Island Figures

Postage Stamp

Tributes To

By Kn.

THE impending release of a new series of pictorial stamps for the British Solomon Islands is regarded with interest by stamp collectors, and especially by those whose philatelic leanings are directed to history.

The 1/- value of the new series will picture HMS Swallow. This was the vessel in which Captain Philip Carteret, in 1767, rediscovered the Solomons, which had first been found by the Spanish navigator, Mendana, in 1567.

Postal tributes to other well known Pacific Islands historical figures have been made in earlier years by countries in this area.

ALTHOUGH the island was dis covered by Captain James Cook, New Caledonia’s stamp issues have not yet presented the British navigator’s picture, but in 1928 pictorial issues honoured both the Compte de la Perouse, and Louis Antoine de Bougainville.

On the design the two appeared together, with a sailing vessel of the era placed between. La Perouse had explored the area round New

Caledonia after leaving Botany Bay in 1788, while de Bougainville, the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the world, noted the islands during his journeyings.

In 1953, the centenary of the French occupation of New Caledonia was commemorated by an issue of four more stamps; These showed portraits of Admirals Brun d’Entre casteaux and Dumont d’Urville: the missionary Monsigneur Douarre and Admiral Despointes, the island’s first Governor.

Included as backgrounds to these stamps were the frigates Recherce and Esperance, the cathedral at Noumea, a map of New Caledonia and a view of the Bay of Noumea.

D’Entrecasteaux, in 1791, led an expedition to the South Pacific, to look for La Perouse, and in 1826 d’Urville explored New Caledonia when he was also seeking La Perouse.

Admiral Despointes, Commander of the French Naval Forces in Oceania, took possession of New Caledonia in the name of Napoleon 111, in 1853.

PRESIDENT Sanford Dole, who was then in office in Hawaii, figured on stamps issued dur ing 1894, when Hawaiian Islands were a Republic. He became Pre sident on the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893, and held that responsibility until annexation by

the United States in 1898. He la became a US District Judge.

In 1931, the Dutch East Ino (now Indonesia) provided a spei stamp for use on the first airra carried between Java and Austra The design comprised a portrait Captain M. P. Pattist, who pilot on the flight, and inclui a map of the north of Australia s the Indies.

Inset portraits of Commoc Erskine and the chief Boe \ appeared on stamps in the issued by Papua in 1934 in celeb tion of the territory’s declarat as a British Protectorate 50 ye previously.

Other designs represented scene on board HMS Nelson Moresby Harbour in 1894, with Commodore, in company with Rev. Mr. Laws and the Rev.

Chalmers, of the London Mission Society, talking with the nai delegates of the Port Moresby I trict.

The design was reproduced f: a contemporary newspaper illus: tion of the time.

IN 1932, Cook Islands sta. carried good portraits of C tain James Cook, after whom! group is named. Cook was pictr in naval uniform, wearing headgear of the time. The de; was adopted from a well-km

iainting (by Nathaniel Dance, RA) ben hanging in the Greenwich [ospital.

In 1920, the Cook Islands had dis layed the effigy of the Captain fac ig towards the right of the stamp, at on that occasion he was not earing a hat.

A id stamp, also available in 1932, lustrated the initial landing in me, 1774, at Niue, by Cook and s party. The Resolution lay off lore.

Cook was honoured by the Cook lands twice in the 1949 pictorial amps. The Id. value showed the eat navigator in a head and .oulders format, with a map of e Hervey Islands, first sighted by >ok in September, 1773 and med by him after Captain Hervey, ier Earl of Bristol and First Lord the Admiralty.

Ihe same picture represented, on e right, the Bosun Bird in a ipical setting.

Model for the likeness of the Cap in on the 1/- value was the ttue by Sir Thomas Brock, »ted near the Admiralty Arch, ndon. This was a full-length rtrayal. A map of the Cook ands was included as background.

HE Rev. John Williams, of the London Missionary Society; and the first missionary in Rarotonga 1823, appeared on the 2d. stamp the same Cook Islands pictorial Les of 1949. ’he missionary ship, Messenger Peace, built by Williams at rotonga in 1828, was shown on I right, while a map of Raro ga was the central motif, laptain Cook has not been for ten on other Pacific stamps, ■rt from Australia and New Zea d. n 1950, Niue’s Id. issue repre ted Cook’s vessel, Resolution, off lahi Point, in June, 1774, during ! second voyage of discovery hen, in 1928, the United States imemorated Cook’s discovery, in » of the Hawaiian Islands with pecial stamp issue. Printed in erica, the two stamps were first le available at the post office at lolulu. hey did not carry a special de k but a commemorative over it reading: “Hawaii 1778-1928” placed on stamps showing Pre nts Washington and Roosevelt, ed earlier. wigan stamps have a link with K, for their watermarks feature oises. On his second visit to Tongan Islands, in 1778, Cook ented two tortoises to the King 1 kept them as favourite pets' of them is still alive to-dav. Its earance on national stamps as watermark rrtotif served as a aanent reminder of both Cook’s and his gift.

Eut. William Bligh, Of

HMS Bounty, and later Gov ernor of NSW, was featured on nrst pictorial stamps distributed

in 1940 by the Pitcairn Islands. A characteristic likeness was depicted on the 2d issue, which represented Bounty under full sail in the back ground.

In the same series the Id. and 2/6 values illustrated Fletcher Christian, leader of the mutineers standing on the deck.

The lid showed John Adams, the last surviving member of the mutineers, against a background of his Pitcairn Island house.

The name of Robert Louis Stevenson is synoymous with Samoa, and, naturally enough Western Samoan stamps have symbolised the author’s greatness.

In 1935, a 6d issue was devoted to an impression of his house,

Vailima, now the High Commis sioners residence.

The 1/- value pictured Steven son s tomb at the top of Mount Vaea, where, on his death in 1894 he was buried with great ceremony w Fo . Ur ears after these stamps!

Western Samoa included a fine full face portrait of RLS on the 7d value of the set issued to mark the 25th anniversary of New Zealand occupation of the former German colony. t Chief Judge R. V. Kay has given a warning to Rarotonga drinkers that penalties for drunkenness will be heavier in future, and are liable to be in the form of gaol sentences rather than fines.