RANGITATA (TU) A CLASS 1892 POSTMARK ON COVER.TO BALLANTYNES, CHRISTCHURCH.

Rangitata Post Office in South Canterbury was open from 1876 to 1964 and is rated 5 for scarcity by Wooders.

This index B postmark is dated 28 April 1892 and has been backstamped at Christchurch on the same day.

Nice condition.

General Note regarding Ballantynes Mail. .....................................................

Ballantynes is an institution in Christchurch.

The famous Department Store was established in 1854 as New Zealand's first Department Store. It is located in the center of the City and also has branches at Christchurch International Airport and in Timaru.

It is located at the corner of Colombo Cashel Streets in a building called Dunstable house. It has survived a serious fire in 1947 and the Earthquakes of 2010 & 2011.

It is a privately owned business. Founded by John Ballantyne, the family still have a large connection with the business. Early mail from their customers was luckily stored at the Ballantyne homes and escaped the 1947 fire and subsequently very small amounts have been offered by family members to selected local stamp dealers over the years. In the last few decades lots of perhaps 20 to 50 envelopes have been offered every 6 months or year to Stirling & co, then Gavin Millard of Avon stamps and latterly myself of Shades Stamp Shop. Most of their mail came from their large mail order rural customer base from around Canterbury with other strong areas being Nelson, Westland, Inland Otago, Wanganui Taranaki and also Hawkes Bay.