Australia Philately: 1974 150th Anniversary of First Independent Newspaper in Australia

A 7c stamp to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of the first independent newspaper in Australia was issued on 9th October, 1974, for two weeks sale at post offices and up to 12 months sale at philatelic sales centres.

The stamp design features William Charles Wentworth, one of the co-founders of the newspaper, “The Australian”, and the letter “A” in the type face of the period. Wentworth was previously depicted on the 1963 5d. stamp issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the crossing of the Blue Mountains and also on one of the 1973 7c Famous Austrsalians stamps (third series). The design is the work of Mr. Ian Dalton, from the South Australian School of Art, North Adelaide, South Australia, and was the winning entry in the Post Office’s 1972 art students design competition.

The stamp measures 24.15 mm x 37.75 mm and was printed by lettepress at the Note Printing Branch of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne, and issued in sheets of 100. The stamp was printed in black on double-calendered Shoalhaven KP5D unwatermarked coated stamp paper incorporating helecon, on a deep buff background printed by lithography. Six lettepress plates, each of 50 subjects, were used.

Historically the letterpress printing process is appropriate, as this was the method by which the 1824 paper was printed. The last Australian stamps previously printed by letterpress were the 1953 Food Production set.

Details

Date of Issue: 9 October 1974
Withdrawn Date:
Invalidated:
Designer: Ian Dalton
Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
Process: Offset lithography
Cylinders:
Paper: KP5D paper – chalk coated with Helecon
Watermark: None
Perf: 14 x 15 (comb)
Sheet: Printed in two panes of 50 stamps (R10 x 5) divided by horizontal gutter.
Quantity: