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The stamp story

The history of the postage stamp

• 
  In Great Britain, in 1661, a special mark was first stamped on letters to show when they were received by the post office. These early stamps were made of wood, something like the rubber stamps of today.
• The concept of having a stamp that would stick onto a letter was also developed in Great Britain, which produced the world's first stamp in 1840. It was called the "Penny Black".
• In Australia, it wasn't until 1850 that people were asked to pay the postage on their letter before they sent it. So, Australia followed Great Britain, and the states of Victoria and New South Wales introduced adhesive stamps. The first New South Wales stamps were known as "Sydney Views" and the first Victorian stamps were called the "Half Lengths". By 1860, all the Australian colonies (states) had introduced stamps.
• The first series of stamps for the whole of Australia was issued in 1913. The stamps featured a kangaroo on a map of Australia, were printed in one or two colours, and ranged in value from one halfpenny to two pounds.

Australian stamps today

• Although the main function of stamps today is still to pay postage, Australian stamps have become well-known throughout the world for their unusual and unique designs. The history of Australia can be traced through its commemorative stamps, on which all aspects of Australian culture, as well as our natural heritage, have been illustrated.

Stamp collecting resources

Students can join the free "Stamp Gang Club" (for ages 6 - 13), with parent / guardian or teacher permission.

"Stamp Gang Club" members receive a free quarterly Stamp Explorer magazine.

A free Stamp Bulletin is also available for stamp collectors over the age of 13.

Write to:
Stamp Explorer or Stamp Bulletin
Reply Paid 4000
FERNTREE GULLY VIC 3156

Please include student details (name, year of birth and mailing address.)

Or subscribe on-line at: auspost.com.au/stamps

• It usually takes about two years to develop a stamp. An enormous amount of research goes into each design. A team of three people - a designer, a marketer and a researcher - is involved in each stamp. New designs have to be approved by the Stamp Advisory Committee and by Australia Post's management.
• About one billion stamps are now produced in Australia every year.
• The National Philatelic Collection, located in Melbourne, Victoria, is the largest graphic design collection in Australia. It includes stamps from 1849 through to the present.
• 
  Australian stamps are printed using the latest technology available. They are printed as a pattern of tiny coloured dots, mostly using four colours - cyan (a rich blue), magenta (a dark pink), yellow, and black. Offset lithography technology is a fast and easy way to produce large quantities of printed material in a huge range of different colours.
• Part of every stamp is invisible to your eyes. It can only be seen by Australia Post's sorting machines. A special phosphorescent coating is put on each stamp and an ultraviolet light makes the coating show up. This is what the sorting machine uses to position the stamp for cancellation or postmarking.
• Stamps are either printed on gummed paper, that you have to dampen first, or on self-adhesive paper. Four out of five stamps produced are now self-adhesive. This means that you don't have to lick the stamp to make it stick to the envelope!
• A special adhesive paper was developed for Australia Post so that self-adhesive stamps could be soaked off envelopes and placed in stamp albums.