The "Melville" is one of the Australian Navy's two Leeuwin Class Hydrographic Service ships both commissioned on the 25th of May, 2000.

They are usually based at Darwin or Cairns but their responsibility extends throughout Australia's territorial waters. They carry 46 officers and crew, a large launch and can carry a helicopter.

During a shipping shortage in 2001 the "Melville" was seconded  into operating an official ANARE Voyage to relieve MacQuarie Island.

However weather during the voyage was extremely bad according to the vessels commander J.W. Maschke and the vessel was forced to retun to Hobart without reaching the island

Note: The above envelope (and the below items) were carried on the "Melville" from Hobart to MacQuarie Island and back to Hobart without being landed on MacQuarie Island. After discussions with postal authorities mail from the ship was forwarded to Melbourne where it was given a MacQuarie island postmark despite not having been there. The cover bears a Melville ANARE cachet plus a basic Melville cachet as well as a special explanatory cachet to explain the use of the MacQuarie Island postmark.

Note: This envelope has the postmark explanatory cachet on its reverse.