Halfpenny The ½d was first issued on 1 May 1935 perforated 14×13½. There were a double plate with two panes numbered 1A and 1B each with 240 stamps. Stamps on multiple watermarked paper from the same plate was issued on 20 March 1936. The sheets were in 10 rows of 24 and the printed sheets […]
1935 Second Pictorials The New Zealand second pictorials were issued on 1 May 1935. They were recess printed by De La Rue except the 9d which was surface printed by Waterlow. Click on any of the following images to display information on plates etc. Although issued during the reign of George V, they also covered
Ninepence The ninepence value is the only stamp in the set that was not recess printed by De La Rue. The first plates were produced by Waterlow for litho offset printing. Single watermark Smaller design Multi wmk, slate grey Single wmk The 9d was first issued on 1 May 1935 on single watermarked paper and
One Shilling The 1/- was first issued on 1 May 1935. The first issue was on single watermarked fine paper while stamps on multiple watermark fine paper were issued in April 1936. Both issues were perforated 14×13½. Perf 14×13½ fine paper The only plate was numbered A1 and had 240 impressions. Stamps overprinted Official were
One penny dies and plates The initial issue on 1 May 1935 was on paper with a single watermark and vertical mesh. The plates of 480 each had two panes (A and B) and the stamps printed from each pane were in 10 horizontal rows of 24. The printed sheets of 480 were divided in
Three pence The 3d was first issued on 1 May 1935. All issues were perforated 14×13½. The first issue was on single watermarked paper while stamps with multiple watermark were issued in August 1936. The only plate was numbered 2 and had 240 impressions. The position of the number is very low and is usually
Three shillings The 3/- was first issued with single watermarked paper on 1 May 1935 with perf 14-13×13½. and then appeared perf 13½x14 in November 1935. In August 1936, it appeared on multiple watermarked paper, perf 14-13×13½. The direction of the perforation in each of these was from left to right. There was only one
Twopence halfpenny All issues were recess printed and perforated by De La Rue. The stamp shows Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. There are three frame plates: 1, 3 and 4 and two unnumbered centre plates. Sheets had 60 stamps in 10 rows of 6. Frame plate 1 Perf 14-13×13½ The initial issue
Two pence The 2d was first issued on 1 May 1935. It first appeared on single watermarked paper with vertical mesh and then in March 1936 on multiple watermarked paper with horizontal mesh. Apart from the Blitz perfs issued in June 1941, all issues were perforated 14×13½. In November 1941, stamps were issued on coarse
Two shillings Three plates were produced by De La Rue with the stamps in 10 rows of 12. During 1940/41, printing and/or perforating was by Waterlow. The design shows Captain Cook landing in New Zealand at what is now the town of Gisborne. Plate 1 The initial issue on 1 May 1935 was on paper
Early World War II: September 1939 – April 1940 With the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Empire Air Mail Scheme was immediately suspended and postage rates returned to their earlier levels of 1s 6d from New Zealand and Australia to the UK and 1s 3d from the UK. The frequency of flights from
New Zealand to Africa, 1932 From June 1932, air mail was accepted from New Zealand for Africa. It was carried to Karachi by surface mail and flown from there. A special purple cachet was applied on the first acceptance from Auckland on 30 June and a green cachet on the first acceptance from Wellington on
Experimental Airmail UK – Australia In April 1931, Imperial Airways planned two experimental airmails from London to Melbourne and return. This was the first official air mail between Great Britain and Australia. Letters could be addressed to New Zealand and were accepted in New Zealand for the two return flights from Australia. Carriage between Australia
Competition: KLM 1931-38 KLM planned an experimental airmail from Amsterdam to Melbourne and back in April/May 1931. This prompted Imperial Airways to plan two experimental flights from London to Australia and return. Regular KLM service to Batavia Since 25 September 1930, KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij or Royal Dutch Airlines) had operated the longest regular airmail
KLM flight to Australia, 1931 In May 1931, KLM added an experimental flight from Batavia to Melbourne to their regular Amsterdam – Batavia (Dutch East Indies) service providing a through service from Amsterdam to Australia. This prompted Imperial Airways to quickly plan two experimental flights from London to Australia and return. The regular service by
Late fee Acceptance of letters for a sailing of the trans-Tasman steamer closed several hours before the boat sailed. However, letters were still accepted on payment of a special late fee. The cover is routed Per Air Mail Via Australia and so would be sent to Sydney by sea and then sent to Karachi by
ANA and New England Airways From 1 January 1930, Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm’s ANA flew a Brisbane – Sydney service. This was extended to Melbourne on 1 June 1930 and to Tasmania on 1 January 1931 with the first air mail to Tasmania being on 1 May 1931. Their services ceased on 26 June
Papua and New Guinea, 1938 In May 1938, Carpenter Airlines began a regular air mail service between Sydney and Papua New Guinea. Mail was accepted from New Zealand for the inaugural flight and addressed to New Zealand on the return flight. On 30 May, a DH 86 of Carpenter Airlines flew from Sydney to Townsville
New Zealand to Persia, 1932 From June 1932, air mail was accepted from New Zealand for Persia, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt as well as for Africa. Mail was carried to Karachi by surface with the first flight leaving Karachi on 27 July. No special cachet was applied. Route The route from Karachi was along the
NZ via Perth – Adelaide The West Australian Airways (WAA) trans-continental airmail service between Adelaide and Perth started in June 1929. Mail both from and to the UK was carried on the first flights. Mail addressed to New Zealand was flown on the first flight from Perth, but it was not until August that mail
Crash of the Scipio, Cygnus, Calpurnia, Belfast The Short S17 Kent flying boat Scipio crashed on landing in Mirabella Bay, Crete on 22 August 1936. It was carrying mail on the Alexandria – Brindisi leg of the Imperial Airways Australia – England airmail service. On 5 December 1937, the Short S23 Empire flying boat Cygnus
NZ – Tasmania, 1931 – 1934 There were several services between Melbourne and Tasmania and there were acceptances for them both from and to New Zealand. The first was with the short-lived ANA service in 1931. Services were then started by Hart Aircraft Service and Matthews Aviation in 1933 and by Holyman’s Airways in 1935.
