Stamp collectors mad over ‘emergency’ stamps

POSTAGE stamps could be the best way for you to make a quick buck, with those worth a measly 30 cents selling on eBay for $1000.

The current climate is really a dream for any stamp collector, who can either sell or buy the rare “emergency” stamps released by Adelaide’s General Post Office.

Last year Australia Post announced it would up the price of stamps to a dollar in a bid to deal with a decline in letters being sent.

With the price of stamps increasing, people have been using the old 70 cent stamp from last year in conjunction with 30 cent stamps.

Fairfax Media reports those 30 cent stamps ran out, and Australia Post had to use an old printing machine to create some emergency 30 cent stamps to use until stock was replenished.

Only a limited number have been printed and distributed among a small number of post offices, and are about as hard to come buy as Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.

Koalas and kangaroos are pictured on six different stamps and anybody lucky enough to come across them should hold onto them, or at least sell them for a high price.

Fairfax Media reports a set of the six stamps, posted to eBay last week, was sold for $1,051.

There are still listings of the stamps being added to the classifieds site.

The bidding on one listing is currently up to $150, another is sitting on $500.

One South Australian is selling a letter he received in the mail, which has both the rare stamp and a 70 cent stamp.

So far he has 52 bids and the price had already reached $400, with two days still to go.

Sydney Philatelics’ Grahame Fudge, did not believe the stamps were worth that much.

“It’s a bit over the top, they aren’t really emergency stamps,” he said.

“They are what they call counter-printed stamps and any value can be printed on them with the machine they have in Adelaide.”

“These stamps have been used before, they are just altered by pressing a few buttons.

“I’m surprised they are being sold for $1000 but people can decide what they think they are worth. There’s not really anything that makes these stamps special though.”

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A Century of Service: Women in War

Release date: 6 October 2017

This issue, the fourth in a series commemorating a century of service since World War I, acknowledges the role of women in war and conflict. Prior to and including World War I, the involvement of women in conflict zones was almost entirely limited to nursing. Since then, women’s roles have diversified and today all roles in the Australian Defence Force are open to women.

https://australiapostcollectables.com.a … en-in-war?

Go on a Reef Safari with five new stamps by Australia Post

This August for Stamp Collecting Month, Australia Post is calling on Australians to go on a Reef Safari with the release of five beautiful stamps showcasing some of the diverse and threatened species found on the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s main tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors every year. The stamps, designed by Sonia Young of the Australia Post Design Studio, showcase five of the many different creatures that live on the reef such as Nautilus, Olive Sea Snake, Green Sea Turtle, Emperor Angelfish, and Grey Reef Shark.

One of Australia’s most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef. It consists of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. The length of this unique natural wonder is 2,300 kilometres. As the largest living structure on the planet, the Great Barrier Reef is even visible from space. The unique values of the Great Barrier Reef were recognised in 1975 when the Australian government created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in order to protect the Reef. In 1981 the Reef was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This year has been declared the International Year of the Reef.

Jane Cohen, Australia Post General Manager of Consumer, said Stamp Collecting Month is an exciting way for young students to engage in thought-provoking themes.

"In the International Year of the Reef, we're encouraging children to learn more about the environment and biodiversity of Australia's Great Barrier Reef through the special Reef Safari stamp issue. The five stamps highlight the beauty and diversity of species living in the largest coral reef system in the world – the Grey Reef Shark, Green Sea Turtle, Nautilus, Olive Sea Snake and Emperor Angelfish," said Ms Cohen

Moments to Treasure

Release date: 5 February 2019

In an increasingly digital age, sending a hand-written greeting or invitation through the post helps to make it extra special. The Special Occasions stamp series provides versatile designs to use in a variety of contexts. This latest issue in the series caters for a range of moments to treasure – from weddings, birthdays and graduations to St Valentine’s Day, the birth of a new baby and general well-wishes. These versatile designs also cater for more sombre moments, such as the sending of condolences or wishes for a speedy recovery from illness.
The stamps

The stamps represent a range of subjects and styles suitable for different purposes and age groups. All are intended to send heartfelt messages and each can be adapted as Personalised Stamps ™, where you upload a photo for use in the stamp tab.

