This is an illustrated Official First Day of Issue Cover from Australia. The stamp is the King George VI 2^1/2 Pence Violet/Brown issue of November 14, 1950 and is listed as Scott Nr 232. The cover was sent airmail using eight of the King George Stamps for a total of 20 pence.

The cover was sent to Irving R. Hazard of Boston Post Road (route 1a) in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. The cover is addressed to the South County Hospital Stamp Department. I lived right down the road from Irving and his wife. They owned a farm with sheep, Black Angus cattle and Rhode Island Red chickens. He raised alfalfa and Timothy Hay for feed and also dealt in Real Estate. I worked for Irving for several summers repairing stone fences, taking care of the animals and in the summers mowing and baling the hay. I received 50 cents an hour which wasn't too bad for a 14/15 year old in those days. Irv had a great stamp collection and it was he who first got me interested in the hobby; I can remember many days pouring over his albums with him and wondering about the far off countries, great explorers and fierce battles fought in forgotten days that these miniature images invoked.

I didn't know that Irving was involved with the South County Hospital Stamp Department. I can only guess that it probably had to do with giving gifts of stamp packets to young patients in the system. I do know that his wife, Violet worked at the hospital as a nurse.

My brother George also worked for Irv and years later when George was first married, he rented an upstairs apartment at Irv's farmhouse.