H N (Nelson) Eustis, MAP  [1915 - 2003]

It is with considerable sadness, we mourn the passing of H N (Nelson) Eustis FAP, on 3rd November 2003, just two weeks after his 88th birthday.

Nelson was born at Queenstown, South Australia, on 21st October 1915, Trafalgar Day, and his patriotic father named him Hamilton Nelson to honour the occasion. It is possible his mother did not think much of Lady Hamilton, and Nelson became the preferred choice of Christian name.

At age ca.10, Nelson began stamp trading at school with selections priced at 1d and 2d each - at this time he was listed in an American collector/exchange 'pen-pal' journal.

In 1929, the Perth-Adelaide airmail flight kindled a strong interest in the philately of flown mails and the following year, at age 15, his first article about Australian Airmails was published in Vol I of the Australian Stamp Monthly, under the nom-de-plume 'Par Avion'. Permission was required from his headmaster to publish the article. In subsequent issues he advertised first Flight Covers for sale at from 1/3 each.

He entered the field of competitive philately in Sydney 1932 in the 'Under 18 Junior Division', with a two volume collection of British Empire and Foreign stamps, and when 21 years old, entered his 12 volumes of approx 800 airmail covers of Australasia, in Adelaide 1936, gaining a Silver medal.

In 1931, Alex Rosenblum published the first distinctive account of Australian Airmail Flights and Labels. Nelson soon identified that Australia, and the world, needed a chronological priced catalogue of all aerophilatelic matters within Australia. Following research of newspapers and journals in the early - mid 1930's, in 1937 he published the first edition of 'The Australian Airmail Catalogue' - modelled on the Rosenblum publication, both printed by 'ASM'.

In 1938, he opened a Newsagency-Hobby Shop in the Adelaide Arcade. It closed 4 years later when Nelson joined the RAAF serving as a Radio Technician and Camera Projectionist in New Guinea, Dutch East Indies, North Borneo and the Philippines. He was discharged in 1945 having gained the rank of Flight Sergeant.

Upon return to civilian life, he opened another Hobby Shop, this time in Gawler Place. Wife Vola and daughters Lynne and Dianne often helped in the shop prior to its closure in 1968.

Following initial publication, the Australian Airmail Catalogue was up-dated over the next 65 years, culminating in the 7th Edition in 2002, during which time the Australian section developed an extraordinary wealth of information re the flights, pilots, labels and vignettes, quantities flown with occasional historic and dramatic references associated with these flights.

Important sections for flights of numerous Pacific Islands were added, many of which Nelson and Vola had actually flown during his extensive travels for business and philately across Asia and the South Pacific.

His need to identify authentic information on world-wide flights associated with Australia soon had him in regular correspondence with leading publishers and collectors around the world including Francis Field, Nicholas Sanabria, Jal Cooper, Ern Crome, Ernie Kehr, Francisco de Silvera, Dr Paganini to name but a few, in some instances, such associations continued until his death.

Closure of the shop in 1968, saw the commencement of Nelson devoting much of his energy to assisting some of the smaller underdeveloped nations, becoming an authoritative consultant to the Post Offices in Samoa, Fiji, Pitcairn Island, Burma, Bangladesh for varying periods of up to 20 years, and an agreement with Australia Post to attend Australian postal matters at exhibitions and events in the Pacific, prior to Australia Post sending its own staff.

He realised that Coin and Stamp collectors all over the world would be interested in collecting coins/stamps from some of these countries if they could obtain them through reliable sources. He believed the royalties from such sales would be a most significant income to these needy countries.

His representation for Richard Borek/MDM of Germany for 20 years took him to visit countries and discuss with the Governors and Deputy Governors of central banks, Ministers or Treasury Officials, contracts for MDM numismatic coins. This particular challenge in his life took him to at least 95 countries, some on more than 50 occasions, and Samoa, nearly 100 times, during which time he met on numerous occasions such persons as the King of Tonga, the Dalai Lama, Tensing Norgay, the King of Sikkim, Aggie Grey, many of whom became the subjects of his other literary pursuits including the autobiography of the King of Tonga.

During his lifetime he found time to promote on a world-wide level, his passion for Australian Aerophilately and his International reputation within those realms became exemplary, being invited to serve on the Board of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP), as Member of the Presidium of the Federation Internationale de Societies de Aerophilateliques (FISA) and a Board Member of the Federation de Philatelie (FIOP) Commission to Aerophilately, while in 1994, he was honoured with the FIP's most prestigious 'Research Award'. In the following year, Nelson, along with long time philatelic colleague, John Gartner, was invested as an Inaugural Fellow of the Australian Philatelic Order.

The story of the Nelson Eustis achievements within Australia is well documented through Judging, Exhibition, Society and Committee Management including the formation of the Australian Airmail Society, and many other promotional activities, the breadth of which will not be exceeded.

He perceived the historical significance of many flights and had a fervent desire to ensure they were always recognised. Thus we find many re-enactment flights, vignettes etc in memory of Harry Butler, Charles Kingsford Smith, Graham Carey, Basil Watson, Scotty Allen and Charles Ulm, Ross and Keith Smith to name a few. Added to these names are those of famous aircraft such as 'Vickers Vimy', 'Southern Cross', 'Faith-in-Australia' etc.

Nelson, along with the strong band of Airmail Society members, also recognised major Aeronautical events by the staging of 'Aeropex 88', 'Aeropex 94' and more recently 'Aeropex 03', the latter to commemorate 100 years since the achievements of Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk. Nelson did not see 'Aeropex 03', but the work undertaken prior to his passing ensured the exhibition would be very successful. He was sadly missed by all. The late Hamilton Nelson Eustis will be remembered as the doyen, statesman and gentleman of Australian philately, in particular, all matters related to flight.

Wife Vola, his life time partner of 59 years and associate in many business activities, predeceased him by 3 years, and both are survived by their daughters and family, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.

[ Source:  APF News, April 2004 ]