1988 Australian Bicentenary

100 Posts in this Blog!!! 

        Hi Anne here. Since I am throwing the party on Saturday night, I've also been given the 100th post for this blog. We will publish this that morning and the blog's milestone will be celebrationed that evening.

         Now in 1988 Australia celebrated its Bicentenary, bi meaning two. One of the ways this was marked was with a joint stamp issue between Australia and New Zealand. This consisted of a single stamp, a First Day Cover, and a special post cancel, issued by each country.

         New Zealand and Australia have shared a long history together. Captain Cook explored New Zealand and the Australian East Coast at about the same time. European settlement was established in Australia in 1788 and not long afterwards Europeans where found in New Zealand too. At first New Zealand was administrated from New South Wales until 1840 when the Treaty of Waitangi established it as a separate colony.
        Over the years the two countries have been close. A friendship has grown between the two nations, almost like brothers, which has remained strong and unbroken.  That friendship was cemented in World War I on the blood-soaked hills of Gallipoli, soldiers relying on each other even unto death.
        New Zealand's gift to Australia to commemorate the bicentenary was a restored 12 metre gaff-rigged cutter, originally built in Auckland to represent New Zealand in the 1888 centennial regatta in Sydney.

The Stamps.

             

37c - Australia.                                               40c - New Zealand.

Its a rather nice stamp design depicting a humorous campfire scene showing a Kiwi and a Koala yarning over a cuppa, probably discussing the last cricket test series or the All Black winning the rugby again. Ha! Ha! 

I think any collection should include the stamp from each country as they sit so nicely together, don't they?

The First Day Covers.

 The First Day Cover issued by Australia features the Australian stamp and postmark on the right and a scene of a koala reaching down to help a kiwi on the left. The postmark also shows the koala and kiwi together.

 The joint First Day Cover, issued by both countries shows both stamps and both postmarks. The scene on the left is of a kiwi and a koala strolling through the fields together, sort of symbolic of the two countries moving forward together.

The third First Day Cover, issued by New Zealand, of course shows the New Zealand stamp and postmark with a kiwi and koala, arm around each other as good mates. See the wording on the postmark 'Happy Birthday Australia.'

Australia and USA Joint Issue.

Australia and the USA also released a similar joint issue. While it is not part of a New Zealand stamp collect we thought it might be of interest to some of our readers, particularly those from the USA. Yes guys, we love you too!  LOL

  

               37c - Australia.                     22c - United States of America.

The Koala and the Eagle arm around each other.

Below are two First Day Covers, issued to mark this milestone in Australian history, both showing the stamp and postmark from each country. I am unsure if one was issued by each country or the covers appeared in both USA and Australia.