Stamps Commemorate Pacific Air Age

By K. Norman

AS a means of distinguishing mail carried by air, “airmail” stamps have, for some years now, been issued by almost every stamp-issuing country in the world.

In British territories of the near Pacific area, a number of interest ing stamps have appeared, some as specific “airmail” labels, others of a commemorative nature, with appro priate air designs.

The first airmail stamps produced in Australia appeared in May, 1929.

On that occasion a 3d. value carried a characteristic landscape view of mountains, a river, several drooping eucalypts, and a flock of sheep.

Overhead a DH de Havilland biplane, of the type then used on the weekly East-West Air Service operated by West Australian Airways, appeared in flight. The stamp was issued for use on aerial mail carried from

Perth to Adelaide principally.

The aerial pioneering of the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (lost n 1935 on an England to Australia light) were recalled by the Com lonwealth with three stamps, issued n March, 1931.

Design for these was the two lemispheres, with the famous nonoplane, Southern Cross, in rhich “Smithy” made many of his emarkable flights, between the lobes, while the entire design was

surmounted by the badge of the Royal Australian Air Force in w hich in 1930, Kingsford Smith was made an Honorary Air Commodore The work of well-known Aus tralian artist Mr. Virgil Reilly, was included in the four stamps, struck by Australia in July, 1940, to mark Commonwealth participation i n World War 11.

This was an adaptation of a 1939 oil painting of a sailor, soldier air man and nurse. All figures ’were taken from real life, the airman being Squadron-Leader Arthur Nor man Hick, who was killed in Britain in June, 1941, in an aircraft accident.

Three stamps were circulated in February, 1945, to commemorate the arrival in Australia of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, when the Duke became Governor-Gen eral of the Commonwealth. As well as portraying the Duke in military uniform, the Duchess was displayed in uniform as Commandant of the

Waaf.

The 3i stamp issued by the Com monwealth in October, 1949, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the foundation in Berne, Switzer land, of the Universal Postal Union was interesting. It was designed by Mr. Daryl Lindsay, director of the Melbourne National Gallery featured an outback mounted post-

Smnrt2?n 3 W* 6 ™ airliner—an — tvnifvfn? o f Vair m flight overhead Dortation g mS .° f mail portation, The stamp was voted overseas as “the best of the year/' mJ5 le of first of New Zealand’s air mail stamps made their appearance m November, 1931, being issued in connection with the AusSfa to Sr Sl Thl s hnstma . s Mail carried by air. The stamps of the issue showed a typical New Zealand lake, bLckld nl fl np OU fl ntam ra .nges. A small mono scene fIOW lnsignificantl y over the In February, 1934. the first official mail carried over the Tasman was by special Dominion stamps, the current 7d. airmail

stamp as above, suitably inscribed, “Trans Tasman Air Mail. Faith in Australia.” . , .

This mail was flown by Captain C T. P. Ulm in “Faith in Aus tralia” from New Zealand. Ulm was a close associate of Kingsford- Smith.

Another New Zealand series of three was printed in March, 1935.

The stamps were designed by Mr.

S J. Berry, of Wellington, whose designs have appeared on many sub sequent Dominion stamps.

They showed a DH plane about to land on the Bell Block Air Terminal, New Plymouth, North Island. Another aeroplane and a mail truck appeared on the ground, with imposing Mount Egmont in the background. A Maori watched the scene from a palm tree in the near foreground.

Theme of the 4d. stamp of the January, 1940, series occasioned by the country’s 100th anniversary, was “Transport,” being represented by a modern airliner as centrepiece, sur rounded by a bullock waggon, an ocean liner and an express tram.

Four well-known wartime air craft appeared on the 3d. value of the “Peace” series, originated in New Zealand in April, 1946. A Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire fighter, a York Transport and an Empire nßoat, were typically featured iition to a centrepiece con sisting of the badge of the RNZAF.

The stamp was a tribute to the

Allied Air Forces participating in the Second World War.

Another small aircraft was featured on a 1/- stamp, issued in November, 1950. This machine was shown over an aerial view of Timaru, the port and agricultural centre of South Canterbury. Five stamps were issued at the time, marking the centenary of the Pro vince of Canterbury.

In 1925, New Guinea produced stamps, ranging from hd. to £1 typifying a native village in the

territory. In June, 1931, stamps in tended for use on airmail comprised the 1925 series with a special over print, showing a device of a biplane and the words, “Air Mail.” Postage on gold carried from the goldfields in the Morobe district to the coast caused the issue.

May, 1935, saw the mtroduction of two high value stamps in New Guinea—£2 and £5 denominations to pre-pay postage on gold bars despatched by air from the Bulolo Goldfields, in bricks of 47 lbs. weight.

I The design illustrated a view of the Bulolo Goldfields in the in terior, with a low-winged monoplone flying low overhead. A panel at [ the left depicted an old-fashioned f gold bullion ship, while at the right, another panel showed a white man panning for gold, watched by a New Guinea native.

In March, 1939, the same design was used in a series ranging in value from id to £l.

Early stamps of Papua, featuring the typical Lakatoi, were the basis on which the country’s first “air mail” stamps were patterned. A monoplane, with the words “Air Mail” inscribed on the wings, was overprinted on the “lakatoi” de signs.

In September, 1938, the 50th an niversary of Papua as a British possession was celebrated by five “air” stamps. They were current for a year and displayed an aerial view of Port Moresby Harbour, with the s.s. Katoomba moored at the wharf, and a DHB6 plane overhead.

A year later five other “air” stamps followed a pictorial theme, two natives polling rafts, watching i modern airliner as it flew over lead, with a range of mountains jehind it.

In August, 1949, the Cook Island iroduced a set of pictorial labels, fhe sd. denomination carried a de ign showing a Dakota mail-plane ibout to touch down at Rarotonga irfield.

British possessions and colonies, n the Pacific, in October, 1949, itilised a common design for the sth anniversary series of the Uni ersal Postal Union. Two designs jferred to air transport. The lower alues showed an allegorical sil ouetted aeroplane, with a ship and •ain and the Greek “Hermes.”

High valued stamps depicted a odern airliner over the globes of ie 2 Hemispheres and a steamer slow.

The 2id. and sd. stamps from mga, issued in July, 1951, in com emoration of the 50th anniversary Tongan-British Friendship, de nted miniature representations of roplanes in the top right-hand rners of the designs.

A. DC4 aeroplane figured on the 1 stamp included in the Norfolk and pictorial series of 1953. It -s shown on the Norfolk Island ■field, flanked by typical pine es, which landing field was built 1942 and 1943 by Australian and lencan engineers, fil packets and parcels addressed residents in P-NG must in future accompanied by a Customs de ration indicating the contents 1 their value. This was recently lounced by the Australian Acting tonaster-General, Sir Philip Bride. Absence of the declara i, he said, increased the work -NG customs officials and caused W ln the delivery of postal cles.