Stamp designers on this issue are: Beth McKinlay (gold rings, sparkler); Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio (bouquet, cake, teddy, balloons, white rose); and Gary Domoney, Visua (love bird).
$1 Gold rings
$1 Love bird
$1 Bouquet
$1 Cake
$1 Teddy
$1 Balloons
$1 Sparkler
$2 White rose

Native Bees

Release date: 14 May 2019

Most of us are familiar with the introduced European honey bee (Apis mellifera) yet are unaware of the great diversity of the more than 1,500 species of native bees found throughout Australia. Most of these species are solitary, making their nests in burrows in the ground or in small hollows in dead wood; however, 11 stingless species from tropical and sub-tropical Australia are social, making “sugarbag” honey in tree hollows. Native bees are important pollinators of native flora and a vital part of the country’s biodiversity. The conservation challenges faced by Australia’s native bees include habitat destruction and fragmentation as well as climate change.

This stamp issue, illustrated by artist Kevin Stead, depicts representatives from the four main native bee families in Australia. These four bees vary in length between one and two centimetres.

$1 - Resin Bee (Megachile macleayi)

The Resin Bee, from the family Megachilidae, builds its nest in a narrow holes in timber, constructing the nest and sealing the entrance with gums and resins it collects from leaves and plants. This solitary bee, which is found across northern Australia, prefers nectar from legume flowers.
$1 - Green and Gold Nomia Bee (Lipotriches australica)

From the family Halictidae and found throughout eastern Australia, the solitary Green and Gold Nomia Bee nests in the ground. After looking for mates and foraging for nectar during the day, clusters of numerous male bees spend the night clinging or “roosting” together on tree twigs or grass stems.
$1 - Wasp-mimic Bee (Hyleoides concinna)

The solitary Wasp-mimic Bee from the family Colletidae can most frequently be seen feeding from eucalypt flowers in eastern Australia from southern Queensland to Tasmania. It convincingly disguises itself as a black and orange wasp in order to fool and deter predators. The female builds her nest in stumps, logs or fallen trees, lining the walls and sealing the entrance with a cellophane-like material that she secretes.
$1 - Neon Cuckoo Bee (Thyreus nitidulus)

The striking, bright metallic blue Neon Cuckoo Bee from the family Apidae is so named because it opportunistically lays its eggs on the pollen balls inside the ground nests of the Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla cingulata). This solitary cleptoparasitic bee, which has no need to collect pollen from flowers, is found across eastern and northern Australia.

Flightless Birds

Very few Australian bird species are truly flightless. The Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest of all penguin species and the only penguin to breed in mainland Australia and Tasmania. The Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) are the country’s largest birds.
The stamps
$1 - Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

The Emu, which is common throughout much of inland Australia, can reach up to two metres in height and is the second tallest bird in the world, after the Ostrich. The female Emu’s clutch of around eight to 10 dark-green eggs is incubated by the male, who doesn’t eat or drink for the eight weeks until they hatch. He also cares for and protects the striped grey and brown-black chicks for 18 months, until they can fend for themselves.
$1 - Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

The only cassowary species found in Australia is the Southern Cassowary, distinguished by its vivid blue face and neck, long drooping red wattles hanging from the throat, and tall horn-like brown helmet or casque. The Southern Cassowary is found in tropical far north Queensland and is slightly shorter than the Emu but heavier, with females weighing up to 76 kilograms. Like the Emu, the male incubates the blue-green eggs, which usually number three to five. The striped dark brown and white chicks are also cared for by the male.
$2.30 - Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)

The Little Penguin or Fairy Penguin, which reaches about 33 centimetres in height, is found around the coast of southern Australia. The Little Penguin spends most of its time foraging at sea, returning just after dusk to rocky burrows near the beach. The female lays two white eggs, incubated by both parents, who also rear the chicks together.

AAT Casey Research Station: 50 Years

Casey research station is one of Australia’s three permanent research stations in Antarctica. The closest of the continental stations to Australia, Casey is 3,430 kilometres southwest of Hobart and 3,837 kilometres south of Perth. Noted for its blizzard and drift conditions and weather extremes, Casey is situated in an area of low rocky islands and peninsulas on the edge of the Antarctic ice cap.

