Christmas Island Christmas 2014

Overview

Christmas Island is an external Australian territory located in the Indian Ocean some 2,600 kilometres north-west of Perth. The lush, tropical island was named by Captain William Mynors, who made the first recorded sighting of the island in 1643 from his East India Ship Company vessel, the Royal Mary. The island is volcanic in origin, being the peak of a basalt volcanic seamount that rose steeply 5,000 metres from the ocean floor around 60 million years ago. Coral reefs subsequently built up over the basalt core, leaving an almost continuous limestone cap. The island’s 80 kilometre coastline is an almost continuous limestone sea cliff of up to 20 metres in height. The highest point of the island is Murray Hill, which is 361 metres above sea level. The natural history of the island is of great importance. Christmas Island National Park, which comprises 85 square kilometers of the total landmass of 135 square kilometers, was declared in 1980. Unique vegetation includes freshwater mangroves and rainforest, and the Abbott’s Booby, the Christmas Island Frigatebrid and land crab populations are of world significance.

These whimsical stamps show Santa Claus visiting the island at Christmas time. He pauses on the beach, located at the edge of the rainforest, to exchange gifts with an assortment of the island’s wildlife residents, including Red Crabs, Robber Crabs and a supercilious Abbott’s Booby. The animals have decorated a shoreline rock with ornaments from the sea, and Santa’s reindeer waits patiently in the background with the sleigh.

Designer

Gavin Ryan

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