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History

The Australian Antarctic Territory Act (1954)[1] allowed for a postage system to be introduced in 1955, under the commonwealth and after the territory had commenced philatelic colonialism.[1] The introduction of the system produced both a postmark and postcard, which could be used both on mainland Australia (for postage all over the country, not specifically to the Antarctic Territory) or from the Territory itself.[1]

Post:

Past postage systems:

Before the Australian Antarctic Territory Act was signed in 1954, all expeditions to Antarctica were customised with different rubber postage stamps, due to the adhesive postage stamp being not yet used amongst society. For the Australian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-14,[1] commandeered and under the leadership of Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA,[2] a stamp was commissioned in order to show that letters were being sent from the ship. The stamps were round, with an emperor penguin and the inscription “LOOSE SHIP’S LETTER/POSTED IN ANTARCTICA/S.Y. AURORA”.[2] All letters leaving from the S.Y. Aurora were stamped with an Australian stamp, which was them covered with the official expedition stamp in order to show the location from which they were sent from.[2]

This system was adjusted in 1955 when the first post office was established in MacRobertson Land (Mawson Station), where letters were stamped with adhesive stamps and sent via plane or ship to mainland Australia, where they were sorted and distributed across the country.

However, when expeditions were organised, such as the South Indian Ocean Expedition to Heard Island (1964-65) and the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (1947-65),[2] rubber stamps were also commissioned, often featuring penguins, in order to clearly identify where letters were arriving from in the sorting office in mainland Australia.

Stamps:

Australian Antarctic Territory Stamps:

In the past, until approximately 1970, stamps were issued in both Australia and the Australian Antarctic Territory, and were available in Australian post offices for two weeks before being “procurable at the [Australia Post] Department’s philatelic sections in all States”,[2] in order to increase interest around the Antarctic discoveries for Australia. However, after this period, stamps for the Territory were issued in both Australia and the Australian Antarctic Territory,[3] yet limited in Australia to a small amount of stock which could be bought at Australia Post Offices. Throughout both periods, all stamps were still valid after their sale in both Australia and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Past stamp designs: [2]

Antarctic Research Commemorative Stamp:

On the 17^th of November 1954,[2] prior to the commencement of the postage system in the Australian Antarctic Territory, a stamp to commemorate the discoveries made and expeditions by Australians within the Territory was issued throughout mainland Australia.[2] As pictured in image 2 below, it featured several important flora and fauna relevant to certain discoveries, including;

-        Black-bowed Albatross (Domeda Melanorphris (Temminck))

-        Kerguelen Cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica)

-        King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica)  

-        2 fish breeds; (Cygnodraco mawasoni) and (Notothenia macrocephala)

-        Elephant Seal (Miroungra leonine (Linn)

-        Crustaceans (Zooplankton)

-        Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelia papua (Forster)

-        Coastal bog plant (Pleurophylum hookeri (Buch))

The First Stamp of the Australian Antarctic Territory:

The original stamp design of 1957, which included a map of Antarctica, was seen as an “aggressive geopolitical assertion of territory”[1] by the Australians, due to the map clearly marking the territory’s boundaries.  This caused issues within Antarctica as a whole, as the “issuing of postmarks can only be performed by a sovereign state”.[1] However, more than 23,000 letters were stamped with this postmark up until 1909,[1] when several more stamps, such as the ‘Explorers at South Magnetic Pole’ and ‘Dog Sled and Team’ were released.[4] (see image 1, below)

This stamp also features the flying of the Australian flag, in Vestford Hills, Antarctica, on March 3^rd, 1954,[2] after a temporary landing in the Antarctic by Peter Shaw, Philip Law, and Dr. Arthur Gwynn.[2] The flag flying image was converted to a drawing from a photograph donated by ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions), showing the three expeditioners and scientists next to the flag waving in the wind.[2] This first stamp was sold at only 2 shillings per print.[6]

Current postal system:

Mail is delivered according to the transport schedule of the Australian Antarctic Territory from Hobart International Airport, Tasmania.[6] All mail is consolidated at the Territory’s Australian headquarters in Hobart, then consigned to transport, according to the schedule.[8] There are several regulations around the postal system, in order to ensure that it runs smoothly due to the limited movement between the Territory and mainland Australia. Some of these include that all mail over 1kg is considered to be cargo, whilst mail under 1 kilogram is considered air mail.[8] All cargo mail leaves Tasmania with cargo flights, rather than on regular transportation flights.[8]

Recent Stamp Designs:

The stamp issue of March 6^th, 2021[7] showed printed images of contributors to the ‘Australian Antarctic Territory Arts Fellowship’[8] programme. There is one stamp design for each music, painting, photography and sound recording, to “create opportunities for artists to work with art, science and technology partners”,[8] as well as use the AAT to gain inspiration for their artistic works.

