Norfolk Island Philately

The stamps of Norfolk Island have long enjoyed a favored place in the world of philately – its issues are among some of the most attractive and educational of all countries of the world.  Appearing below is the First Day Cover of the Island’s latest issues.

Sloop Norfolk - 16 tons - 34 feet in length by a beam of 11 feet, and a depth of 5 feet. The sloop Norfolk was built in 1798 and made her maiden voyage to Sydney. The sloop was used by Flinders and Bass on their historic voyage exploring the south to confirm Tasmania as an island. They also discovered the Bass Strait. Flinders also explored the coast as far north as Hervey Bay, Queensland. The sloop Norfolk was used to take upplies to Windsor, and other Hawkesbury settlements, returning to Sydney with grain. It was during this time that the sloop was taken piratically by 15 convicts in Broken Bay, as the mouth of the Hawkesbury River.

Schooner Endeavour - 58 tons - 53 feet 6 inches in length by a beam of 17 feet four inches, and a depth of 10 feet. The schooner Endeavour was built in 1808 and made her maiden voyage to Sydney. After one voyage back to Norfolk Island, the schooner was sold in 1809 to Sydney trader, Isaac Nichols. The schooner traded along the New South Wales coast and in the Pacific to Otaheite. The schooner was taken by pirates in 1816 and plundered in the Marquesas. Rebuilt in 1921 in Sydney, it was later bought by King Tamatoa of Raiatea who used it for trading as well as missionary service. Sold in 1925 to George Robinson, a Hobart tader, the vessel was renamed Hunter, and fitted for sealing in the southern oceans. She was wrecked in June of 1829 on Kapiti Island.

Schooner Resolution - 59 tons - 61 feet 5 inches in length by a beam of 17 feet and a depth of 7 feet 5 inches. The schooner Resolution was built in 1925 in Emily Bay, Norfolk. She made her maiden voyage to Auckland, New Zealand, with local produce, and there an engine was fitted to supplement her sails. She was sold in September 1927 to Burns Philp (South Seas) Ltd., for use in their island trade. Based first in Vava’u in the Tonga island group, then in October 1929 in Levuka, on Overlau Island in the Fiji group, and finally in April 1948 in Vila, New Hebrides (now Vanatu), Resolution was sunk in 1948 at her moorings in Vila Harbour. She had survived several cyclones in the past and had been successfully repaired, but this after her sinking she was considered no longer worth refloating and repairing.

Technical Details:The date of issue of the stamps was September 2, 2008. The values are 50c, $1.20, and $1.80. The First Day Cover value is $4.05 (including GST). The designer of the stamps is Tracey Yager. The printer of the stamps is Southern Colour Print, New Zealand. There at 50 stamps per sheet in two panes. The print Quantity is 20,000 sets.

Norfolk Stamp Issues

(Click small stamp images to see larger views.)

Norfolk stamps of recent date are illustrated below along with their date of release.  Additional release dates and a history of Norfolk philately may be seen by clicking here.

2008 - Ships Built on Norfolk Island Rare Ferns in Norfolk Island St. John's Ambulance, 25th Anniversary Calves of Norfolk Island A Jewish Resting Place Faces of Norfolk Island Classic Cars 2007 - Banyan Park 'Friendship' Center Christmas 2007 Bicentennary of 1st Settlement Queen Victoria Scholarship Ghosts of Norfolk Island Palm Seed Industry Adventure Sports Weed Flowers 2006 - Christmas 2006 Centenary of Middlegate School Dogs Issue Seabirds Difinitive - Part 2 Traditional Hats Sesqui-centenary Issue - Arrival at Norfolk Island Sesqui-centenary Issue - Departure from Pitcairn Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton 2005 - Christmas 2005 Seabirds Difinitive - Part 1 Hibiscus Flowers Old Island Houses Norfolk Island Museum Centenary of Rotary International 2004 - Sharks Spiders of Norfolk Island Werken Dar Shep Hippeastrums QUOTA Int’l – Norfolk Island 25th Anniversary Issue New local stamps World Wildlife Fund for Nature 25th Anniversary of Self Government Christmas 2004 2003 - Horses on Norfolk Island Photographic Scenes of Norfolk Island Lillies Issue – Part 1 Writer’s Festival Personalised Stamps 50th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II Coronation 100th Anniversary of Powered Flight Christmas 2003 2002 - Nuffka Cliff Ecology Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee The Age of Steam 6th South Pacific Mini Games Bounty Bowls Philip Island Flowers (Part 1) Commonwealth Games Philip Island Flowers (Part 2) Sperm Whale (Joint issue with New Caledonia) Alliance Airlines – First Flight to Norfolk Island Christmas 2002 2001 - Norfolk Island Green Parrot Hong Kong 2001 Year of the Snake New Zealand Nat’l Stamp Exhibition, Invercargill Bounty Day Tourism Part 1 (Fragrance) Calm Waters Peace Keeping 6th South Pacific Mini Games, Norfolk Island Postage Laels (counter-printed stamps) Christmas 2001 2000 - Festivals of Norfolk Island, Part 2 Year of the Dragon Ducks & Geese of Norfolk Island ANZAC Day 2000 Whaler 2000 Project Bounty Day 2000 Eighth Festival of Pacific Arts 2000 Olymphilex 2000 Canpex 2000 Christmas 2000 Norfolk Island's Personalised Stamps [Norfolk Island Postcards] ["Stamps of the Australian Territories: Norfolk Island" (By F. Collas, Assistant Controller, Postmaster-General’s Department, Melbourne)] [Norfolk Island Philatelic Bureau]