1990 Heritage Set 6 - The Maori People.

Back to Set 5 - The Achievers.          Heritage Series Overview.

        This issue is the final in the six part series leading up to the 1990 150th Anniversary of New Zealand. The six stamps each depict a different aspect of Maori culture shown through story-telling, craft-work, and song or dance.
        Many hundreds of years ago, ancestors of the Maori are believed to have sailed from the west - to settle in the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa.  A few hundred years later, their descendants settled the Marquesas and Cook Islands - what is now known as Hawaiki, or the homeland of the New Zealand Maori.  It was from here, around 800AD, that the first canoes ventured south to Aotearoa (New Zealand).
        As well as introducing the dog, the rat and edible plants to this land, these settlers also brought with them their Polynesian cultural heritage - which has developed over time to become the Maori culture as we know it today.

For an index on stamps relating to Maori see New Zealand Maori.

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.



2014 - The Hobbit Personalised Stamps

        New Zealand Post wrote on their web site, "Join the mighty race of Dwarves with a brand new range of personalised stamps made especially for the final film in Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies."

         For Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fans this is another interesting and unusual stamp issue. It was released on the 15th October and consists of two parts. First is the collectors part which features a miniature sheet and its First Day Cover. Included on this sheet are the two stamp which can be seen to the right. Since these two stamps will be only sold in miniature sheets it is not expected that many will be used for postage.

        The second part is where a person can up-load their photo and make personal stamps for their own use. The idea here is that a person selects the dwarf of their choice whose hair and other features will be applied to their own photo. (See the pictures further down this post.)  The photo is then used to create a personalised stamp that is purchased in a sheet of 20 for $25.90.  

1925 Dunedin Exhibition

          Early in 1925 the organisers of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, which was to open in Dunedin in November of that year, approached the Postmaster-General with a request that a set of commemorative stamps be produced for the event. Mr H Linley Richardson was asked to prepare a suitable stamp design which was then printed at the Government Printing Office, New Zealand.
          The Dunedin Exhibition stamps are unusual in that they were relief printed from line etched zinc plates on paper that had been toned using lithographic plates. Like the Christchurch Exhibition, the stamps were only sold at the exhibition and the numbers sold were quite small.

         The stamps show a view of the 400 meter Grand Court with the dome of the Festival Hall in the background. The top and side borders feature a traditional Maori Taniko weaving pattern.

Index Six - 1990 - 1994

Stamps Issued 1990 1994

Back to Stamps Issued 1980 1989.

Index Five - 1980 - 1989

Stamps Issued 1980 1989

Back to Stamps Issued 1970 1979.

Index Four - 1970 - 1979.

Stamps Issued 1970 1979

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 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.

1926 King George V Admirals.

1926  New Values.

    King George V Admirals. 

           By 1924 the demand for two and three shilling stamps was high enough that postal authorities considered it was worth producing new stamps rather than using 'Duty' stamps of those values. It was also decided to replace the one penny dominion with a new stamp as the plate needed replacing and the universal/dominion design had been in use for twenty-five years. Therefore these stamps must be considered as definitive stamps, usually seen by collectors as an addition to the 1915 King George V Definitives.

          The former Governor-General, Viscount Jellicoe, had been the commander of the British fleet at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and so it was decided that the two and three shilling stamps would feature a portrait of King George V wearing the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet. General Sir Charles Fergusson, who had succeeded Viscount Jellicoe as Governor-General, was a distinguished soldier so the penny stamp was designed depicting King George V in the uniform of an Army Field Marshall.
          I have never paid much attention to these three stamps, while they are included in my collection, I didn't know much about them. When I discovered the story behind these designs I realised what a clever idea it was. Here is an issue that pays tribute to both the previous and current Governor-Generals of New Zealand, and the current King George V. 

1915 King George V

Definitive Tour.
Back to Edward VI Definitives.                              Forward to 1935 Pictorials.

1915 -  King George V

Definitive Issue.

