5 Jan 27 – Zoom – The First Australian Postage Stamps
By Robert Hider
January 5, 2027 @ 15:00 – 16:30
Comparison of the First Postage Stamps
issued by the Six Australian States
Robert looks back through history to compare the first Postage Stamps issued in Australia, 1850-1865.
Although we think of Australia as being made up of a number of States, the first stamps were issued by what were at the time Colonies (or in the case of Victoria, a pre-Colony), with the concept of States emerging later in 1900 with Federation.
Robert will describe the stamps produced over the period 1850-1865 by each of what became the Australian states. Each adopted a different approach. New South Wales and Victoria designed, engraved and printed their stamps in Australia. In the case of Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, the stamps were designed in Australia, but initially engraved and printed in London. In Tasmania, the first (temporary) stamps were printed in Australia and then followed by issues that were engraved in London.
These different approaches led to a fascinating range of stamps. Robert will describe these different approaches and indicate how some were more successful than others in producing good quality postage stamps.
The series of postage stamps released were as follows:
- New South Wales released a set of three imperforate stamps on 1 January 1850, known as the “Sydney Views”.
- Victoria released a set of three imperforate stamps on 3 January 1850, known to philatelists as “Half-Lengths”
- Van Diemen’s Land (the original colonial name of Tasmania) released a set of two imperforate stamps on 1 November 1853.
- Western Australia released the One Penny Black Swan on 1 August 1854.
- South Australia released a set of two imperforate stamps on 1 January 1855, featuring the “Chalon Head”.
- Queensland released a set of three “Chalon Head” definitive stamps on 1 November 1860.
Zoom Programme 2026/27
| 1 Sep 26 | 3 pm | Graham Winters | Post Cards |
| 6 Oct 26 | 3 pm | Vernon Morris | The Postal Crisis of 1775 |
| 3 Nov 26 | 3 pm | Jean Wang | First World War Tobacco Fund |
| 1 Dec 26 | 3 pm | Roger Johnson | Sarawak – Tales from the Ulu |
| 5 Jan 27 | 3 pm | Robert Hider | Comparison of the first Postage Stamps issued by the six Australian States |
| 2 Feb 27 | 3 pm | Marcus Orsi | Irish Postal History Transition Period |
| 2 Mar 27 | 3 pm | Sandeep Jaiswal | Some of my favourite items from Jammu and Kashmir – Part 2 |
| 6 Apr 27 | 3 pm | Jan Hofmeyr | Philatelic Invention in the United States |
| 4 May 27 | 3 pm | George Henshilwood | Having fun with numbers |
| 1 Jun 27 | 3 pm | Gordon Hardy | Mail from Great Britain to Romania pre-UPU |
(Last updated 29 Jul 2026)