Overview

This is the fourth and last issue in a four-year program celebrating the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE). The AAE left Hobart in December 1911 under the command of Douglas Mawson and returned to Adelaide in February 1914.

The stamps follow the same design style across the four years and feature a combination of images depicting the environment, the men, their work and their lives over this period so that by the end there is a comprehensive mosaic of this extraordinary feat of exploration in Australia’s history.

Mawson was knighted for his achievements during this expedition and is regarded as one of the greatest figures of the ‘heroic age’ of Antarctic exploration. This final issue focuses on the activities of the members of the Expedition who were forced to stay for the winter of 1913 and their return to Adelaide in February 1914.

The photographs used for this issue were sourced from various national archives including the South Australian Museum, the State Library of South Australia, The Mawson Centre, and the Home & Away Collection of the State Library of NSW.

If all had gone to plan the AAE would have returned home in early 1913, but this schedule had to be abandoned after the tragic deaths of Xavier Mertz and Belgrave Ninnis, and the late return of Mawson himself to base camp. Instead, the small party who had remained in Antarctica endured another winter of scientific work until the Aurora returned in December 1913. That evening they sat down to dinner “striving to collect our bewildered thoughts at the sight of a white tablecloth, Australian mutton, fresh vegetables, fruit and cigars”. Mawson and his team were given a hero’s welcome for their achievements and their courage on their return to Adelaide on 26 February 1914.

Minisheet

The minisheet features, on the left, an extension of the image of Mawson shown on the stamp with Madigan, Gillies, Hodgeman & Blake, and on the right, Mawson & Madigan stepping off the Aurora.

Sheetlet

A special 20-stamp sheetlet is being released with this final stamp issue and comprises all the stamps released across the programme. The overarching themes for the four-year series are:
2011 – Departure & Journey
2012 – Arrival & Exploration
2013 – Disaster and Isolation
2014 – Homeward Bound

Designer

Designed by Andrew Hogg Design, the stamps use a number of photographs of the AAE’s time in the Antarctic.

Products released in this issue

  • Miniature sheet
  • First day cover
  • Stamp Pack
  • Maxicards
  • Special 20 stamp sheetlet.

Technical specifications

Issue date
18 February 2014
Issue withdrawal date
31 August 2014
Denominations
3 x 60c, 2 x $1.20
Stamp design
Andrew Hogg design
Product design
Andrew Hogg design
Paper - gummed
Tullis Russell
Printer - gummed
RA print
Printing process
Lithography
Stamp size
26mm x 37.5mm
Minisheet size
170mm x 85mm
Perforations
14.6 x 13.86
Sheet layout
Module of 50 (se-tenant)
FDI postmark
Kingston, Tas 7050
FDI withdrawal date
19 March 2014

This content was produced at the time of the stamp issue release date and will not be updated.