Why They Were Issued

Christmas Island

Stamps

Letter to the Editor THE article in your July number on the Christmas Island stamps issued by Father Rougier was of great interest to me.

I was Acting Administrative Officer of that island in 1937, and, being a keen philatelist, I naturally was interested in these stamps, and was fortunate in ob taining quite a number of them. Actually, there are two different values of stamps, namely, five cents and ten cents, and, from the collection I have, there are two different issues of each value.

In his article, Mr. Rowland states that the reason for the issuing of these stamps seems to be unknown, but to the best of my knowledge, this is not so. During my stay on the island, I sought the reason for issuing the stamps, and I was in formed by Rougier’s plantation manager that all mail originating on the island, from the plantation staff, who at that time were the only residents, was paid for there and then, and one of these stamps affixed, according to the amount of postage required. Such mail was then forwarded to the company’s office in Papeete, where it was re-stamped with ordinary Tahitian stamps. It is pre sumed the two values covered local or overseas postage from Papeete.

So far as I can make out, the object of these special stamps was to assist the company’s Papeete office, inasmuch that they knew exactly what postage had been paid to their manager in Christmas Is.

Whilst these stamps have never been offi cially recognised, they are undoubtedly a curiosity.

The official opening of the Post Office at Christmas Island took place on 14/2/39, when ordinary Gilbert & Ellice Islands stamps were used. In this respect, I might add that my successor (Mr. Man ning) sent me two “First Day Covers,” one with a complete set of G. & E. stamps on it. I understand that there are only fifteen such covers in existence.

I am, etc.,

W. A. Cowie.

Cairns St., Rockhampton, Q.