Stamp and Coin Fair in Foster this Saturday

THE Corner Inlet Stamp Club will be holding its annual Stamp and Coin Fair this Saturday, January 16, at the Anglican Church Hall in Station Road, Foster, starting at 9 am.

This year’s theme is Australia Day. The focus is on stamps issued over the years to mark the arrival of the First Fleet, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, at Botany Bay on January 26, 1788. This was the first permanent European settlement in Australia.

Federation – the joining together of all the States to form the Commonwealth of Australia – was formally declared on January 1, 1901. The Commonwealth then took control of a wide range of functions, including military forces, postal services and customs and immigration. But it was not until January 2, 1913 that the first stamp bearing the name “Australia” was issued. This stamp was a red one penny stamp featuring a kangaroo and map of Australia and was for use throughout Australia. Prior to that kangaroo stamp the states had continued to use their own stamps.

Stamps are now regularly issued to commemorate Australian achievements and landmarks in Australian history. But it took until May 9, 1927 for the first commemorative stamp to be issued to mark the opening of the first Parliament House in Canberra. Since then there have been many special issues.

The first stamp to mark Australia Day was in 1976. An 18 cent Coat of Arms stamp was issued to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Australia becoming a nation. Since the early 1980s, Australia Post has released a stamp or stamps to celebrate Australia Day on January 26 each year.

Prior to this regular issue of stamps from the 1980s on, stamps were issued to reflect various Australian anniversaries.

In 1934 a set of stamps depicting the Yarra River and skyline was issued to commemorate the centenary of the State of Victoria. Similarly a set of stamps celebrating a hundred years for South Australia was issued in 1936. These stamps, which depicted the old gum tree at Glenelg and a scene of the city of Adelaide, had a famous and rare printing error on the 2 penny red showing smoke coming out of the chimney.

Stamps were then issued to mark the 150th anniversary of settlement in various states. The first was a set of three stamps – 2 penny red, 3 penny blue and 9 penny mauve – which commemorated the 150th anniversary of European settlement in NSW, showing Governor Phillip and his officers on the shore of Botany Bay. The 2 penny red stamp with its printing errors including the “man with the tail” (One of the officers looked like he had a kangaroo tail!) are real collectors’ items.

The exhibition will display these older stamps as well as more modern centenary and Australia Day stamps.

Apart from the exhibition, stamp and coin dealers will be in attendance and you can sell your stamps and coins or add to your collection. Entry is $2 and children free. So come along and enjoy the annual stamp and coin show this Saturday!

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