Exhibition Commemoratives New Zealand’s first two commemoratives were for the Christchurch Exhibition in 1906 and for the Auckland Exhibition in 1913. Christchurch Exhibition 1906 W. R. Bock produced the dies in Wellington and electrotype plates were produced at the Government Printing Office. There were four values: ½d, 1d, 3d and 6d. The sheets were arranged […]
Chalon Reprints: Hausburg and Jolliffe In April 1906, reprints from the various plates of the Chalon Heads (full-face Queens) were made for LR Hausburg on white card. In 1913, further reprints on white paper were produced and included in the History of New Zealand Stamps [1]. Hausburg reprints On a visit to New Zealand in
New Colours 1871 The colours of the 1d, 2d and 6d were changed in 1871 with the new stamps being issued on July 1. The paper had the large star watermark. The 1d was changed to brown, the 2d to orange and the 6d to blue. The 1d plate was very worn by this stage.
The Full Face Queens When the printings on star watermark paper resumed in August 1864, the Government perforating machine had been installed. The use of the NZ watermark paper therefore forms a neat interlude between the imperforate issues and those on star watermarked paper perforated 12½. At the end of 1864, stamp production was moved
Covers: New Zealand to/from UK Until 1866, the route between New Zealand and Great Britain was via Australia. Then, between 1866 and 1868, the standard route was via Panama. That route ceased in December 1868 and, as the route via San Francisco did not open until 1870, the only route was via Australia in 1869-70.
The Full Face Queens John Davies began his employment as the Postage Stamp Printer on the staff of the Postmaster General’s Department in February 1862. The previous printer, Richardson, had been a private contractor and had been able to insist on his choice of paper. The first Davies prints As Davies was an employee he
New Zealand Stampless Entire Until 1 April 1862, postage in New Zealand could be prepaid in cash instead of by postage stamps. In such cases, the amount paid was written on the front of the cover or folded letter in red ink. The following stampless entire (a folded letter) was sent from Otago to Irvine
The Full Face Queens The Chalon Heads (also known as the Full Face Queens) were the first postage stamps issued in New Zealand. These classic stamps were first issued in 1855 and were not replaced until 1874. The first printing of the 1d, 2d and 1/- values was in London and the stamps were issued
1940 Centennial Issue The Centennial Issue was issued in 1940 to celebrate the centenary of British sovereignty. The plates were produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co who recess printed the stamps in the UK. The stamps were issued on 2 January 1940 and the second pictorials were withdrawn from sale. The aim was that this
Survey flights between New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, 1939 The Short S30 Empire flying boat Aotearoa, commanded by Capt. J.W. Burgess, was flown from Southampton to Auckland on 16 – 28 August 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II on 3 September. No official mail was flown although some unofficial covers were carried.
Auckland – North Auckland The route of the survey flight on April 30, 1932 was Auckland, Dargaville, Russell, Whangarei and back to Auckland. Again, the company involved was Air Travel, the pilot was M.C. McGregor and the plane was a Simmonds Spartan. An official airmail was delivered and picked up at each stop with the
New Zealand Airmail Stamps At a Universal Postal Union Convention held in London, it was agreed that, from 1 July 1930, mail posted in New Zealand would be accepted by air services in Australia, Canada, USA and on the Karachi – London route. As there had also been experimental internal airmail flights, it was decided
New Zealand Prisoner of War Mail About 9000 New Zealand troops were captured during World War II with about 4000 in Greece and Crete in April/May 1941 and 2000 in North Africa in November/December 1941 [2, 5]. Mail from POWs went free by surface, but air mail had to be paid for. Air mail from
Other Airmail 1940-41: New Zealand – USA – UK From July 1940, there was a regular trans-Pacific airmail service (FAM 19) by PanAm between New Zealand and the USA. However, this service was expensive. The airmail rate to the UK was 6s 3d, reducing to 5s 9d in September 1940 and there were alternative (partial)
USA to NZ via Hawaii, Philippines, Hong Kong and Macau, 1935 – 37 The first flight of the regular Pan American airmail service (FAM 14) from USA to the Philippines (Manila) left San Francisco on 22 November 1935. The route was via Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam. The aim was to provide a
NZ – US Airmails: August 1940 – Oct 1941 Initially, the rate from New Zealand to Europe via USA was 6s 3d while from September 1940 it was reduced to 5s 9d. The rate from UK to New Zealand remained at 4s 6d. The rate to USA was 4s 0d and that rate could also
First PanAm Airmail 1938 Pan American Airways planned a regular trans-Pacific airmail service between Auckland and San Francisco, a distance of 6,900 miles. A survey flight was made in March 1937 by Pan Am’s chief pilot: Ed Musick. The first official New Zealand air mail to the United States left Auckland on 2 January 1938.
