On 12 July 1989 Australia Post will raise the curtain on a new set of stamps, paying tribute to the entertainment industry. The four stamps honour eight great names from Australian Stage and Screen.
Australia’s first stage production was the Recruiting Officer, a play by George Farquhar, performed by a group of convicts and officers in 1789. Theatre in Australia recevied its great boost in the 1850s when the gold rushes attracted tours by international stars, including the flamboyant Lola Montez.
The first screening of a motion picture to an Aiustralian theatre audience was at Harry Rickards’ Melbourne Opera House in August 1896. Early Australian films were often in advance of overseas productions, but by the 1920s the industry began to be overshadowed by imports, mainly from Hollywood.
Details
- Date of Issue: 12 July 1989
- Date Withdrawn:
- 25 July 1989 (First Day Cover)
- 30 November 1989 (stamps, stamp pack, maximum cards, collector cards)
- Designer: Sue Passmore, Melbourne
- Printer: Leigh-Mardon Pty Limited, Melbourne
- Press:
- Process: Photolithography
- Colours:
- Paper: CPL
- Perf: 14.6 x 14.4 (comb)
- Sheet: 100 stamps in two panes of 50 (R5 x 10) separated by vertical gutter.
- Quantity:
Subjects
First Day Cover (Official)
National First Day of Issue Postmarker (GPO Sydney NSW 2000)
Stamp Pack
Maximum Cards
Collectors Cards
Australia Post Publications
1989 Australian Stamp Bulletin No.200 (June-July)
