Australia Philately: Macquarie Harbour – Sarah Island

Sarah Island (Langerrareroune, Toogee people) was located in Macquarie Harbour, Van Diemen’s Land. The island was named after Sarah Birch, the wife of a prominent surgeon, merchant and shipbuilder in Hobart Town, Thomas William Birch. In January 1822, the Sarah Island penal station was established by Lieutenant-Governor William Sorell as…

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Australia Philately: 2026 WB Gould’s Sketchbook of Fishes

Convict artist William Buelow Gould (c.1803-1853) created his masterpiece while imprisoned at Macquarie Harbour’s Sarah Island penal colony in 1832. As servant to medical officer Dr William de Little, Gould painted 36 delicate watercolour studies of fish and shellfish. This sketchbook, now at Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts,…

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ISCNY: Argentina’s Columbus Stamp – Underrated Masterpiece?

What makes a commemorative stamp great? Join Roger Mooney as he explores two stamps depicting Columbus’s fleet—one from the United States, the other from Argentina. With a keen eye for design and historical nuance, Mooney argues that the Argentine stamp, though lesser-known, surpasses its American counterpart in engraving quality and…

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