AUSTRALIA 2017, Trans-Australian Railways: 1917-2017 minisheet

The Trans-Australian Railways: 1917-2017 minisheet consists of the two stamps from the issue incorporated into a miniature stamp sheet

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.

 

AUSTRALIA 2015 - Islands of Australia

Australian islands are the source of some of our most stunning and diverse terrain. The Islands of Australia stamp issue presents four Australian islands at ground level, to highlight their natural, yet distinct, beauty. Featured are Phillip Island in Victoria, Lady Musgrave Island in Queensland, Bruny Island in Tasmania and the Buccaneer Archipelago in Western Australia, itself a collection of around 1,000 islands off the Kimberley Coast.

The stamps present the spectacular Horizontal Falls at Talbot Bay, in the Buccaneer Archipelago, which are the result of some of the highest tides in the world pushing through small cliff gaps. There’s the coral-filled navigable lagoon surrounding Lady Musgrave Island. And we present the 360-degree views from Truganini’s Lookout at the Neck, a sandy isthmus that separates North Bruny and South Bruny. We also feature a lovely view of the Pinnacles, from the rugged and rocky Cape Woolamai at Phillip Island.

Australia has more than 8,000 islands with an area span of over 30,000 square kilometres.

 

  

 

Colonial Heritage - Emerging Identity - 2011 AUSTRALIA

This stamp issue is the second in a four-year series titled Colonial Heritage, developed to commemorate Australia's philatelic history. It focuses on emerging colonial identity, representing the shift in colonial thinking, reflecting a greater sense of belonging in the "new" homeland.

While once colonists had defined thenselves by their cultural proximity to Britain, the maturity of Australian-born generations, temporal distance, economic griwth and political development all helped shape a sense of distinctiveness from Britain. The colonies growing self-confidence was expressed through their readiness to grasp and mirror local symbols, such as flora and fauna. Queen Victoria would continue to feature in stamp designs throughout the 19th century, but increasingly she shared this small visual space with a constellation of local images. This stamp issue represents that shift in colonial thinking, reflecting a greater sense of belonging in the "new" homeland.

Kangaroo and Lyrebird
The kangaroo and the lyrebird originally featured in stamps marking the 1888 centenary of New South Wales, the first adhesive commemorative stamp issue to be released worldwide. The kangaroo, flanked by the Sydney flannel flower, was in a one shilling (1/-) brown design; the lyrebird, bordered with waratahs and honeysuckle, was in an eight pence (8d) magenta design. The other Australian colony to feature a kangaroo was South Australia, using it in a blue two-and-a-half (2½d) stamp design released in 1894.

Black Swan and Southern Cross
The Black Swan has a strong place in Western Australia's philatelic heritage. It remained the central motif of the colony's stamps from its first issue, in 1854, until stamp production was transferred to the Commonwealth in 1902. The Southern Cross featured on many Australian colonial stamps, the first of which was the five shilling (5s) New South Wales medallion stamp of 1861. This resonant symbol of the south also appeared in the designs of one Western Australian stamp, six Victorian stamps and four New South Wales designs, including stamp duty and charity designs.

COVER: AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA 2013 - BLACK CAVIAR

 The six-year-old mare, Black Caviar, leaves an extraordinary legacy of 25 wins from 25 starts, including 15 Australian Group 1 victories. Her consecutive wins constitute a world record for horses of the modern age competing at the elite level.

 She first showed promise as a two and three-year-old with five wins from five starts. As a four-year-old her career blossomed when she faced her first Group 1 challenge in what was wonderfully described as "an astonishing demolition job". On 28 April 2012, Black Caviar, established a new Australian record of 20 consecutive wins when she took out the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide.

 In June 2012, journeyed overseas to compete in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Australians watching the race held their breathe when, after taking the lead with some 200 metres to go, jockey Luke Nolen eased her back enabling second running horse Moonlight Cloud to momentarily draw level. In the final strides before the line Black Caviar surged forward to win by a head and examination would reveal that she had incurred injuries during the race.

 Black Caviar returned to the track in 2013 with wins in the Lightning Stakes, William Reid Stakes. Her connections announced her retirement from racing on 17 April 2013.

 

AUSTRALIA 2010 - Great Australian Railway journeys

Australian trains cross the continent east to west and south to north, covering great distances over often isolated and difficult terrain. They also cover smaller distances in rugged and precipitous mountain country. These trains were once the primary means of linking isolated settlements with more populous centres.

The issue showcases great Australian trains that traverse inaccessible places of Australia. Some, like the Indian Pacific, cross the continent from east to west, traversing thousands of kilometres, while others, like The Ghan - celebrating its 81st anniversary this year - link Adelaide in the south with Darwin in the north.

As well as these long-distance railways there are the shorter Kuranda Scenic Railway in northern Queensland and the West Coast Wilderness Railway in Tasmania. Both these engineering feats opened up previously inaccessible country and recall the importance of the railway to remote Australian settlements.

