Australian Civil Censored Mail

During WWII: 1939 to 1945

This page features commercial covers with Australian civil censor markings. These markings were in use from the beginning of World War II in September of 1939 until the end of the war in May of 1945. Censorship of postal items was intended to:
1. Prevent the enemy from receiving vital information.
2. Help detect companies trading with the enemy.
3. Detect disloyalty.
International mail posted in Australia was passed from the place of posting to the General Post Office in that area's military district. In most cases the censor station was located in the General Post Office. Domestic mail at times fell under the censor's responsibilities. These were letters from people on the "Suspect List", from areas with sensitive military installations, from Prisoners of War and mail forwarded by sea from Hobart and Launceston in Tasmania and from Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Censorship's Beginning
At the beginning of WWII, censor stations were equipped with reclosing labels which did not indicate the place of censorship. They stated only Opened by Censor.

Opened by Censor

Opened by Censor

The Dot System
Beginning in 1939 and continuing into 1940 a simple dot code printed on the reclosing label indicated the city of censorship. Masking the city of origin does not seem to be the intent of the dot system as dated handstamps were left for all to see. Therefore the dots were for purposes of administration not secrecy.

The Dot System

The Letter System
Introduced at the same time as the dot codes was a series of letter codes added to some of the censor handstamps. Again, masking the city of origin does not seem to be the intent of this system as dated handstamps were left for all to see.

The Letter System

The Number System
Australia was divided into 8 distinct military districts with a number designated to each district (District 8, Port Moresby in Papua did not use a number on handstamps or reclosing labels). The Australian government also censored mail coming/leaving from Nauru, The Territory of New Guinea and Norfolk Island.

The Number System

Imperial Code System
In mid 1942, The Chief Censor in London suggested that all Commonwealth countries adopt the Imperial Censorship Code. Australia's handstamp number codes were changed to:

The Imperial Code System

Intercepted Mail
A common practice during WWII was for the Australian censors to intercept overseas letters sent in-transit through Australia. (This was common on mail originating in French Oceania where Vichy sympathizers made all mail suspect to inspection.) When the censor would not open mail, a handstamp stating "Not Opened by Censor" was applied.

Intercepted Mail

Links to other sites on the Web

Stamps and Covers

Postal History of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

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