The King Edward VII stamps had only been on issue for six months when he died in 1910 and his son King George V ascended to the throne. It was quickly decided that a new set of stamps should replace the Edward VII stamps, but it would be five years before the new set was issued. There were various reasons for the five year delay - difficulty finding a designer, difficulty sourcing appropriate inks, and the perfectionist nature of the then Postmaster-General Sir Heaton Rhodes, himself a keen philatelist. Rhodes was keen to return to the simplicity of the 1855 Chalon Heads and the English 1840 penny black and two pence blue stamps. If you compare the George V stamp on the left with the English 1d Black on the right, you can see how closely they resemble each other.

The initial issue contained the 1½d, 2d violet, 2½d, 3d, 4d yellow, 4½d, 6d, 7½d, 9d and 1/- stamps. The 1½d, 4½d and 7½d stamps were new values introduced for parcel post and it was not thought necessary to have 5d and 8d values. All this careful planning came unstuck when World War I began and a halfpenny tax was imposed on all mail other than newspapers. As the new issue did not have 5d or 8d stamps, the Edward VII issue stamps continued in use until 1922 when 5d and 8d recess print stamps were finally introduced. However, within a week of issue of the 8d blue it was realised that the colour was too easily confused with the 2½d stamp, so the stamp was reprinted brown as the 7½d brown stamp had been withdrawn by that stage. This ought to have made the 8d blue stamp very rare, but pressure from stamp collectors forced the post office to continue selling the stamps.

In 1915 the tax on receipts was increased to 2d. The 2d violet stamp was too dark for pen cancellations to show up, and so the colours of the 2d violet and 4d yellow were swapped in 1916. Many used copies of the 4d yellow were cancelled after it was withdrawn and 1915 cancellations are hard to find.

1989 Heritage Set 3 - The Sea.

Back to Set 2 - The People.                                Forward to Set 4 - The Ships.

Heritage Series Overview.

This issue titled 'The Sea' was another in the 'Heritage ' series leading up to the 1990 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand. The theme of this six value set is the sea and oceans. New Zealand is totally surrounded by ocean so the sea has played, and continues to play, a significant part in our island life. This is shown in the variety of ways New Zealanders use and relate to the sea.

1923 The Map Stamp.

         In 1923 the New Zealand Government decided that it was time to restore universal penny postage following its suspension in 1915. The map stamp was issued to commemorate this. The suggestion that the stamp design depict a map of New Zealand was made by Mr R F Joyce.
          Mr W R Bock was instructed to prepare a design and engrave a steel die. The plates were prepared and printed by the Government Printer, Wellington. The first printing was done using plates of 240 - 24 horizontal rows of 10. Later printings used a smaller plate of 120 - 10 horizontal rows of 12. 
          Strangely, however, the one penny dominion remained on sale and continued to be used, even after the map stamp was withdrawn from sale. The map stamp was the first and only stamp impression to appear pre-printed on postal stationery until the 1980s.

Index Three - 1950 - 1969

Stamps Issued 1950 1969

Index Two - 1910 - 1949

Stamps Issued 1910 1949

Index One - 1855 - 1909

Stamps Issued 1855 - 1910

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.

Christmas Stamps 2006 - 2009

Children's Design a Stamp Competitions.

While I was working on Allan's Christmas Stamp Collection I came upon a series of stamps designed by young children. I couldn't do much more than just give the child's name and the title of his/her painting because the large collection pages can't hold much detail about each stamp.

Since I liked these designs so much, I decided to ask Allan about doing a page to include all of them on one page. My plan was to include what other details can be found about each design.

Allan agreed so here it is all 25 stamps, enlarged with more detailed captions. So now you can enjoy the great designs and colours. Also read the italic text, where each child explains the theme behind his/her design. You will see the thought and wisdom that has gone into many of these stamps.

1998 Town Icons

       A few months ago I completed a post on town icons around New Zealand called 2014 Legendary Landmarks. This post looked at 18 famous town icons - landmarks that defined what the town was famous for. I enjoyed doing that post and learnt a lot about various parts of New Zealand in the process.
       Now when Allan began researching for his Heritage Series he found that in 1998 there had been another stamp issue featuring town icons. In this case only 10 town landmarks had been shown in what are big colourful stamps. Actually I think these 10 stamps are better than the 18 from 2014.

