FINLAND 2015 - Million miles away

Six internationally successful rock bands

The other music-themed stamp sheet to be released in September features six internationally successful Finnish rock bands that got to where they are today through a great deal of determination and perseverance. The Finnish invasion of the global rock music scene began with Hanoi Rocks back in the 1980s. The other bands featured in the stamps are The Rasmus, HIM, Apocalyptica, Children Of Bodom and Nightwish.
“For each stamp, I selected a band photo and a logotype that together resemble a band poster,” says Klaus Welp, the graphic artist that designed the Million miles away sheet. The background of the sheet depicts the green room backstage in the legendary Tavastia rock club, which Welp describes as an archaeological treasure of Finnish rock ’n’ roll.

AUSTRALIA 2015 - Our Solar System

Our Solar System is our local neighbourhood in space. Compared to the distance to the nearest star, all the planets and smaller bodies that revolve around the Sun are close to us.

The Sun itself dominates our Solar System, making up 99.8% of its mass. Eight major planets circle the Sun, divided into two groups: the small rocky planets of the inner solar system, and the massive gas giants beyond the asteroid belt.

Mercury is the smallest planet in our Solar System (about 4,900 km in diameter), and is closest to the Sun. Venus is hidden under a blanket of clouds, and is a hellish world of crushing atmospheric pressure, high temperature and acid rain. Earth is the largest of the rocky planets (12,742 km in diameter), and has the greatest density of any planet in the Solar System. Mars has a diameter of 6,799 km, about half that of the Earth, with a surface temperature range of -87 to -5°C. A day on Mars is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day, and it takes 687 days to orbit the Sun. Jupiter is massive, with an equatorial diameter of 141,000 km. Its gaseous envelope has complex cloud bands that are roiled by massive storms. Saturn, famous for its complex ring system, is the sixth planet from the Sun and has an equatorial diameter of 120,536 km. Uranus is the first planet to be discovered with the aid of a telescope (in 1781 by Sir William Herschel), and is an unusual world, tipped on its side by an ancient impact. Neptune, the outer most of the major planets, was discovered by telescope (in 1846, by Urbain Le Verrier and Johann Galle) as the result of mathematical calculations.

Pluto, also discovered mathematically in 1930 (by Clyde Tombaugh) was once considered a planet, but is now categorised as a dwarf planet.

AUSTRALIA 2015 - Animals In War

This issue commemorates the countless animals that have assisted troops during times of war. Essential for transport, logistics, communications and companionship, they are often forgotten.

Mules and donkeys have been vital pack animals in most war situations. The best known are Simpson’s donkeys, who carried first aid and wounded soldiers during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.

Dogs have been used to carry messages and medical equipment. Their intelligence enables them to locate wounded men and to detect explosive devices. One of the most celebrated, Sarbi, vanished in Afghanistan in 2008, and was found 14 months later. Sarbi received several honours, including the RSPCA Purple Cross Award, the War Dog Operational Medal and the Canine Service Medal. The purple poppy commemorates the role played by animals in world conflicts.

Thousands of horses sent from Australia died on the Western Front during World War I. They were used for troop and ammunition transport and hauling, equipment. Of the more than 136,000 Walers (Australian-bred New South Walers) sent, only one, Sandy, was lucky enough to return home.

Pigeons were used by the Allies during both World Wars, although the Australian Corps of Signals Pigeon Service was not established until World War II. They were useful when communication was difficult with messages enclosed within tubes attached to the pigeon’s leg.

Thousands of camels served in the Imperial Camel Corps in the Middle East during World War I. The Corps was founded in 1916 to deal with a revolt in Egypt’s Western Desert. Of the first four battalions formed, the first and third were entirely Australian, and the fourth was a mix of Australians and New Zealanders. Camels were obviously well suited to a desert environment, and could walk at 4.8 km an hour, while carrying a soldier, his equipment and supplies.