2016 Ross Dependency.

       Covered in ice for much of the year, and with seawater temperatures below zero, who would guess that beneath the surface the Ross Sea is a world teeming with life?

        The Ross Sea seafloor is home to some of the most diverse invertebrate communities in the Southern Ocean. In stark contrast to the animals living above the ice, the sea floor creatures are often colourful and definitely unique. More than half of Antarctic marine species cannot be found anywhere else. They generally grow slowly, are often very large, and can also live for a long time.

         These spectacular seafloor animals are very well adapted to life in this cold, often dark, and unique environment, where conditions have not changed for millions of years, and where they have evolved in isolation.

         Because of the stable and narrow range of conditions they experience in their habitats now, there is concern about how these animals will survive in a rapidly changing ocean. A great example is how they might cope with temperatures warming above those they currently live in, and the modifications that this will cause to their wider ecosystem. Yet a warming ocean may also enable some organisms to expand their distributions and the introduction of new species may also bring challenges to these isolated communities.

1982 / 1983 Anniversaries / Commemoratives

      This post covers the two Anniversary Issues of 1982 and 1983. Both issues contain five stamps covering a range of centenaries, anniversaries and commemoratives. Each stamp is attractive, interesting and has a story to tell.

1982 Anniversaries / Commemoratives.

20c - Centenary of Tauranga.     20c - Centenary of Hawera.

1981 Anniversaries / Family Life.

1981 Anniversaries / Commemoratives.

The 1981 Commemorative Stamp Issue consisted of two stamps commemorating 
the Centenary of Feilding and the International Year of Disabled Persons.

20c - Centenary of Feilding.

1981 marked the centenary of the Constitution of Feilding as a Borough.  The town was named after the Honourable Colonel William Henry Adelbert Feilding, 1836-1895, son of 7th Earl of Denbeigh.  Feilding is a community serving the rural area of the upper Manawatu and has a population of about 13,000.  A main feature of the borough is the stock sale yards which play an important part in the agricultural and pastoral activities of the district.

1980 Architecture

        The second Architecture issue featured buildings of a slightly more modern design. They include two houses, a courthouse and a grand Government building. This has been said to have been the second largest wooden structure in the world.

14c - Ewelme Cottage, Parnell.

The cottage was built in 1863-64 for the Rev Vicesimus Lush the first vicar of Howick and his family.  The kauri cottage was eventually purchased by the Auckland City Council and leased to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.  Restored to its former glory and richly endowed by many of the Lush family possessions, the cottage is open to the public.

2016 Christmas.

         Every year since 1960 New Zealand has issued special stamps for Christmas. Originally this was a single stamp but more recently has become a set of five or six stamp plus adhesives. Usually, this occurs much earlier, late October or early November, so mail carrying these stamps can reach their overseas destinations by Christmas day. 
         The 2016 Christmas issue featured five values showing five people from the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful story, displayed with bright colour in five different images that, as we will find further down this page, become part of a much larger picture.
         Three of these stamps were also issued in an adhesive format for those who wish to buy larger quantities of these stamps.

The five values of the 2016 Christmas Issue.

1979 Architecture

        This is the first of three New Zealand Architecture issues, the others appearing in 1980 and 1982. New Zealand Architecture is an interesting subject that has appeared on many stamps. At first most of the buildings were copies from styles found in England but as these styles were adapted for New Zealand conditions, new and distinctly New Zealand styles began to emerge.        

        

         Buildings from the 1800s were the subject of the first issue on early New Zealand architecture. Notice the purpose of each of these buildings, one a private house, two mission buildings and one Government building.

10c - Riverlands Cottage, Blenheim.

Built about 1865 for Charles Redwood, son of a pioneering family.  Redwood arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and purchased the land in 1865.  The present cob cottage could date earlier than this since "squatting" was still a common practice in the 1860s.  Lack of suitable timber in Wairau forced the construction of the cob style house.  The cob walls were constructed from a mud and tussock mixture while the roof was made from wooden shingles.   Administered by the Marlborough Historical Society, interest in the restoration of the cottage from its badly dilapidated state began in 1959.  It was opened to the public in 1965.

1979 Other Events.

1979 United Nations Year Of The Child.

10c - Children At Playschool.

1979 was designated the International Year of the Child by the United Nations in order to focus the attention of all countries on the special needs of children, and to stimulate the sharing of international experience and resources to promote the well being of children everywhere.

1992 Antarctic Seals.

        This is the third New Zealand issue during the period when the Ross Dependency didn't issue its own postage stamps. While the name Ross Dependency does appear on the stamps, this issue was valid for postage throughout New Zealand like any other New Zealand stamp.

        The issue celebrates some of the seals found in the dependency. It also highlights that fact that even in this cold, harsh region, there is life to be found in abundance. I think the best it the one that can be seen to the left, showing a mother with her calf.

2016 A Journey Through Middle-earth.

        This issue was rejected by Allan, the owner of this blog, as being just a collectable, having nothing to do with the true objective of stamps. He said the main purpose of stamps were to show postage had been paid on mail travelling through the postal system. While I agree with him I also want to point out that NZ Post clearly stated that this was a product aimed at the collector market. We argued that this issue should have a place in this blog and in the end he agreed to allow it saying "You can do this post if you like. I want nothing to do with it." So here it is a joint post by Kim and myself (Asami). 
          (In the end Allan did help but don't tell him I told you. LOL!)

See my complete collection of Lord of the Ring / The Hobbit stamps.
 

         Here is the opening paragraph and banner on the NZ Post page. (Allan please notice the use of the word "collectable." They are not trying to pass this off as a postage stamp. They are presenting an amazing stamp with a lovely book to go with it.)

"Whether you’re a fan of Hobbits, Orcs, Dwarves, Elves, Men or Wizards,

there’s something for everyone in our brand new Middle-earth collectable!"

One Stamp To Rule Them All!

In the depths of Mount NZ Post, designers were secretly at work crafting the master stamp,

the one stamp that would rule all other Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit stamps.

"One Stamp to rule them all,

One Stamp to find them,

One Stamp to bring them all and

on this blog page bind them."

1979 Statesmen of the 19th Century.

Notable 19th Century New Zealand Statesmen were depicted on this se-tenant strip of three stamps. It could be said that these three men were "fathers of the nation" of New Zealand. From Sir George Grey who guided the country through the early Maori wars; to Sir Julius Vogel with his great infrastructure projects; to Richard John Seddon with his social reforms; these three men gave much to New Zealand.