International delivery information
26 June 2020: Australia Post is experiencing international delivery delays in all destinations due to limited airline capacity and government restrictions as a result of COVID-19. Australia Post is working with partner airlines and other postal operators to move items as quickly as possible and clear backlog.
Hello Collectors
Welcome to the July–August edition of Stamp Bulletin. We do hope you are faring well and staying connected during these strange new times. As previously advised, our Post Offices continue to provide support and services to the community, and postal delivery is a reminder that essential services remain in place with little change. Similarly, the philatelic team continues to develop new stamp issues – albeit through very different processes – and I am pleased to introduce our forthcoming issues in this edition of Stamp Bulletin.
Our July–August stamp issues mark two important anniversaries. First is the sesquicentenary of the establishment of Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital in 1870. This important medical institution was founded as a free hospital for sick children, and it continues to offer paediatric care free of charge. Second is the centenary of the Princes Highway, which opened in 1920. This major arterial road connects Sydney to Melbourne via New South Wales’ South Coast and Victoria’s Gippsland.
Two July–August stamp issues relate to natural processes that have occurred over millions of years. Geological forces created the Australian Alps, which stretch from Canberra through southern New South Wales and into Victoria, along the Great Dividing Range. The alps are a favoured destination for outdoor enthusiasts year-round. Age-old natural processes are also responsible for fossil formation. Australia was once part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, where, over millions of years, plant and animal remains were buried in its waterways. Some of these remains were transformed into remarkable opalised fossils.
Stamp Collecting Month focuses on a subject of great urgency following Australia’s recent devastating bushfire season. Bushfires claimed the lives of an unprecedented number of native animals, pushing some species towards extinction. Wildlife Recovery draws attention to the plight of our native wildlife and the need for comprehensive conservation measures.
Two territories stamp issues also focus on animal species: Christmas Island Crabs represents four crab species, while Norfolk Island Ocean Oddities features two rarely encountered fish species that can be found in the open ocean around Norfolk Island.
Manager, Philatelic, Australia Post
This content was produced at the time of the Stamp Bulletin publication date and will not be updated.
