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. 

2016 Road to Rio

          Athletes from around the world united (on 5-21 August) at the 28th Summer Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They competed in 42 different sports, contested at 32 competition venues, spread across four regions of Rio. Since the inception of the first Olympic Games in 1896, our Kiwi athletes have inspired generations, winning a total of 103 medals - 43 gold, 19 silver and 41 bronze.

          ‘Be the Inspiration’ is the theme of New Zealand’s 2016 Olympic Games campaign. It tells the story of how we as a nation support and inspire our athletes as they prepare to pull on the iconic black singlet - which has been worn with pride by generations before them - and in so doing, inspire us.

         The Rio Olympic stamp issue consists of ten $1 stamps - representing the ten events that New Zealand has previously won gold medals in athletics, boxing, canoeing, swimming, equestrian, field hockey, triathlon, rowing, cycling and sailing. Featuring elements of the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s (NZOC's) ‘Be the Inspiration’ campaign, the photographs on the stamps reflect the New Zealand landscape as the athletes' training ground for future success.

See our collection Olympic & Commonwealth Games Stamps.

Famous Maori on Stamps

      For those who have accidently stumbled upon this page, this is a sub-index for our New Zealand Maori Index. It is our intention that it will soon become buried in this blog and only be accessed via the Maori Index.

Return to New Zealand Maori Index.

Famous Maori People on Stamps.

1968 - Tarapex 69 Capt. Cook Labels

       

          The organizing committee of the Tarapex 69 Stamp Exhibition decided to issue a miniature sheet of four labels for promotion of the exhibition and fundraising. The theme of three of these labels was Captain Cook since 1969 was going to be the Bi-centenary of Cook discovering New Zealand.

         This post is a small collection of this miniature sheet showing the exhibition cancels and some printing errors. There are also other covers and items related to both Tarapex '69 and Tarapex '86. While some might consider exhibition labels to be outside the field of postage stamps, it has been the policy of this blog to explore other areas of postal history as well. In saying this, we consider that labels that accompany postage stamps on a cover must be well within the scope of this blog.

       You will notice that these labels did not carry any postal value. They were only used to promote the exhibition and raise funding through souvenirs. The later issue for Tarapex '86 did carry a postal value.

1973 Frances Hodgkins Paintings

           Frances Mary Hodgkins (28 April 1869 – 13 May 1947) was a painter chiefly of landscape and still life, and for a short period was a designer of textiles. She was born in New Zealand, but spent most of her working life in Britain. She is considered one of New Zealand's most prestigious and influential painters, although it is the work from her life in Europe, rather than her home country, on which her reputation rests.

           Born in Dunedin in 1869 Frances was encouraged to paint by her father.  She exhibited for the first time in Dunedin and Christchurch in 1890.  That same year she was elected a working member of the Otago Art Society.  Frances attended the Dunedin School of Art, subsequently gaining first class passes. During the period 1890 - 1900 she devoted most of her time to painting, exhibiting regularly. 

          In 1901 Frances left New Zealand to study and work in England and Europe although she returned home on several occasions to exhibit and to visit family.  She eventually settled permanently in England.  Frances Hodgkins died at Herrison House, Dorcester in 1947.  She was essentially an artist in the European tradition, and it is on her later work done in Europe that she is known for.

1969 Captain Cook Bicentenary.

This issue commemorates the bi-centenary of Captain Cook's first voyage to New Zealand.

The Captain Cook Bicentenary issue marked two firsts. For the first time in New Zealand, the set appeared in miniature sheet form with the values se-tenant. It is also the first time that embossing was used on a New Zealand stamp to make the portrait on each stamp stand out.

The Four Values.  

1965 Commemorative Issues.

It was my original intention to make this a small post featuring the four stamps from the Commemorative Issues of 1965 but other members of our blog team kept sending me interesting items which I wanted to include. Now it has grown to become quite a large post. But isn't that what the blog is about, finding something new or interesting in these often overlooked and unloved stamps.     ( Anne)

1965 International Telecommunications Union Centenary.

 New Zealand, in common with other members of the International Telecommunication Union, issued a special stamp in 1965 to commemorate the centenary of the organisation. The Union, which has its headquarters in Geneva, was formed in 1865 and is the oldest of the international organisations which are now specialised agencies under the United Nations. The purpose of the Union is to maintain and extend international co-operation in the use of telecommunications of all kinds.

9d - International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
The design shows a telegraph wire held by a post from 1865 on the left-hand side, while modern telecommunications from 1965 is shown on the right-hand side. In the centre is a globe show ITU as a global organisation.

The Millennium Series - The Complete Series.

 First Heritage Series.                    Second Heritage Series.                    Third Heritage Series.

       There were three Heritage Series through the late 1980s and 1990s The First Heritage Series was a set of six issues lead up to the celebrations of New Zealand's 150th Anniversary in 1990. The Second Heritage Series looked at the four decades, the 1920s - 1950s, where New Zealand gained its own identity and emerged as the nation we know today. This is The Third Heritage Series, six issues leading up to the Year 2000. I am going to include the seventh issue in this series as it seems to fit with the basic theme of this heritage series marking the beginning of the century. 

Put together on a page like this they make a great record of New Zealand's Heritage. You can view the entire series on one page, then follow the links to learn more about each issue and the individual stamps. 

1999 Millennium V - Leading the Way.

        Millennium Series IV.                       Millennium Series VI.



 Millennium Series Overview.

