Stamp Bulletin 388

Hello Collectors

Welcome to this edition of the Australian Stamp Bulletin in which we present two new stamp issues and introduce a range of collectable coins. We also remind collectors of recent changes made to this free publication and outlined in the article Changes to the Australian Stamp Bulletin.

The Shared Table, a stamp issue released 12 March 2024, counters the historical conception of a dreary Anglo diet, revising this with a more cosmopolitan take on gastronomic culture in contemporary Australia. This means signalling some of the cultural influences that have fired up and shaped our culinary expectations and habits, while also pointing to the abundant fresh produce and artisanal products that are now relatively commonplace to many of us.

The theme for The Shared Table is not just metaphorical, but also quite literal in its design approach. The four stamps comprise a se-tenant strip depicting produce and dishes across a single table, each stamp design a nod to a culinary tradition that has enriched contemporary Australian food culture. Because key items of produce are shared across cuisines, ingredients spill across perforations, linking the table into a single minisheet design through dramatic and “appetizing” illustrations by Anita Xhafer.

Released 19 March 2024 titled Norfolk Island: 1974 Royal Visit is a set of two stamps marking the 50th Anniversary of the first visit to Norfolk Island by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch made three visits to Australia in the 1970s, one of which was in early 1974 and during which she visited Norfolk Island. She had flown to New Zealand to close the Commonwealth Games on 2 February (opened by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh), and following a brief tour of that country, the royal yacht HMY Britannia sailed to Australia, visiting Norfolk Island en route. The Queen was accompanied by their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip and Princess Anne, as well as Princess Anne’s husband, Mark Phillips.