Pacific stamp box
p. 59 · Read in the full issue
Australia’s most important event for stamp collectors in 1985, took place from September 30 to October 6, 1985. This was SUNPEX ’B5, held in Fortitude Valley, Queensland.
Collectors, dealers and representa tives of philatelic bureaus from all over Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific countries travelled to Brisbane for the exhibition.
The postal administrators of Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, and Solo mon Islands, all used special postmarks in their countries during the period of the exhibition.
One of the more unusual features of the show was an effort to break the Guinness Book of Records figure for the number of stamps licked in a four-minute period. Heats were held each day and the finals were run on October 5. We haven’t yet heard if the record was broken. Any claim has to go to the publishers of the book for checking and acceptance. But accor ding to all reports, SUNPEX ’B5 was well-populated with a range of very dry and sticky tongues. *** The other recent philatelic event of great note was the commemoration in Papua New Guinea of the centenary of postal service in that country. Marking this event was a release of a pre stamped envelope to recall the carriage of mail along the infamous Kokoda Trail.
This tortuous and very rough route across the Owen Stanley Range from Port Moresby to Popondetta is, of course, best-known for the battle fought along its length between the Japanese and Australian forces during World War 11, but its muddy, jungle choked length was well-marked by the feet of mail carriers long before that historic period.
The mail-runner service between Port Moresby and Kokoda was estab lished in December, 1904 and it re mained operative until quite well after World War 11. The runners gave way to aircraft in October, 1949, when Qantas began weekly services with a DeHavil land DHB4 Dragon Rapide, linking Port Moresby with Popondetta and Kokoda.
The foot mail was carried by men called Police Runners who performed extraordinary feats of endurance, li terally running along the Trail in all sorts of weather - most of it exceeding ly wet - delivering letters and news-
papers to the isolated houses and communities along the way with asto nishing regularity.
The service was re-enacted on Aug ust 26, 1985, with runners employed by the PNG Philatelic Bureau carrying some of the special pre-stamped en velopes released on that day to mark the occasion. *♦*♦ The centenary of PNG postal services was itself marked on October 9 by issue of a set of commemorative stamps, plus a miniature sheet. An excellent leaflet has been published on this issue with important information for collectors on the history of the services provided in British New Guinea (1885- 1906), Papua (1906-1942), German New Guinea (1888-1914), the Man dated Territory of Papua New Guinea (1921-1942), and independent Papua New Guinea (from 1975 onwards).
Papua New Guinea has also pro duced a 16mm film called So the
Message Runs as part of the celebra tions. ♦*** Recent issues: November 1 Austra lia Christmas Part 11, 27c,33c, 55c, 90c and 45c aerogramme. November 5 Samoa Christmas November 6 New Zealand - N.Z. Military History (Royal New Zealand Navy), four values and miniature sheet. November 6 Tuvalu - Crabs. November 6 Pit cairn Islands Christmas 6c, 9c, 35c, $2. November 6 - Australia Polly Woodside Centenary, 40c pre-stamped envelope. November 11 Vanuatu Marine life part I (nudibranchs).
November 12 Tonga - Christmas November 13 - Papua New Guinea Nombowal Artifacts 12t, 30t, 60t, and 80t. Also 12t Christmas pre-stamped envelope. November 20 - Australia The Collection of 1985 Stamps, annual album. November ? Solomon Islands -- Bicentennial of the birth of J.J.Audubon.
Three of the pretty lithographed stamps issued for Christmas by the Norfolk Islands Postal service. The set contains four stamps, in 27c, 33c, 50c, and 90c denominations.