Ed Wolf - Philatelic researcher, storyteller and aerophilatelist extraordinaire.

Read his very well reseached paper on the 1931 England - Australia Experimental flights.

Mr. Ed Wolf receiving Australian Philatelic Research award in March 2021.

Ed Wolf has been interested in Aviation since childhood. At school he was a sergeant in the Air Training Corps and at University was a Pilot Officer in the Sydney University Squadron.

​His other interest, philately, initially consisted of a 10 volume collection of Airmail Stamps of the World but the emphasis moved to flight covers some 40 years ago. His current interests are the Internal and External Airmail routes of Australia, British Internal Airmails, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the UIVER story, the Trans-Tasman, Pacific and the South Atlantic Ocean Airmails.

To better understand the historical aspects he has spent an extensive time researching his subject in the National Archives at Kew, The India Office's Oriental Room in the National Library at St. Pancras, and the British Postal Section at Mt Pleasant. Accuracy has been the aim.

An active member of the numerous Societies, he has held the posts of President, Secretary, Editor and Treasurer at the most of them from time to time. Currently he is the Chairman of the NSW Philatelic Deveopment Council and an accredited National Judge. His writings has been mostly in local philatelic Societies, this being the firsr major effort.

Ed has published a book, The Flight of the Old Carthusian in 2012. The book is part of an anticipated series to be known as "The Air Road to Australia" which will trace the development of the route from its inception using authentic documentation to tell the story.

Ed has also written a detailed account of the two Experimental Flights in 1931 between England and Australia. This account is in four parts, and these flights are of great significance to Aerophilatelists and Postal History collectors in India. He has graciously premitted us to post these stories on our website, which you can access by using the links below.

1931 First Experimental Flight

1. The 1931 First Experimental Flight
​from England to Australia

2. The 1931 First Experimental Flight
​​from Australia to England

The backstamp of Victoria Point April 22, 1931, indicates that mail was offloaded at Rangoon
(on April 15) and continued south by steamer.

On reverse additional 3 Anna external postage, Smith signature and backstamp Allahabad May 3. The purple cachet applied subsequently.

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1931 Second Experimental Flight

3. The1931 Second Experimental Flight
​from ​England to Australia

The 3-line cachet was applied unofficially by Stephen Smith subsequent to the flight. 

4. The1931 Second Experimental Flight ​
from ​Australia to England

The green cachet was applied subsequently by Stephen Smith.

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(Article Courtesy: Mr. Ed Wolf)