Today it is hard to imagine how difficult the country was. In the case of the Indian Pacific, for instance, there were mo permanet fresh watercourses, which was a real problem for steam trains. Bores and reservoirs had to be established along the line, the water often proving unusable. As a result trains had to carry their own water supply.

Today these train journeys provide Australian and international travellers alike with the chance to see the scenic attractions of Australia - from the Queensland and Tasmanian forests to the Nullarbor Plain and the great deserts of Central Australia.

AUSTRALIA 2011 - MYTHICAL CREATURES

MYTHICAL CREATURES

Fairy
Excitable and contrary, fairies can be both malicious and good-hearted. Common in mythology, they can take on a number of guises.

Troll
This creature is often referred to as the ugliest of legendary beings. Grumpy, strong and not very clever, trolls originated in Scandinavia.

Mermaid
In Greek mythology the beautiful woman with the tail of a fish lures sailors to their deaths with her eerie song.

Griffin
This majestic being has the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. It is very ancient, first appearing in art of the Bronze Age. The Griffin was often regarded as king of all creatures and responsible for guarding priceless treasure.

Unicorn
This horse-like creature with a spiralling horn projecting from its forehead was first mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In the Middle Ages it was believed that only a young girl could catch this wild and shy animal.

Dragon
This creature appears in the mythology of most cultures. In European legend it is usually a malevolent, fire-breathing monster with bat-like wings. It lives in a dark lair, like a cave.

AUSTRALIA 2010 GOVERNOR LACHLAN MACQUARIE

The Father of Australia
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB (January 31, 1762 - July 1, 1824) was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony. He is considered by some historians to have had a crucial influence on the transition of New South Wales from a penal colony to a free settlement, and therefore to have played a major role in the shaping of Australian society in the early nineteenth century. The inscription on his tomb in Scotland describes him as "The Father of Australia".

AUSTRALIA 2012

LAWN BOWLS AUSTRALIA

Australian Bush Babies - 2011 AUSTRALIA

Australian Bush Babies - 2011 AUSTRALIA

Some of Australia's most popular native baby animals are featured in this delightfully illustrated stamp issue. The animals featured on the stamps are a bilby, dingo, kangaroo, koala and sugar glider.

The Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is a nocturnal marsupial with distinctive rabbit-like ears, greyish fur and a beautiful bushy black tail with a white tip. It survives on a diet of seeds, grubs, bulbs, fruit and insects. Bilby babies stay in the pouch for about 80 days. Despite a decline in numbers, the Bilby is becoming an increasingly popular Australian icon at Easter.

The Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is Australia's native dog. It is typically ginger in colour although some dingos are black and tan. While the young pups stay with their mother while learning the art of hunting, they usually live in packs which help rear them. Their deadliest predator is the wedge-tailed eagle. The dingo has a series of distinctive howls each conveying a different meaning. Unlike other dogs it does not bark.

The Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a shy, small gliding possum found in the forests and woodlands of eastern and southern Australia. It has a membrane extending from its fifth finger to its ankle enabling it to glide between trees using its long bushy tail for stability and steering. Sugar gliders are very sociable creatures forming groups of up to seven whose young may share a nest.

The Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is probably the most recognisable of all Australian marsupials and the red kangaroo is found on the Australian coat of arms. There are over 60 different species of kangaroo and they live in all areas of Australia. Essentially nocturnal herbivores, kangaroos eat grasses, leaves, fungi and the shoots of small trees and need very little water to survive.

The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is one of Australia's best known and most loved animals. A mammal not a bear, the koala is found from northern Queensland to southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, although habitat destruction through residential development and farming has significantly reduced its distribution. Koalas spend most of their time in eucalypt trees sleeping and feeding. The eucalypt leaves are high both in fibre and moisture content and a koala may eat up to half a kilogram of leaves each day

Great Australian Railway journeys - 2010 AUSTRALIA

Great Australian Railway journeys - 2010 AUSTRALIA

Australian trains cross the continent east to west and south to north, covering great distances over often isolated and difficult terrain. They also cover smaller distances in rugged and precipitous mountain country. These trains were once the primary means of linking isolated settlements with more populous centres.

The issue showcases great Australian trains that traverse inaccessible places of Australia. Some, like the Indian Pacific, cross the continent from east to west, traversing thousands of kilometres, while others, like The Ghan - celebrating its 81st anniversary this year - link Adelaide in the south with Darwin in the north.

As well as these long-distance railways there are the shorter Kuranda Scenic Railway in northern Queensland and the West Coast Wilderness Railway in Tasmania. Both these engineering feats opened up previously inaccessible country and recall the importance of the railway to remote Australian settlements.

Today it is hard to imagine how difficult the country was. In the case of the Indian Pacific, for instance, there were mo permanet fresh watercourses, which was a real problem for steam trains. Bores and reservoirs had to be established along the line, the water often proving unusable. As a result trains had to carry their own water supply.

Today these train journeys provide Australian and international travellers alike with the chance to see the scenic attractions of Australia - from the Queensland and Tasmanian forests to the Nullarbor Plain and the great deserts of Central Australia.