - issued about 1912:-
A. With "Capstan" advertisement (a) dull (b) glazed backs.
B. With "Vice Regal" advertisement (a) dull (b) glazed backs.\
C. With "Havelock" advertisement.
In series A-C there is much variation in size, due to uneven cutting, and in the type used for numerals - the same number being found in different stylesBacks in Chrome-yellow- issued about 1915 :-
D. With "Havelock" advertisement
E. With "Wills`s Specialities" advertisementThroughout the series A-E there is much colour variation, both in backs and fronts. In the case of fronts, many cards are found with one or more of the colour processes missed.; back colouring varies from light to dark with a series of intermediates
There follows a comparison of titles list, to be scanned some time. After that it continues ;
There are various differences as between fronts and backs, and between the subject titles in A-C and D-E. Card No.26 is incorrectly spelt "Tue" - the bird`s name is "Tui" ; no corrected card is known. A series similar to D-E was also issued in Australia by "Village Maid Confectionery"
Interestingly, though this version is dated 1915 it does not appear in the list of overseas sets that was printed in the Wills` Works Magazine. What this means is that these cards were printed locally in Australia, and not in the British Isles.
The Village Maid link is interesting as well, and needs further investigation. I have seen a few cards and the fronts are the same, but the backs are different. It also turns out that Village Maid also issued a set called "Sports of the World" and the fronts of the cards I have looked at from the Wills version of that are also identical too.
Now by the time this set appears in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, it is recorded as :
BIRDS OF AUSTRALASIA. Sm. Nd. (100). See W/50 ... W62-218
A. Back in green. Brand issues:-
(a) "Capstan" back.
(b) "Havelock" back
(c) "Vice Regal" backB. Back in chrome-yellow. Subjects differ from A. at 18 numbers.
(a) "Havelock" back
(b) "Wills`s Specialities" back
It is identical to this, except less spaced out, in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index; however the card reference code has changed.