Kings And Queens And Coconuts Have

Issues from NZ Dependencies

Appeared On Islands Stamps

• Stamps issued by the New Zealand dependencies—Cook Islands Niue, Western Samoa and the Tokelaus — are becoming almost as popular with world collectors as those of the Dominion itself The following article by K. NORMAN describes all the issues so far made.

THE Cook Islands became part of New Zealand in 1901, but stamps were issued under the Cook Islands aegis initially in 1892 when it was still a British protec torate. Since that time many in teresting pictorial issues have been made, many commemorating their discoverer, Captain Cook.

Some of the 1893 stamps carried a representation of the torea riding on the wind. This bird, a native of New Zealand, has an enormous wingspread. In the same year a portrait of the beloved Queen Makea Takau, nonpnal head of the day, was portrayed.

Captain Cook figured in two stamps in the series issued in 1920. better. In most things. He bourne.

The same series pictured the wharf at Avarua, on the island of Rarotonga. Avarua itself was the subject of a second stamp in the same series.

There was also a view of Raro tonga Harbour, while also shown were native huts at Aorangi and a picture of a palm tree, waving its eleven fronds in the air.

The 2Jd issue represented a native :hief, in all his finery, standing before a hut, with palm trees in ;he distance.

Plenty from the Cooks In March of 1932 the Cook Islands iroduced another two stamps re aiing to Captain Cook. A Jd value :ave a more realistic impression of lis landing, the Resolution lying fi'shore, while the natives beneath he palm trees seemed to be giving he landing party a royal welcome.

The Id value was a portrait of took, this time wearing the naval leadpiece of the period; and on the and issue a double Maori canoe of be type that made the original gurney from Cook Islands to settle i New Zealand about 1350 AD can e seen.

The 6d issue in that series de leted RMS Monowai on a moonlit took Islands coastline. The 10,000 m Monowai, built in 1925 for the & O Line as the Razmak, before le last war was a familiar sight a the mail service between Sydney, Wellington, Rarotonga, Tahiti and an Francisco.

Three further pictorial issues ere placed on issue in the Cook •lands in May, 1938 (a 1/- bearing b effigy of King George VI, the -, a native canoe proceeding down river estuary and the 2/-, a vil

lage scene showing a mule carry ing bananas).

Mount Te Atu Kura, on the island of Rarotonga graced a 3d stamp available in September, 1940, the framework of which included tropical fruits.

A most impressive series made their appearance in August, 1949, in ten denominations, prepared by the well-known New Zealand stamp designer, Mr. James Berry, of

Wellington. Three designs where historical in theme, the remainder showing local landmarks.

The Ngatangiia Channel, on Rarotonga, the point of departure of the natives for New Zealand in 1350 AD, was displayed on a Jd scamp, with a native in the centre spearing fish. In tripartite format, the Id value depicted Captain Cook’s likeness, a map of the Her vey Islands, 45 miles south east of Aitutaki, which he discovered in September, 1773, on his third voy age.

A tavake, or bosun bird, perched amongst some palm trees was shown on the right of this stamp.

Likewise in three-part arrange ment, the 2d issue honoured the missionary work undertaken in itially on Rarotonga in 1823 by the Rev. John Williams, of the London

Missionary Society. The first section Included a study of his schooner, The Messenger of Peace which he built at Rarotonga in 1828.

The statue in the Mall, London, aear the renowned Admiralty Arch, ff Captain Cook, in full naval uni form, highlighted the 1/- design.

A map of the island of Aitutaki, (3d); a view of the airfield on Rarotonga, with a Dakota mail fiane landing, (sd) ; a village scene )n Tongareva, Penrhyn Island, :6d); a native house and a native mgaged in mat weaving, (8d and !/-); and the island steamer, Watua, (3/-), made up the rest of he issue.

Niue Issues First stamps used on Niue, made heir appearance in January, 1902.

But it was not until July 1950 hat a distinctive pictorial series /ere distributed, with a ten-value equence, eight of which were de nted to characteristic local land larks.

The id stamp was in map design, flowing Niue’s location in the iouth Pacific and signifying the osition of more than a dozen ;land localities.

The Id design was an artistic repression of the arrival of Cap lin Cook off Opaahi Point on June ), 1774. Figures of natives were sown on the headland, with the esolution close by the rocky head ind.

The landing stage of Alofi, port r entry and seat of the Govern ment, with a native craft in the ly was the subject of a 2d value; hile on the 6d stamp, there was picture of the island trading ves 1, Maui Pomare, anchored in lofi Bay.

A limestone chasm at Matapa v-); a native house (3d); a mean spearing fish and another itive carrying bunches of bananas and and 2/-) completed the set.

Tokelaus, Too

In 1947 the Tokelau Islands were ovided with their own individual imps. They had formerly used est Samoan stamps. These again *e designed by James Berry, and mted in London.

Released in June, 1948, in three lues, the stamps adopted dis ictive designs for the individual lae |- In each case the stamps Diuded identification maps, the additionally showing the islands’ sition in the Pacific. \ village scene on Atafu, with a tive engaged in handcrafts in e foreground, appeared on the issue, with a typical thatched t on the Id representing the and of Nukunono. rhe final value was a coastal lage scene on Fakaofo, with a ling canoe passing by some huts the foreground.

80 Years of Samoan Stamps Although the first stamps for Samoa were produced in 1877, it was not until 1887 that a pictorial issue was made, with several palm trees shown as the design.

The first really “pictorial” series was introduced in 1921, with a single design showing a native hut in the background with a British flag in the near foreground.

An attractive sequence of stamps depicting Samoan life and scenery was made for the Territory in August, 1935—the first time the de scription “Western Samoa” was applied to stamps. Designs were the work of James Berry, L. Mitchell and W. J. Cooch, of Wellington, New Zealand.

A Samoan girl in native costume, with a large kava bowl, dispensing the ceremonial beverage from a cup made of coconut shell, was shown °n a ad stamp, in the background a Samoan thatched house.

The 2id issue was a full-length portrait study of a Samoan chief and his wife, in all their finery. .The Id stamp displayed a fine view of Apia, with Mt. Vaea in the background.

A tropical river scene, (2d); a deep-sea bonito fishing canoe, (3d); Lake Lanuto and the Falefa Falls iti" completed the series except for two symbolising the as sociation of Robert Louis St°ven son with Samoa. The 6d value showed his last home and the I/siamp which was a view of RLS’s tomb, on Mt. Vaea.

A striking full face protrait of btevenson again appeared on a 7d stamp included in the August 1939 senes, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of New Zealand’s ad ministration.

The Id stamp of this issue showed a typical coast scene, a third carry ing a vignette showing the cere monial siva dancing group. A map of the territory, giving its geo graphical location and with local va?ue larkS WaS USOd for the lid A Samoan native chief, seated on the ground, his head adorned with an elaborate headpiece, was the subject of a 3d stamp issued Sep tember, 1940; and in June, 1949, an impression of the Post Office at Apia, was similarly represented, n/r t en value set was printed in March 1952 to further advertise Samoa s scenic beauty and native {VS; A 0 woman making tapa cloth,

’ f- bonito fishing canoe, (6d);

harvesting cocoa (8d) and the pre- J a i on of c ?P ra ’ (2/-); a Samoan voman, wearing decorative plumed head-dress (3/-); house-thatching th e new national flag of NPw t6 7 n , Sa ? loa fiy in S with the New Zealand ensign in a native village (Id), the tooth-billed local Pigeon (sd), and the Seal of the Territory (2d) completed the set.