Postage stamps and postal history of the Australian Antarctic Territory

Australia has issued postage stamps for the Australian Antarctic Territory since 1957. All have been Antarctic themed, and are also valid for postage in Australia, so in practice, they are just Australian stamps with a different inscription. The Australian Antarctic Territory Act (1954) allowed for a postage system to be introduced in 1955, under the commonwealth and after the territory had commenced philatelic colonialism. commandeered and under the leadership of Sir Douglas Mawson in order to increase interest around the Antarctic discoveries for Australia. However, after this period, stamps for the Territory were issued in both Australia and the Australian Antarctic Territory, yet limited in Australia to a small amount of stock which could be bought at Australia Post Offices. Throughout both periods, all stamps were still valid after their sale in both Australia and the Australian Antarctic Territory. Past stamp designs Antarctic Research Commemorative Stamp: (Australian release only) On the 17th of November 1954, prior to the commencement of the postage system in the Australian Antarctic Territory, a stamp to commemorate the discoveries made and expeditions by Australians within the Territory was issued throughout mainland Australia. As pictured, it featured several important flora and fauna relevant to certain discoveries, including; • Black-bowed Albatross (Domeda Melanorphris) (Temminck) • Kerguelen Cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica) • King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica) • 2 fish breeds; (Cygnodraco mawasoni) and (Notothenia macrocephala) • Elephant Seal (Miroungra leonine) (Linn) • Crustaceans (Zooplankton) • Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelia papua (Forster) • Coastal bog plant (Pleurophylum hookeri (Buch)) ==First stamp==

The first stamp issued specifically for the territory was a two-shilling blue stamp with a design of explorers and an Antarctic map. This was first issued in Australia on 27 March 1957 and in Antarctica on 11 December 1957. The original stamp design of 1957, which included a map of Antarctica, was seen as an "aggressive geopolitical assertion of territory" This stamp also features the flying of the Australian flag, in Vestfold Hills, Antarctica, on 3 March 1954, == The first commemorative stamp ==

The first commemorative stamp (as seen in the infobox) of the Australian Antarctic Territory was released on 16 October 1961 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Antarctic Expedition in 1911, led by the Australian scientist and explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson. This stamp features an image of Mawson on this expedition, surrounded by the words "Australian Antarctic Territory". On the day of release for this stamp, Lady Francisca Adriana Mawson, the widowed wife of Mawson, received a "special album on behalf of the Postmaster General, Hon. C. W. Davidson". The album contained a sheet of the minted stamps of Mawson, as well as past Australian Antarctic Territory that had also depicted him, such as ‘Explorers at South Magnetic Pole’ (1959). Similarly, an "imperforate block of four of the Mawson stamps was presented to Sir Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia, for inclusion in the collection of the National Gallery of South Australia". == Current postage system ==

Mail is delivered according to the transport schedule of the Australian Antarctic Territory from Hobart International Airport, Tasmania. All mail is consolidated at the Territory's Australian headquarters in Hobart, then consigned to transport, according to the schedule. There are several regulations around the postal system, in order to ensure that it runs smoothly due to the limited movement between the Territory and mainland Australia. Some of these include that all mail over one kilogram is considered to be cargo, whilst mail under one kilogram is considered air mail. All cargo mail leaves Tasmania with cargo flights, rather than on regular transportation flights. == Recent stamp designs ==

2021 March 2021 The stamp issue of 6 March 2021 showed printed images of contributors to the Australian Antarctic Territory Arts Fellowship programme. as well as use the Australian Antarctic Territory to gain inspiration for their artistic works. Artists featured on the Australian Antarctic Territory Fellowship Stamps • Alice Giles AM: Giles is featured on the ‘Music’ stamp, capturing her performance on the Harp at centenary of the first Australian Antarctic Expedition. • Associate Professor Philip Samartzis: (RMIT University, Melbourne) Samartzis is portrayed on the ‘Sound Recording’ stamp, to capture the ‘experience of working in a unique research station’, and ‘explore the impacts of extreme environmental conditions on people’. • David Neilson: Neilson's images from 1990 to 1991 and 2004 to 2005 are featured on the ‘Photography’ stamp, portraying the "great white south" • John Kelly: The painter and sculptor appears with his highlights of his work; a series of 57 oil paintings from 2013 on the ‘Painting’ stamp. October 2021 This issue, released on 5 October 2021, features four different kinds of Lichen endemic to the AAT. They are: • Buellia frigida • Xanthoria mawsonii • Umbilicaria decussata • Xanthoria elegans == Stamp issues ==

Pre-decimal stamps Decimal stamps == Used stamps ==

Used stamps from the territory are usually found with either mainland Australia postal cancels, or first-day cover cancels as there is relatively little genuine mail from the bases. ==Bases==

The Australian Antarctic Territory bases are: • Casey Station • Davis Station • Macquarie Island Station • Mawson Station • Heard Island • Cape Denison (Opened 2010) • Wilkes Station (now closed) Base cover sets are issued from Mawson, Davis, Casey and Macquarie Island stations. All AAT mail will be cancelled with a postmark from one of these bases, though First Day Covers are now thought to be cancelled with the relevant base name at the Australian Philatelic Bureau, and not all bases are currently in use or permanently occupied. == References ==