Overview

Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean some 1,400 kilometres east of the Australian mainland. Originally settled by Polynesians, in 1788 the island was colonised by Great Britain and subsequently used as a British penal colony. In 1856 the inhabitants of the overcrowded Pitcairn Island, including many of the descendants of the original Bounty mutineers, were resettled on Norfolk Island.

In 1914 Norfolk Island was proclaimed an external territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and now enjoys a substantial degree of self-government. Since 1947 Norfolk Island has been responsible for its own postal service and postage stamps. This joint stamp issue features the endemic Norfolk Island Pine Araucaria heterophylla, a symbol of the island which is also widely grown in Australia as an ornamental tree, particularly in coastal regions.

Designer

Melinda Coombes, Coombes Whitechurch Design

Products released in this issue   

  • Stamps (Australia) 1 x 70c, 1 x $1.40
  • Stamps (Norfolk Island) 1 x 20c, 1 x 70c
  • Covers (blank pictorial, gummed and joint issue)
  • Stamp pack
  • Maxicard
  • Gutter strips

Technical specifications

Issue date
22 July 2014
Issue withdrawal date
31 January 2015
Denominations
1 x 70c, 1 x $1.40
Stamp design
Melinda Coombs, Coombs Whitechurch Design
Product design
Simon Sakinofsky, Australia Post Design Studio
Paper - gummed
Tullis Russell
Printer - gummed
RA Print
Printing process
Lithography
Stamp size
37.5mm x 26mm
Perforations
13.86 x 14.6
Sheet layout
Module of 50
FDI postmark
Canberra, ACT 2600
FDI withdrawal date
20 August 2014

Stamps in this issue

70c Cottesloe Beach, WA

Fifteen minutes west of Perth, beautiful Cottesloe beach is noted for its magnificent stand of Norfolk Island Pines. In 2009, Lonely Planet named Cottesloe Beach the world's second best beach for families.

$1.40 Old military barracks, Norfolk Island

A terrestrial orchid, also called the Dancing Spider Orchid, endemic to Western Australia, where it is widespread in the south-west. The name means club-bearing and refers to the broad, flat, deeply fringed labellum. It is one of the spider orchids (genus Caladenia, so named for its spider-like petals).

It favours sedgy flats in open sandy forests of the south, particularly on the coastal planes and slopes from north of Perth to Albany and Esperance. It flowers from August to October. It is a slender hairy plant to 35 centimetres high with a long lanceolate hairy leafy. One to three flowers (20 to 30 mm in diameter) bloom on long pedicels well displayed on the erect hairy stem, and are coloured yellowish-green, red and deep purplish-red.

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