In
any overview of philatelic literature, Kenneth Sparks is noted as one of the
chief recorders of modern postal services, to this should be added his work with
postal technology as well as his efforts in philatelic publishing both on paper
and electronically.Ken came to philately with a background in engineering. His monograph on Framas assisted in getting him a position in Australia Post Engineering. Throughout the 1980’s Ken and others regularly recorded what was happening with Australia Post’s coin in the slot vending machines. Ken also collected and researched Australia’s first major effort in computerised mail sorting, the Redfern Mail Exchange. From this was produced Postal Mechanisation in Australia – A Brief History which ran to several editions as new technologies were introduced.
In the early 1990’s Ken helped establish a publishing house to
produce small quantity, good quality, philatelic works with emphasis on the modern era.
During this time he researched, wrote and published:
Official airmails of Australia
Bass Strait mails
Australian postal vending machines
Working within Australia Post allowed Ken to access some data which would not be generally available.
Ken contributed columns on contemporary philatelic happenings, to both Australian Stamp Monthly and Stamp News Australia. In the early 1990’s he also edited and published his own monthly newsletter emphasising postal mechanisation – Modern Philately.
He currently edits a postal technology column on Australia’s only electronic stamp magazine Stamps au.
His research interests have also translated into collecting interest which in turn led to his exhibit on Australian Postal Technology which concentrated on the introduction of electronic mail sorting at Redfern through to Letter Indexing Desks which signalled the next generation in this area. This and his work in publications has been recognised at Australian National Philatelic Exhibitions. Geoffrey Kellow, in 2000, wrote “It is often said, with great justification, that the best time to document postal history is when it is current. The research of Ken Sparks has followed this axiom “