1947: Melbourne Regional air navigation meeting
The fifth
and last Regional Air Navigation (RAN) Meeting of the Provisional International
Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO)
was held in Melbourne, Australia for the South Pacific Region from Tuesday 4 to Saturday 22 February 1947.
On Monday 3 February 1947 (the day before the meeting opening),
a special post office was opened up at the University of Melbourne, Australia,
in connection with the above PICAO conference. Covers bearing a cancellation from the first day of
operation of this office can be found.
It was the
original intention of PICAO to establish an office in each of the ten air
navigation regions; at the time ICAO replaced the provisional organization in
April 1947, there were offices in Dublin for the North Atlantic Region (later,
its responsibilities were shifted to the Paris office); Paris for the
European-Mediterranean Region; Cairo for the Middle-East Region; and a temporary
mission in Melbourne for the South-West Pacific Region. The ICAO Asia and
Pacific Regional Office was established in 1948 at Melbourne, Australia. It was
then named Far East and Pacific Office. At the invitation of the Kingdom of
Thailand and taking into account the advantage of the geographical location,
this Regional Office (renamed Asia and Pacific Office) was moved to Bangkok,
Thailand (in an inner suburb of the city named St. Kilda), and started
functioning from there with effect from 3 January 1955. The purpose of the move
was to locate the office on the Asiatic mainland at a point closer to the
centre of activity of the area, which it served.
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Postmark
of the day prior to the official opening of the meeting. Registration label with the abbreviated name of the
Organization (PICAO), along with the abbreviated place (Melb.) and country
(Aust.) of the meeting. |
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Postcard with first day cancellation (3 February 1947, i.e.
the day before the meeting opening) – Conference hand-stamp: P.I.C.A.O. –
Melbourne, Aust. |
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First Day
Cover (4 February 1947). |
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Second Day
Cover showing the full name of the Provisional Organization. Registration label with the abbreviated name of the
Organization (PICAO), along with the abbreviated place (Melb.) and country
(Aust.) of the meeting. |
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Service cover sent by the DELEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA attending the meeting, with Australian 2½D King George VI (KGVI)
stamp (Scott #39, red; issued on 7 January 1942). |
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