1999 Victoria University Centenary

        In 1999, Victoria University proudly celebrated 100 years of scholarship and success. New Zealand Post issued a special stamp to commemorate the centennial celebrations. The 100th birthday celebrations were a year-long affair, bound together by the theme of ‘Changing Lives’, and culminating in the official centennial week. 
        The entire occasion was a unique opportunity to showcase the University’s academic achievements, past and present, and to publicise the many successes of graduates, scholars and staff. Activities included garden parties, conferences and reunions as well as major musical, sporting and artistic events.

40c - Hunter Building, Victoria University.
This 40c stamp depicted the Hunter building, a neo-gothic building officially opened in 1906 and situated on the main campus.

The University has certainly progressed a long way from its humble beginnings as Victoria College. Then, its roll was just 115 students, who studied in rented rooms dotted around the city. In 1962, it became Victoria University. That same decade, student numbers doubled, buildings proliferated and the University began to look like it does now.
Today, some 15,000 students attend the much larger, more diverse and vibrant main campus above the city’s harbour, the University’s School of Architecture on Vivian Street or the Law School, in the beautifully restored Old Government Building near Parliament.

First Day Cover - 7 April 1999.

Technical information.
Date of issue: 7 April 1999.
The number of stamps: One.
Denomination and design: 40c Hunter Building, Victoria University.
Stamp and first-day cover designed: Stamps Business, New Zealand Post Ltd.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by lithography.
The number of colours: Four.
 Stamp size and format: 40mm x 35mm horizontal.
The number of stamps per sheet: 50. 
Perforation gauge: 14.
Paper type: 104 gsm red phosphor coated litho stamp paper.
Special blocks: Plate/imprint, positional or value blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six stamps. Colour blocks (traffic lights) were included in plate blocks. Barcode blocks were available in both A and B formats.
Period of sale: These stamps remained on sale until 7 April 2000.


Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their website and Online Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/

Information & images for this post came from.