1989 Heritage Set 2 - The People.



Back to Set 1 - The Land.                           Forward to Set 3 - The Sea.

Heritage Series Overview.

This issue titled 'The People' was the second in the 'Heritage' series leading up to the 1990 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand. The main theme of these six stamps is the groups of people who made their mark on the history of New Zealand.

The stamps have a more classic appearance when compared with other stamp designs from this period. Even among the six heritage issues this set of stamps stands out as appearing being to be much older. 

For an index to all our posts concerning The Maori People.

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.     

1913 Auckland Exhibition Overprint.

          Encouraged by the success of the Christchurch Exhibition seven years earlier, the 'Auckland Industrial, Agricultural and Mining Exhibition' was held between the 1st of December 1913 and the 18th of April 1914. Unlike the Christchurch Exhibition, however, the issue of commemorative stamps was an afterthought.

          On the 29th of October 1913, the Auckland Philatelic Society wrote to the Postmaster-General suggesting the overprints. This was hastily approved and on the 11th of November the Government Printer was instructed to overprint 'AUCKLAND EXHIBITION, 1913' on four of the Edward VII definitives. There was insufficient time to inform the Universal Postal Union of the issue, and so the stamps were only valid for postage within New Zealand.

          Few stamps were printed and even then, a large number were left unsold at the end of the exhibition and destroyed. Since higher values were usually used for overseas postage, the set being restricted to New Zealand has made the 3d and 6d the scarcest New Zealand commemoratives.

2014 Christmas Issue.

For many children across New Zealand, performing in a nativity play is a festive tradition. This stamp issue Christmas 2014 show five main characters of the Christmas story in the form of children actors. The first year I was in New Zealand I got to play a Japanese angel. LOL I've attended plays where my little brother was involved. Its always a lot of fun.

Children dressed as various nativity play characters. 

1906 Christchurch Exhibition.

         This issue commemorated the New Zealand International Exhibition of Arts and Industries which was held in North Hagley Park, Christchurch, between November 1906 and April 1907. It was the first set with large stamps to be designed, engraved and printed entirely within New Zealand.
        This was also the first commemorative stamp set issued in New Zealand. The stamps were only on sale for the duration of the exhibition and could only be bought from the post office at the exhibition. One-third of the revenue from stamp sale went to the organisers.

 

½d - Arrival of the Arawa Canoe.                                       1d - Maori Canoe Carving.

2014 For King and Empire - 1914

World War I Commemorative Book Series.

Forward to 2015 The Spirit of ANZAC - 1915.

          "100 years ago, the shape of New Zealand began to change forever, as we followed King and Empire to serve in the First World War. What was meant to be a ‘great adventure’, soon affected every New Zealander at home and abroad, with 18,500 New Zealanders never to return. To commemorate this important centenary and honour those who served, New Zealand Post is issuing official stamps and legal tender commemorative coins."
         That was the opening statement for this issue from the NZ Post website. This is the beginning of a complex series of issues spread over five years. I am unsure how these five sets will fit together so this post might be changed or replaced at some point as I learn more.
         The main feature of this issue is a presentation book containing 10 special pages/sheets. The Melville Mirfin story is honoured in this special commemorative book, featuring never-before-seen imagery of the Great War through Mirfin’s eyes. Melville was a soldier who went to fight in the war. A photo of Melville in uniform can be seen on the 80c stamp to the left.

1901 Universal - 1909 Dominion.

 Definitive Tour.

Back to 1898 Pictorials.                                     Forward to Edward VII Definitives.

        The Universal/Dominion design remained the New Zealand 1d definitive for 25 years. During that period it appeared in three major designs. This post is intended to discuss these three designs but not get into the large range of paper, and perf varieties. These special varieties are beyond the interest of most collectors so they are beyond the subject of this blog.

         We will view each of these three issues as I tell the story behind them and then we will consider the main theme of these stamps and discover who or what 'Zealandia' is. Finally, I will give you some tips on how to tell these three issues apart. Once you know what to look for it is easy and I will be using enlarged detail illustrations to show you.