Casey was officially opened 50 years ago, on 19 February 1969. The station’s initial design had the buildings constructed in a straight line and connected by an aerodynamic corrugated iron tunnel, allowing the flow-through of the region’s frequent violent winds. In December 1988 the present-day Casey station was opened. It was built with robust concrete foundations and an external skin of steel-clad polystyrene foam, providing a more modern, comfortable and safe facility.

Scientists based at Casey have contributed to research at Law Dome and Aurora Basin North, the bedrock geology and structure of the East Antarctic ice sheet. The station has also supported marine biologists undertaking experiments on the impact of ocean acidification on polar seafloor communities. In addition, seabird ecologists study Adélie penguins and researchers examine the influence of climate change and human impacts on the fragile Antarctic environment.
The stamps

The four commemorative stamps are designed by Sally Piskuric and feature photographs provided by the Australian Antarctic Division. The stamp issue presents various aspects of Casey Station, past and present.
$1 Aurora Basin North, short core drilling, 2013

The Aurora Basin drill site is about 550 km from Australia’s Casey station. Ice cores provide crucial information on past climate and climate processes that’s key to understanding climate and predicting future change. Antarctic ice cores provide information from a region of the planet where we have only short observational records and a need for further insight into the role of Antarctica in the global climate system. Cores were flown back to Casey station in insulated boxes and stored at the station in refrigerators. At the end of the season (December 2013 – January 2014) the cores were transferred to refrigerators onboard the ship, Aurora Australis, for the sea voyage back to Hobart.

The Aurora Basin project involves 15 partner organisations contributing from six nations: Australia, China, Denmark, France, Germany and the United States of America.

The stamp shows researcher Mana Inoue, who worked as a field assistant at Aurora Basin, primarily cutting, scraping and analysing ice cores.
$1 Casey Repstat, 1971

The first version of Casey Station was called Repstat (short for replacement station), as it replaced the abandoned US-built Wilkes Station situated a few kilometres away. Casey Repstat, as shown on the stamp in a photograph by Douglas Peterkin, was built on a raised platform to discourage snow build up, and featured a covered walkway nicknamed “The Tunnel”, linking living and working areas. Casey was named after the then governor-general, Richard Casey, a staunch supporter of Australia’s early Antarctic program.

Aerodynamic studies led to the design of the Casey tunnel’s particular shape. The fact that it’s on stilts above the ground allowed the snow drift to clear away from underneath the building.

The curved edge of the tunnel acted as the passage way linking the various accommodation units. Many expeditioners had a very strong association with the Casey tunnel, and were known collectively as the “tunnel rats”. Although the design worked, materials used to construct the station had limited corrosion resistance. This, together with the fact that it was built close to the sea, caused extensive corrosion limiting the life of this innovative station.

In 1978 work began on the buildings of a new Casey station a kilometre away, which was commissioned in 1988.
$2 Aurora Basin North, field camp, 2013

The mean annual temperature at Aurora Basin is about −44°C. However the ice coring team visited in summer, when temperatures ranged between −25° and −30°C on a good day. A warm living space is therefore essential, and a large communal kitchen and living tent formed the heart of the camp. A kerosene stove warmed this tent to about −5°C. Another large tent, the drill tent, protected scientists from blizzard conditions outside, but was not heated. A range of smaller, single person, polar tents were used for sleeping. The campsite accommodated 16 people at a time.

This light camp structure enabled the breakdown and retrieval of the full camp by air at the end of the field season, eliminating the need for a traverse exit. The stamp photograph is by Anthony Fleming.
$2 Casey Station, 2015

The current Casey Station headquarters (the "Red Shed") was built in the late 1980s as part of the Australian Government's Antarctic Re-building Program. It was prefabricated in Hobart, Tasmania, by Hobart construction firm, Contas Pty Ltd, trial-erected on the wharf at Hobart, then dismantled, packaged and shipped to Antarctica. Erected at Casey by tradespeople employed as workers on the normal summer expedition crews, it incorporates innovative design features to prevent the transfer of heat through the structure. The "Shed", comprising living quarters, was first occupied in 1988 and upgraded in 2018. Other buildings at the station are coloured blue, yellow and green in accordance with other research stations in the Antarctic building program.

During the summer about 150–160 expeditioners visit Casey, including the Wilkins Aerodrome ground crew. About 16 to 20 people remain on station over winter.