          For a relatively small country, New Zealand has an impressive list of achievements to its name – a reflection of our history as a country of pioneers with a ‘can do’ attitude that insists there are no such things as problems; merely solutions.
        Leading the Way, the fifth in a series of stamps leading up to the new millennium, captured some of New Zealand’s defining moments, and the people who made them possible.

         When I began working on this post I quickly realised there was a parallel with a post I did a few months ago 1990 Heritage Set 5 - The Achievers. In fact, two of the people we looked at in that earlier issue also are featured in this issue too. What is different though is that while back then the lives of the people were considered, here, there is more a sense of the importance of what they did for New Zealand.

        I think the key to understanding this difference is in the title 'Leading the Way." At first I thought of these achievers leading the way but then I realised that it was through their efforts that put New Zealand ahead of the rest of the world in a particular way or particular field of endeavour.  

1997 - Millennium Series I - Discoverers.

The first issue in the Millennium Series, leading up to the Year 2000, was called Discoverers. It had the theme of discovering and exploring New Zealand.

Millennium Series Overview.                   Millennium Series II

I was very impressed with this issue when I started writing about it for this post. It is about six early explorers who visited New Zealand. Of course, if we make a list of explorers of New Zealand, the first on our list would be Captain James Cook. There he is on the first stamp, the 40c value. 
The next two stamps are about the Maori explorers and discovery of New Zealand, Maui and Kupe. The final three stamps show the three other famous explorers from this early period. They are two Frenchmen, Jean de Surville, Dumont d'Urville and a Dutchman, Abel Tasman. 
Six Famous men, six amazing stories, six great stamps.

                    

40c - James Cook.                                                  80c - Kupe.                                                 $1.00 - Maui. 

                    

$1.20 - Jean de Surville.                               $1.50 - Dumont d'Urville.                                       $1.80 - Abel Tasman.              

1988 - 1990 Heritage Series.

         First Heritage Series.                Second Heritage Series.                 Third Heritage Series.

          During the late 80s and early 90s, there were three of the Heritage series produced by New Zealand Post. This page gives a brief look, an overview of the issues comprising the first series, issued during the period 1988 - 1990.  These six issues are part of the 'Heritage' series leading up to the 1990 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand. The year 1990 marked 150 years since sovereignty was vested in the English crown. 

Note:- This page should be considered as summary or overview with links to each

 issue posted in greater detail.

1990 Heritage Set 5 - The Achievers.

Back to Set 4 - The Ships.                        Forward to Set 6 - The Maori People.

Heritage Series Overview.

          This issue titled "The Achievers" was the fifth in the 'Heritage ' series of stamps leading up to the 1990 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand. The Achievers is a very special stamp issue which salutes some of the people from our past whose achievements have gone largely unheralded by the rest of the world - yet too many New Zealanders, they are legendary for their dedication and courage. Three woman and three men all who in their own way made a difference to the culture and heritage of New Zealand.



1990 Heritage Set 4 - The Ships.

Back to Set 3 - The Sea.                         Forward to Set 5 - The Achievers.

Heritage Series Overview.

This issue titled "The Ships" was is the fourth in the 'Heritage ' stamp series leading up to the 1990 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand.

 The stamps were a salute to the vessels that brought Polynesian voyagers, settlers and the other immigrants that determined our ancestry. These vessels have been selected, not because of their famous voyages or discoveries but for the contribution they made to the New Zealand Society we know today.  From voyaging canoes to steamships, these craft carried the first New Zealanders through dangerous unchartered waters to an unseen landfall across the world.

1988 Heritage Set 1 - The Land.

Heritage Series Overview.                   Forward to Set 2 - The People.

           This issue titled 'The Land' was the first of a 'Heritage ' series of six stamp issues leading up to the 1990, 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand. Over the next few months I will be publishing posts on the other five issues as well as a summery page showing all six issues together.

           This issue 'The Land' - consisted of a set of six stamps featuring reproductions of early New Zealand paintings completed by some of the country's most famous 19th century artists. These artists interpreted the crystal clear light and rugged scenery in a romanticised European fashion.  Their paintings were often sent to England as the first record of the new found frontier - persuading many settlers to emigrate.     

2013 Margaret Mahy

          I must admit, not being a great reader of children's books, I did not know much about Margaret Mahy. As I was not particularly attracted to the stamps either so I decided to leave this issue out of this blog until recently as I started working on the ANZAC issue then I had a closer look at this one too. I saw the awards Margaret Mahy had received and I realised that she was an important author in her field. I have therefore decided to include this issue in my blog.

          Margaret Mahy (1936 – 2012) is the only author ever to have been appointed an Ordinary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (1993), and she won many of the world’s major prizes for children’s writers. In 2006 she won the highest international award for children’s literature – the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award, and is the only New Zealander to have done so. In New Zealand she was awarded the Esther Glen Medal and the New Zealand Post Book of the Year Award multiple times.
                                                                    (New Zealand Post.)

         Each stamp represents one of the five more popular of her books.

70c - A Lion in the Meadow.

2008 The A to Z of New Zealand.

        After looking at Full Faced Queens (last post) what about a bit of a fun issue, a feel-good set if you like. It is an A to Z of New Zealand culture, history, heritage and downright Kiwiana. Each letter of the alphabet is used to present a different subject of New Zealand.
        Personally, I was not too impressed with many of these designs but what captured my interest was the idea of doing an issue of 26 stamps on Kiwiana like this. First I show the set as issued in a single sheet then below that, each stamp will be depicted along with a short description of its subject.
        There are some other sets like this so I might do a post of some of them too.