Dame Mary Gilmore, Marcus Clarke, William Charles Wentworth and Sir Isaac Isaacs are featured in the third group of Famous Australian stamps, issued on 16th May, 1973. All four portraits for the stamp series were specially drawn by Mr. John Santry of Sydney.
The new stamps will remain on sale at Australian post offices for approximately two months from the date of issue. A souvenir pack containing the all four stamps has been produced and a special first day cover for the set was design by Mr. Lance Sitrling of Melbourne.
The stamps each measure 20.25 mm x 24.05 mm, including perforations. They were engraved at the Note Printing Branch of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne, on unwatermarked paper incorporating helecon. Each stamp is a bicolour, having a paler background colour printed by offset and the portrait and lettering in a darker recess print. The Wentworth and Gilmore stamps have a light bistre panel background and the Isaacs and Clarke stamps are on the lilac-tinted panels.
This is the first group of the series to be printed in the se-tenant format with the four subjects all in the one sheet. The Postmaster-General, Mr. Lionel Bowen, announced during March that stamp booklet production has been discontinued.
Instead handy 2c plastic wallets to hold small quantities of postage stamps have been introduced by Australian Post Office. The wallets fit conveniently into pockets and handbags and are designed to contain a number of stamps in whatever denominations customers choose.
The Minister added that, booklets were costing customers $1.40 each and sales had dropped considerably in recent years. It was too expensive to produce booklets with small numbers of stamps when a plastic wallet would provide a flexible and convenient alternative.
Details
- Date of Issue: 16 May 1973
- Withdrawn Date:
- Invalidated:
- Designer: John Santry, Sydney
- Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
- Press: Hoe rotary intaglio
- Process: Offset lithography and recess
- Cylinders:
- Bistre – Black
- Liliac (tint) – Black
- Paper: Appx. two-thirds of the total printing was on Wiggins Teape
- Wiggins Teape unwatermarked paper incorporating Derby luminescence (tinted)
- Shoalhaven unwatermarked paper incorporating Derby luminescence (tinted)
- Watermark: None
- Perf: 14.75 x 14 (comb)
- Sheet: Printed in sheets of 600
- Quantity:
- 20,337,875 (William Charles Wentworth)
- 20,337,875 (Isaac Isaacs)
- 20,337,875 (Mary Gilmore)
- 20,337,875 (Marcus Clarke)
Subjects
- 7c William Charles Wentworth
- 7c Isaac Isaacs
- 7c Mary Gilmore
- 7c Marcus Clarke
Plate Position PIP/Ring
Souvenir Pack
A souvenir pack containing the all four stamps has been produced and a special first day cover for the set was design by Mr. Lance Sitrling of Melbourne.
First Day Cover No.48 (Official)
A souvenir pack containing the all four stamps has been produced and a special first day cover for the set was design by Mr. Lance Sitrling of Melbourne.
ALICE SPRINGS/NT 5750
BENTLEIGH/VIC 3204
HAWTHORN/VIC 3122
LATROBE STREET/VIC 3000
RUSSELL STREET/VIC 3000
