Australian Stamps Honoring Famous People from Australia

Australia Post

Australian stamps

The people honoured by Australia Post come from all walks of life from Royalty to relative unknown and this is just a sample of famous people featured down through the years which are a must have for Stamp Collections and collectors.

Famous Australian stamps

EXPLORERS

Captain James Cook, Royal Navy, on a 75 cent stamp but a pre decimal version exists too. Cook was depicted again in 1970 and 1999. George Bass, another European explorer of Australia was featured on a £1 stamp with his whaleboat in 1963. The Bass Strait was so named after his journey through it in 1801. Bass featured again on a stamp in 1998.

CRICKETING GIANTS

Sir Donald Bradman also known as ‘The Don’ was Australia's sporting idol. Described as greatest living Australian in 2001 by the then prime minister. His life and 20 year playing career was honoured on the 45 cent stamp in 1997, Other cricketers featured by Australian Post were Ricky Ponting (2007), Victor Trumper, the Golden Age batsman (1981), Shane Warne, the greatest leg spin bowler (2007) and Englishman W. G. Grace (1998).

ACTING

In 2009 Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Geoffrey Rush were honoured in recognition of their success in Hollywood as Oscar winners. All were feature on 55 cent stamps.

Famous Neighbours stars, (wedding picture, 55 cent) Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan both in 2006.

OLYMPIANS IN THE NOUGHTIES

Natalie Cook, beach volleyballer, Olympic gold medal winner in 2000

David Crawshay, rower, Olympic gold medal winner in 2008

Michael Diamond, trap-shooter, Olympic gold medal winner in 2000

Suzanne Balogh, trap-shooter, Olympic gold medal winner in 2004

Steven Bradbury, speed skater, Olympic gold medal winner in 2002

Dale Begg-Smith, skier, Olympic gold medal winner in 2006

Jenny Armstrong, sailor, Olympic gold medal winner in 2000

Brett Aitken, cyclist, Olympic gold medal winner in 2000

Lauren Burns, taekwondo, Olympic gold medal winner in 2000

INTERESTING OTHERS

Rod Laver, one of the greatest tennis players (2003)

John Lennon, Beatles musician (1988)

Dame Edna Everage, world famous Australian character (2006)

Herb Elliot, Athlete supreme (1998)

Princess Diana of Wales, British Royal and nearly Queen (1981)

Prue Acton, well known fashion designer (2005)

Darby Munro stamp

Stamp issued 1981

Darby Munro was a famous horse racing jockey from Melbourne. His claim to fame was that he won the Melbourne Cup, not once, but three times. He also holds the record for an incredible 9 wins at one race meeting, a feat he achieved in 1940.

Famous Australian

At that time he was regarded as the number 1 famous person in Australia. He died in 1966, but lest he be forgotten, the Darby Munro Stakes is run every year in Sydney.

Number one jockey

Munro was regarded by the racing public as Australia's best ever jockey. Coincidently, his brother Jim also had success as a jockey in winning the Melbourne Cup twice in the 1920s.

The Queen's birthday will be celebrated on Australian postage stamps in 2011 but she is not the only woman to be so honored.

Australia Day is women’s day

Australian Legends

Four Australian women will each be immortalized by the issuing of individual postage stamps in their honor in 2011. Germaine Greer (image opposite) is one of four, the others being Eva Cox, Elizabeth Evatt and Anne Summers.

All four have had a big influence in advancing gender equality. The honor stamps famous Australians into our minds for all time, in every sense.

Australia’s influence on stamp development

Australia was one of the main drivers for the self adhesive postage stamp and conducted extensive work in the development of these new stamps. Gummed stamps are old fashioned now and the need to lick and stick stamps is diminishing. The replacement and more hygienic stamps are the self-adhesive ones which are usually on the roll. The self-adhesive type can be pealed off the backing paper and applied to the envelope, similar in principal to the self adhesive envelope. The style changes as the self-adhesive ones will not have all the edges perforated and most likely will have 2 straight cut edges.

Self-adhesive stamps have been available on the market for 20 years. Perforations (small holes between the stamps) allow the stamps to be separated from each other particularly if issued in sheets of 100. Non perforated or partially perforated ones are usually from a roll of 100 stamps. Top collectors pay particular heed to the perforated state of the stamp and its manufactured adhesive state and condition (including mint condition and unfranked or first day covers) and would be keen to acquire rare stamps. Apart from usual outlets you can buy stamps online from Australia Post.

Some things needed to begin stamp collecting

Australia or any other country stamps

Magnifying glass helps to let you see the finer details of beautiful picture stamps. Long nosed tweezers, used for picking stamps up without damaging them. Gloves can be used to ensure valuable stamps do not get contaminated by oils in your skin. Adhesive or gum is you want to stick them in an album. Scissors might be needed to cut used franked stamps from envelopes. Mounting plates or boxes can be used to display but a Stamp Album with small stamp hinges to allow attachment is just as good for a new collector. A Drying rack is sometimes used if you have wet envelopes to enable easy removal of stamps which then need drying. Not all these items are necessary and the simple collection held in an envelope can give as much enjoyment as the most expensive collection. Australian stamps collectors have found Australia to be a good starting place for a budding philatelists because of the wide variety of color, shape and stamp images available.