Regional

Stamps

Regional effort

A RECENT regional philatelic

marketing workshop at the Forum Secretariat in Suva outlined poli cies regarding sales. One of the Pacific’s prolific issuers, Tuvalu, reported on its bad track record of over-issuing and assured delegates that it was restricting future issues after being led astray by a contracted consortium for the past four years. The Pacific’s other offender in over-issuing, the Cook Islands, did not attend. Others who attended were Mar shall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Western Samoa and Fiji. Each bureau was aware of the need for a re

sponsible issuing policy to uphold repu

tation. Even the Solomon Islands, licking its wounds from the America’s Cup fias co, was outspoken on this area. The workshop discussed matters relating to promotion, new markets, stamp designs, printing and exhibitions.

There was concern over: • inefficient communication between issuing bureaux and customers • lack of control over marketing due to policies of agents in the United Kingdom and the United States • recent moves by Australia Post to cut back on its sales outlets, combined with a general lack of promotion of Forum Is land Countries’ stamps in Australia by

this organisation

• costs to Forum Island Countries’ bureaux of current agency arrangements • recent official fraud investigations into activities of some philatelic bodies in the United Kingdom which could adversely affect Pacific marketing arrangements worldwide.

The workshop resolved to co-operate and consult jointly on all aspects of phi latelic stamp production, marketing and publicity, and establish an annual Pacific stamp to be limited to two (stamps per country and to be launched, where possi ble, at the World Stamp Exhibition, New Zealand on August 24, 1990, under the

following principles:

• two values per participating country • a common theme relevant to the Pacific

• common logo on stamps to be copyr ighted for use only by approved coun tries • themes to be planned up to five years in advance • The 1990 Pacific Theme to be Mail Service in the Pacific • design of first-day covers to be co ordinated, and special postmarks to be

designed

• Pacific stamps to be designed and produced in the region • Pacific issues to be jointly marketed by participating countries.

It was also decided to work towards jointly producing a quarterly Pacific stamp bulletin to be co-ordinated and

produced out of Sydney with printing

and production to be subject to competi tive tender, and to meet on an annual basis in conjunction with an appropriate exhibition, to discuss initiatives, strategies and on-going policy.

Unfortunately the delegates at the workshop were not decision-makers from their bureaus and could only make recommendations.

ONE hundred and seven Postal Admi nistrations will be represented at Stamp World London 90, the international stamp exhibition at Alexandra Palace, London from May 3 to May 17. Coun tries from the Pacific region that will be represented are Australia, Fiji, Nauru, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Pit cairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

New issues Penrhyn July 24 First landing on the moon: 55c, 75c, 95c, $1.25, $1.75. Featuring scenes of the moon landing.

Norfolk Island When Norfolk Island was closed as a penal settlement and the convicts were taken away in 1856, it became the home of the entire population of Pitcairn Is land, who were removed to Norfolk Is land in the vessel Morayshire, arriving on June 8, 1856. Subsequently a few re turned to re-settle Pitcairn Island.

While Pitcairn remained a dependency of Great Britain, Norfolk Island became a territory under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia. Recognition of need for change in the form of admi nistration of Norfolk Island led in 1975 to a Royal Commission to enquire into the island’s future status and the most appropriate form of administration if its

constitutional position were changed.

This in turn led to the Norfolk Island Act 1979, which established a Legislative

Assembly to replace the Advisory Coun

cil System that had served for so long.

On August 10, 1979 the first Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly held its inau

gural meeting.

To commemorate the successful com pletion of 10 years progress in internal self-government, four postage stamps were issued on September 1. They fea ture the Norfolk Island flag (41tf); a bal lot box that has seen nearly a century of use (55 i)\ the Norfolk Island Act 1979 ($1.00), and the Armorial Ensigns for Norfolk Island ($1.10).

September 1 Aerogramme issue no 6 Parts 1 and 2: 41c and 60c. Mutiny on the Bounty.

September 25 75 Years of Red Cross in Norfolk Island: $1 Red Cross at work.

Aitutaki July 28 20th anniversary of the moon landing; 75c, $1.15 scenes featur ing the moon landing, $l.BO, $6.40 mini ature sheet.

Niue July 20 20th anniversary of the moon landing; $1.50 x 3 featuring scenes of the landing, $1.15 souvenir sheet.

Samoa July 31 birds definitive part 3; $lO Common Fairy Tern, $2O Shy Albatross.

Tuvalu July 31 living reef part 3: 40c Pen nart Coralfish, 50c Aremone Fish, 60c Batfish, 90c Threadfin Coralfish. D