Stamps Make And

Fiji's New Rotuma

Record History

: The three Fiji stamps pictured here record and make history. They are the first ever issued especially for Rotuma, the far-flung island outpost that has been administered as part of Fiji since 1881; and they com memorate the 175th anniversary of 'he European discovery of that island yy Captain Edward Edwards in HMS ‘Pandora” on August 8, 1791. rHE Pandora was searching for Fletcher Christian and other nutineers of the Bounty when she irrived at Rotuma, having already :aptured 14 of them in Tahiti 4\ nonths earlier.

The 3d stamp shows the Pandora pproaching Split Island at Rotuma.

"he lOd depicts Rotuman chiefs gainst a background of the Pacific )cean, showing the geographical iosition of Rotuma and the Pandora t anchor. The 1/6 stamp is from drawing of Rotumans signalling a assing ship, made by a French rtist aboard the Coquille (Captain Juperrey), which called at Rotuma i 1824.

The first day of issue was originally itended to be August 8 but was ostponed to August 29. A large atch of stamped first-day covers r ere dropped by parachute over otuma (which has no airstrip) for ostmarking and dispatch to the utside world by ship.

Each design, in multi-colour photo gravure, appears as if on an old parchment scroll, the bases of which are printed in “weathered” yellow.

Other new stamps issued recently in the South Pacific include: • Six from French Polynesia depicting ships of the Islands. Issued on August 30, they show an outrigger paddling canoe (10 francs), a cruis ing yacht (11 francs), a sports fish ing boat (12 francs), an outrigger sailing canoe of the Leeward Islands (14 francs), a trading schooner (19 francs) and a modern coastal motor vessel (22 francs). • Four from the New Hebrides to commemorate the completion of

the World Health Organisation’s headquarters building. Two of the stamps are in the English series and two in the French. Their values are 25 and 60 gold centimes.