Singapore - Australia - New Zealand Tripartite Stamp Issue 14.8.2015

The Victoria Cross Awardees of Australia 22.1.2015

The Victoria Cross is the highest honour that can be bestowed for acts of valour “in the presence of the enemy”. Keith Payne VC OAM (b. 1933) received his Victoria Cross under the imperial honours system in 1970 for “conspicuous gallantry” in Vietnam.

In 1991 the Victoria Cross for Australia was instituted and subsequently awarded to the four other Legends for acts including “conspicuous gallantry” during the conflict in Afghanistan: Mark Donaldson VC (b. 1979) in 2009, Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG (b. 1978) in 2011, Dan Keighran VC (b. 1983) in 2012 and Cameron Baird VC MG (1981–2013) in 2014. Cameron Baird, who received the Victoria Cross for Australia posthumously, is the 100th Australian to be awarded a Victoria Cross. He has been honoured as an Australian Legend as a mark of respect to his courage and to that of all 100 VC recipients.

Thank you Merja for these wonderful maxicards featuring these brave men of Australia.

19th century clipper ships that sailed in Australian waters

Australia Post set sail with the release of four new stamps depicting four 19th century clipper ships that sailed in Australian waters. Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said both stamp collectors and maritime enthusiasts alike have a fascination with clipper ships and this evocative period of maritime history.

“The sailing ships featured in this issue have played a role in Australia’s maritime history. We trust everyone, especially maritime history enthusiasts, will ‘hoist their sails and set sail’ to collect these beautiful clipper ship stamps,” Mr Zsolt said.

“From the earliest days of European exploration, sailing ships were crucial in the development of Australia.” Clipper ships were widely used in the mid-19th century due to being fast, yacht-like vessels. The clipper route from England to Australia and New Zealand, returning via Cape Horn, although subject to dangerous weather conditions, generally offered captains the fastest circumnavigation of the world.

The clipper ships at the helm of this new stamp issue featured on this lovely set of maxicards (designed by Lisa Christensen of the Australia Post Design Studio) are:

(70c) Frances Henty – was constructed in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1852 and named after the wife of Thomas Henty. The vessel carried passengers, gold and wool between London and Victoria until at least 1869. The stamp is based on a painting by EC Moore, titled The Frances Henty, 1854.

 (70c) Phoenician – was the first clipper ship to come to Australia, arriving in Port Jackson on 21 July 1849 - taking 91 days from England. The stamp design is based on a painting by Frederick Garling, titledClipper barque Phoenician, 1850s.

(A$1.40) Arabian – was one of many clipper ships that sailed in Australian waters. The stamp design is based on the 1840s lithograph by John Raphael Isaac, after a painting by CP Williams.

 (A$1.40) Monkchester – was a clipper barque built in 1865 by Messrs. Peverill for Messrs. A. Strong of North Shields, England. The stamp design is based on the 1865 painting by John Scott, a noted English oil painter from Newcastle.

Thank you Dear Merja for this wonderful set of maxicards.

Year of the Rabbit 11.1.2011

Year of the Rabbit 11.1.2011

These two stamps were issued by Australia Post/Christmas Island to commemorate The Year of the Rabbit 2011. The FDC on top is with the Miniature sheet, and a legend in brief about the Jade Rabbit. The FDC below has the commemorative stamps.
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, 360 km (220 mi) south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and 975 km (606 mi) ENE of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It has a population of 1,403 residents who live in a number of "settlement areas" on the northern tip of the island: Flying Fish Cove (also known as Kampong), Silver City, Poon Saan, and Drumsite. The island’s geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of significant interest to scientists and naturalists. 63% of its 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi) is an Australian national park. There exist large areas of primary monsoonal forest. Phosphate, deposited originally as dead marine organisms (not guano as often thought), has been mined on the island for many years.