UK – NZ via Karachi 1929 – 34 Mail could be sent to New Zealand by the London – Karachi air mail service from 1929, although it was not until July 1930 that airmail could be sent from New Zealand. The cover shown below is one of only three known covers addressed to New Zealand
Early External Flights New Zealand is distant from other countries. The Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia is two-thirds the width of the Atlantic Ocean and is notorious for sudden violent storms. That not only meant that air mail is very important to New Zealand external communications, but that it was relatively late (1940)
Internal Airmails 1934-1938 Although there were experimental air mails between 1930 and 1932, the first regular service did not start until late 1934. Airmails were developed along with freight and passenger services. The first regular New Zealand airmail service connected Hokitika with Haast and Okuru in December 1934. It was operated by Air Travel (NZ).
Northerly Route, November 1929 – January 1930 Imperial Airways had problems with the Italian government about flying over Italian territory and so, on 2 November 1929, the route was changed from the Mediterranean to a more northerly route through central Europe. Changed route: Flown through Central Europe, 2 November 1929 The new northerly Imperial Airways
IA London – Karachi, April – October 1929 Although covers to and from intermediate destinations as well as covers to Australia and New Zealand were carried on the first flight, the first official acceptances were some time later. For example, mail from London to Persia was accepted from 25 May and to Greece from 1
Start of Regular Air Service, (NZ -) Australia – UK, Dec 1934 The Singapore – Brisbane stage of the Empire Air Service was opened in December 1934 providing the first regular airmail service between Australia and the UK. Qantas Empire Airways (QEA) was formed by Qantas and Imperial Airways to fly the route between Singapore
Imperial Airways Eastern Route (- NZ), 1935 – February 1937 The Singapore – Brisbane stage of the Empire Air Service was opened in December 1934 providing the first regular airmail service between Australia and the UK. This page deals with flights from January 1935 up until flying boats were introduced on the Southampton – Alexandria
Imperial Airways Eastern Route (- NZ), February 1937 – July 1938 This page deals with the gradual introduction of Short S23 flying boats on the Imperial Airways Eastern Route. Until February 1937, the Paris – Brindisi stage of the Eastern Route was by rail. In February 1937, Short S23 flying boats were introduced on the
Baghdad – Cairo Air Mail In 1921, the RAF began the fortnightly Desert Airmail Service between Cairo and Baghdad. From October 1921, it carried private as well as official mail. According to Newall [1], mail from Australia and New Zealand was accepted from 9 November. This can be regarded as the first step in the
Basra – Cairo Air Mail Imperial Airways took over the RAF Baghdad – Cairo service in January 1927 and extended it to Basra. This was the first step in the route that would, by 1940, extend from the UK to New Zealand. Imperial Airways used DH 66 Hercules aircraft. The first flight from Basra was
Bega – Sydney – NZ, 1934 On Monday 5 February 1934, Adastra Airways started an airmail service between Bega and Sydney. Mail was carried in both directions on the first day. The plane was a DH Fox Moth and the pilot was F W Follett. Only 260 letters were flown on the 428 km north
Coronation Aerial Post to New Zealand, 1911 As part of the celebrations for the Coronation of King George V in 1911 an aerial postal service was operated between Hendon Airport and Windsor Castle (distance of 21 miles). This was the first scheduled air mail service in the world with a total of 16 flights from
IA Route via Italy, 1931 – 1932 The northerly route was replaced in May 1931 by the Athens – Corfu – Naples – Genoa route flown by the new Short Kent class flying boats. From October 1931, Brindisi – Paris was by rail and the planes flew from Athens to Haifa, no longer flying via
Imperial Airways: the East The aim of the Imperial Airways Eastern Route, along with the parallel development of the Imperial Airways African Route, was to link the countries of the British Empire. Imperial Airways was formed on 31 March 1924 by amalgamating British Marine Air Navigation, Daimler Airways, Handley Page Transport and Instone Air Line.
Extensions to Calcutta, Rangoon and Singapore After the introduction of Imperial Airways London – Karachi airmail in 1929, the Eastern Route was gradually extended, first to Delhi in December 1929 and then to Calcutta, Rangoon and Singapore (1933) and Australia (1934) together with a feeder service to Hong Kong (1936). The extension to New Zealand
Extension to Hong Kong The Eastern Route of Imperial Airways was gradually extended with the first flight to Hong Kong being in March 1936. On 23 March 1936, an Imperial Airways service to Hong Kong was started, connecting with their London – Australia route at Penang. The mail leaving London on 14 March connected with
Air Orient and KLM It was late 1933 before Imperial Airways extended its airmail route to Singapore. Meanwhile, both France and The Netherlands had started regular services to their colonies in the Far East. KLM started a regular airmail service between Amsterdam and Batavia in the Dutch East Indies in September 1930. Air Orient began
IA London – Karachi, First Flight 1929 A major step in providing an airmail service between New Zealand and the UK was the weekly Imperial Airways London to Karachi service which started on 30 March 1929. The journey took 7 days. The first flight This cover was carried on the first flight from Croydon Airport,
