South American Stamps, Thematic Stamps

People On Stamps 1968 Famous Australians Booklet Stamps

People On Stamps 1968 Famous Australians Booklet Stamps

People On Stamps Thematic Collecting

In 1968 The Australian Post Office issued a stamp set commemorating four famous Australians. Unusually though the set was only available via booklets. Still, this has made for an interesting collecting area where the curious can simply add a set to their collection, while the specialist can delve into the myriad of variations that the booklet came in.  Even if you are not a people on stamps collector this set is attractive and the subject matter interesting. Read on for a quick overview of the set.

The Booklet.

1968-Famous-Australians

This was first issued on 6th November 1968. It was priced at $1 and comprised 20 5c stamps split into four panes of 5 and one label. The perforations where present are 15 x 14 and none are watermarked. Size-wise it is around 80mm x 40mm and it is stitched.

1968-Famous-Australians-b

The back cover has various advertisements such as the one above and various edition numbers. This gives additional interest for those looking to compile a specialist collection. There are also waxed interleaf versions on some editions which are quite scarce.

It is a nice set for the thematic collector highlighting people who may not be widely known, but who have stories worth learning about. This not only makes it a nice addition to a famous people thematic collection but is also good for a junior collector. As they say stamp collection is great for expanding your general knowledge.

 

It is The people honoured are as follows…

Caroline Chisholm

Caroline Chisholm

 

Caroline Chisholm (Nee Jones) was actually English, however, she is probably best remembered for her humanitarian work in New South Wales & Victoria. Her efforts vastly improved the outlook of the many emmigrants who flocked to Australia in the mid-19th Century.

 

Edgeworth David

Edgeworth David

Edgeworth David like the above was not an Australian native, being born in Wales, however, his geological knowledge and efforts are renowned in the country. His main discovery was the Hunter Valley coalfields which remain important today. He was also an accomplished Antarctic explorer and served with distinction in WWI.

 

Albert Namatjira

 Albert Namatjira Stamps


Albert Namatjira was a native Australian and the first Aboriginal artist to gain national recognition. He was an accomplished Water Colour Artist in addition to his prowess in contemporary Indigenous Australian art.


Andrew Barton Paterson

Andrew Barton Paterson 

Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson was one of Australia’s most prolific poets and is probably best known for composing Waltzing Matilda” in 1895. This is today widely regarded as being Australia’s unofficial national anthem.

First Day Covers

1968 Famous Australians FDC

These are readily available and quite a number of illustrated versions were issued. They are quite common, however, sets with the label attached are popular and attract a premium.

Famous Australians FDC with Labels

 

Thinking of buying a set

The basic stamp set had a print run of nearly 41 Million, so not surprisingly they are quite cheap either mint or used. Booklet panes are similarly quite easy to find. However, complete booklets are becoming a little harder to find and as mentioned some of the variations are scarce and priced accordingly. This will never be a set for an investment, however, its thematic interest makes it worth getting.

If you collect Thematics then please check out some of our other articles or why not try some of our stamp quizzes.

 

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