Australia Philately: 1973 National Development

Shipping, Iron Ore and Steel, Beef Roads and Mapping are the four subjects featured on the 20c, 25c, 30c and 35c stamps issued on 6th June, 1973, for sale at all post offices and philatelic sales centres for approximately six months.

This set represents the second group issued on the National Development series and depicts four aspects of Australian national development which have significantly contributed to the development of Australia’s natural resources and secondary industries; important and continuing development over many fields owes much to the support of accurate mapping, efficient shipping and – in northern Australia – the network of good all-weather beef roads; the local availability of iron ore and steel has been an important factor in the development of Australia’s secondary industries.

The first group in the National Development series covering the Snowy Mountains and Ord River Schemes, the Bauxite to Aluminium and Oil and Natural Gas industries, issued on 31st August, 1970.

All four stamps of the second series were designed by Mr. John Copeland, of Adelaide, who also designed the official first day cover for the series. Souvenir stamp packs containing the four stamps, priced at $1.10, are available from all official post offices.

The stamps were printed by multi-colour photogravure by the Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne, on Wiggins Teape coated unwatermarked paper incorporating helecon, and issued in sheets of 100. All the stamps are in vertical format and measure 25 mm x 37.5 mm, including perforations.

Five cylinders were used for the printing the 20c value, six for the 25c calue (during printing a new grey cylinder replaced the original one which had been used for approximately one third of the printing), five for the 30c value and four for the 35c value. Colours in printing order were: 20c – grey, dark blue, green, light blue, black; 25c – yellow, dark red, grey, vermilion, black; 30c – grey, umber, dark blue, red, black; 35c – pink, green, red, black.

Details

Date of Issue: 6 June 1973
Withdrawn Date:
Invalidated:
Designer: John Copeland, Adelaide
Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
Process: Multi-colour photogravure
Cylinders: In printing order
- Grey – Dark Blue – Green – Light Blue – Black (20c)
- Yellow – Dark Red – Grey (I) – Vermilion – Black (25c)
- Yellow – Dark Red – Grey (II) – Vermilion – Black (25c)
- Grey – Umber – Dark Blue – Red – Black (30c)
- Pink – Green – Red – Black (35c)
Paper: Wiggins Teape coated unwatermarked paper incorporating helecon
Watermark: None
Perf: 13.25 x 13.75 (comb)
Sheet: Printed in two panes of 50 stamps (R10 x 5) divided by vertical gutter.
Quantity:
- 3,154,000 (20c)
- 3,049,000 (25c)
- 2,881,500 (30c)
- 3,194,000 (35c)