A new pre-stamped envelope will be issued on 9 October 1980 to commemorate the opening of the Tarcoola-Alice Springs Railway.
This railway has been built to take the place of the original rail link from the South to the Centre. The original link was opened in 1929 after taking some fifty-one years to build, and ran from Port Augusta in South Australia to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
Unfortunately, this light “pioneer” track was built on a rather vulnerable route and was often washed away in flash floods – sometimes necessitating the rescue of passengers and freight. Hence the need for a new all-weather, high-speed link.
In 1975 construction commenced on the new railway at Tarcoola, north-west of Port Augusta. This was the largest single railway project to be undertaken in Australia for sixty years. Eight hundred and thirty-one kilometres of track had to be laid to reach Alice Springs.
Sophisticated track laying and aligning equipment had to be imported from overseas to complete the railway across some of Australia’s harshest terrain.
Details
- Date of Issue: 9 October 1980
- Withdrawn Date: 30 April 1981
- Invalidated:
- Designer: Australia Post Graphic Design Section
- Printer: Mercury-Walch, Division of Davies Brothers Limited, Hobart, Tasmania
- Press: Six colour Roland Ultra
- Process: Offset Multi-colour photolithography with luminescense impregnated varnish
- Colours:
- Paper: 105 gsm Glacier White
- Quantity: 1,007,970
Pre-Stamped Envelope No.030
The envelope was designed by Australia Post’s Graphic Design Section and carries a 22c denomination. The envelope measures 190 mm x 101 mm and is numbered 030.
It will be available over the counter at all Australia Post philatelic sales centres, at a cost of $A0.28, until 30 April 1981, provided stocks last. First day of issue postmarked envelopes will be available at these centres until 22 October 1980, provided stocks last.
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTMARKER OFFICES
Australian Stamp Bulletin
Australian Stamp Bulletin No.150 – September 1980