Artists featured on the Australian Antarctic Territory Fellowship Stamps (2020): [8]

Alice Gillies AM:

Gillies is features on the ‘Music’ stamp, capturing her performance on the Harp at centenary of the first Australian Antarctic Expedition.

Associate Professor Philip Samartzis: (RMIT University, Melbourne)

Samartzis is portrayed on the ‘Sound Recording’ stamp, to capture the ‘experience of working in a unique research station’, and ‘explore the impacts of extreme environmental conditions on people’.

David Neilson:

Neillson’s images from 1990-91 and 2004-05 are featured on the ‘Photography’ stamp, portraying the “great white south”

John Kelly:

The painter and sculptor appears with his highlights of his work; a series of 57 oil paintings from 2013 on the ‘Painting’ stamp.

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[1] Collis, Christy. "Mawson and Mirnyy Stations: the spatiality of the Australian Antarctic Territory, 1954–61." Australian Geographer 38, no. 2 (2007)

[2] Milner, R. M. Postal History of the Australian Antarctic 1911-1965, 2nd ed. London: Robson Lowe Limited, 1975.

[3] Parliament of Australia. "Postage Stamps for Australian Antarctic Territories - Press Statement." Last modified     December 16, 1959.

[4] Verbitsky, Jane. "Antarctic tourism management and regulation: the need for change." Polar Record 49, no. 03 (July 2013)

[5] Walker, Vic. Collect Australian Stamps: A Simplified Guide of Australian and Australian Antarctic Territory Postage Stamps, 9th ed. Dubbo, NSW: Victoria Stamp Traders, 1993.

[6] Australian Antarctic Program. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Last modified April 30, 2019.

[7] Australia Post. "Stamp Issues: Mapping the AAT." Australia Post Collectables. Last modified March 16, 2021..

[8] "Antarctic Arts Grace New Australian Stamps." Australian Antarctic Program. Last modified March 16, 2021.

Postal History This section will provide a historic and contextual overview of the postal service in the Australian Antarctic Territory,^1 providing essential context on the past postal systems used, the way in which post has been delivered and sent throughout the settlement of the Australian Antarctic Territory and a general overview of the historic importance of post for the researchers previously, and currently, stationed there.^2

Past and Current Postal System The past postal system will be described, when the territory was originally settled, in order to provide context in how the system has been used throughout the years.^3

Postal Rates Outlining the historic changes of rates of postage, showing the difference between the peak of postage use to current postage use, and how this has affected prices within the AAT’s postage system.^2

Commissioned Artists Providing information on the significance of different artists commissioned to design stamps for the AAT for certain historical events and research revelations.^4

History of Stamp Designs Specifying, in this section of the article, historical information on the stamp designs, as many hold contextual importance for events that occurred on or around the territory, such as the original researchers, current researchers and those who discovered the territory.^5

1. . Headland, Robert K. Territory and Claims in the Antarctic Treaty Region: A Disquisition on Historical and Recent Developments. Cambridge 2020. Volume 57. 2. . Australian Antarctic Program. Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Last modified April 30, 2019. https://www.antarctica.gov.au/ 3. Australia Post. "Stamp Issues: Mapping the AAT." Australia Post Collectables. Last modified August 20, 2019. https://australiapostcollectables.com.au/stamp-issues/mapping-the-aat. 4. Walker, Vic. Collect Australian Stamps: A Simplified Guide of Australian and Australian Antarctic Territory Postage Stamps, 9th ed. Dubbo, NSW: Victoria Stamp Traders, 1993. 5. . Keep, David. History Through Stamps: A Survey of Modern World History, 2nd ed. England: Newton Abbot;: David and Charles, 1974.