The first floral emblem to be formally gazetted was that of the State of Victoria. The Victoria Government Gazette of 12th November, 1958, proclaimed the adoption of “the Pink Form of the Common Heath, Epacris impressa Labill., as the Floral Emblem of the State of Victoria.” This plant was first collected in 1793 by the French naturalist J.J.H. de Labillardiére, a member of the expedition under Bruny d’Entrecasteaux which was searching for the lost explorer J.F.G. de la Perouse, and was described by him in 1803 on his return to Paris.
It is a slender shrub, 1-4 ft. high, with flowers varying from white through pink to red. The leaves are pointed, and less than half an inch long. The plant is almost exclusively confined to the Southern half of Victoria, favouring coastal heath lands and mountain slopes. It is very common in the Grampians mountains. All colour forms can be found in the lower areas, but the red form prefers mountain slopes. It flowers from May to November.
Details
- Series: 1968 State Floral Emblems
- Subject: Pink Heath
- Designer: Ralph & Paul Warner
- Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia
- Process: Photogravure
- Cylinders: Light blue – Light Pink – Dark Pink – Dark Green (printing order)
- Paper: Unwatermarked coated paper incorporating Derby Luminescence
- Watermark: None
- Perf: 13.5 x 13.25 (comb)
- Sheet: Printed in two panes of 50 stamps (R5 x 10) divided by horizontal gutter.
- Quantity: 25,859,000
Sheet Numbers (Black)
Sheet Numbers (Red)
