Just some thoughts on this possible Oz. Reg. No. ...... as we know, George Davidson produced pieces in the 1930s that were destined for the Oz market and to which end their pieces intended for that destination carried both a U.K. and Oz Reg. No., presumably in an attempt to protect their designs in both locations.
If you look at Davidson's Australian Reg. Nos. - c. 1938, they consist of five digit Nos., and a couple picked at random read 18001 and 18003 - though I forget now to which designs they refer ............. but on this basis the No. 16505/8 conforms to what seems a similar five digit series to the Davidson numbers, though the example here might be assumed to be a year or two earlier. Though not conclusive, it does seem to be not unreasonable to consider that this No. was allocated by the U.K. Board of Trade for an item destined for the Oz market.
Whether all Oz Reg. Nos. can be researched in the U.K. Kew archives, I've no idea - does anyone here know?
P.S. had to revise these notes as obvioulsy not reading Angela B's earlier words carefully enough.