USA to Hong Kong, 1937 The weekly Pan American USA – Philippines (Manila) route (FAM 14) was extended to Hong Kong via Macau in April 1937. The Martin M130 flying boat China Clipper left San Francisco on 21 April 1937. The trans-Pacific route to Manila was via Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam. To
First Regular NZ-US Airmail, July 1940 The trans-Pacific flight from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Auckland on 12 – 18 July 1940 carried the first ever official airmail from America to New Zealand. The return flight from Auckland to San Francisco was on 20 – 24 July although the elapsed time was one day
Addition of Fiji to FAM 19, November 1941 For the flight leaving San Francisco on Wednesday 5 November 1941, Suva in Fiji was added to the Pan American route FAM 19 from USA to New Zealand as an extra stop between Canton Island and Noumea. Another change was that mail was now accepted from San
End of Pan American Service, Dec 1941 There were only three flights from San Francisco to Auckland via Fiji and two flights from Auckland (either 13 [1] and 27 November [1, 4] or 12 and 25 November [2, 3]) before the New Zealand – US service was suspended until 1946 due to the Japanese attack
WW 2 Airgraphs Airgraphs were developed by Kodak. The idea was that a letter was written on a special form which was then photographed. A large number of letters could be put on a single roll of film which was then flown to its destination. On arrival, the film was processed on to a roll
New Zealand – USA – UK: 1942-44 The Pan Am trans-Pacific air mail service FAM 19 between Auckland and San Francisco was suspended in December 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. That meant that there was no longer an all air service between New Zealand and Britain. With the cut in the Horseshoe Route
Attempted Jubilee Airmail To commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith planned a trans-Tasman airmail from Sydney to New Plymouth and a return from New Zealand to Sydney. Connection with the Australia – UK airmail would give the first official airmail from New Zealand to the UK. The
Cancelled Jubilee Flight The first through airmail from New Zealand to the UK was planned for 17 May 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The aim was to link up with the Australia – UK service at Sydney. The trans-Tasman air mail rate was 7d while the Australia – UK air
1938 NZ to Samoa and Hawaii The first official airmail flight from New Zealand to USA was in January 1938 via American Samoa, Kingman Reef and Hawaii. The flight left Auckland on 2 January and the pilot was Ed Musick. To Samoa The first leg of the 1938 Auckland to US flight was to American
First Regular US-NZ Airmail, July 1940 After the loss of the Samoan Clipper in 1938, Pan American did not set up a regular New Zealand – USA service until 1940. There were two survey flights in 1939, the first was from San Francisco to Auckland between 22 and 30 August while the second was between
Airmail Booklets In 1995, New Zealand trial AirPost International booklets were issued with the $1 Butterfly definitive se-tenant with an air mail label. A further AirPost International booklet was issued in 1996 and and an Air International booklet in 2000. AirPost International Booklet 1995 The booklet was issued on 1 September 1995 and contained five
The 1935 Airmail Plates There was one plate for each value; plate 1 for the 1d, plate 2 for the 3d and plate 3 for the 6d. The plate numbers were in the top right corner along with a sheet number. 1d plate 3d plate 6d plate back The above information is taken from The
1935 Airmail Stamps New airmail 1d, 3d and 6d stamps were issued on 4 May 1935. The design by J. Berry was based on a photograph of Bell Block aerodrome, New Plymouth and the plane is a prototype of the DH 86 Express. The dies and plates were produced at the Australian Note and Stamp
South Westland Airmail The first regular New Zealand airmail service was not between major population centres, but was to South Westland connecting Hokitika with Haast and Okuru. (There had previously been an experimental airmail between Hokitika and Okuru in September 1932.) The route was operated by Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd with J.C (Bert) Mercer owner
Union Airways to Auckland On 27 June 1937, Union Airways started a regular airmail service between Wellington and Auckland via Palmerston North and New Plymouth. There were connections with the South Island through Union Airways Dunedin service at Palmerston North or Cook Strait Airways at Wellington. North-bound airmails were flown from the South Island to
New services, March 1936 On 30 December 1935, Cook Strait Airways started a regular passenger service over a triangular route linking Nelson, Wellington and Blenheim. The planes used were two DH 89 Dragon Rapides and the chief pilot was G B Bolt. On January 15 1936, Union Airways started a regular passenger service between Palmerston
Union Airways, 28 June On 28 June 1936, Union Airways made an experimental flight continuing the regular Palmerston North-Dunedin flight to Invercargill. The return flight to Dunedin was also made on 28 June with the regular Dunedin to Palmerston North flight then taking place as normal on 29 June. Approximately 800 items were flown to
Emergency Flights, June 1940 Early in the morning of 19 June 1940, the Niagara was sunk by a mine shortly after leaving Auckland. As a precaution, the ferry services across the Cook Strait were cancelled and ordinary surface mail was flown between Wellington and the South Island on emergency flights on aircraft chartered from Union
East Coast Airways extension On 30 October 1937, East Coast Airways extended their Gisborne, Napier service to Palmerston North and on 10 January 1938 to Wanganui. The extension to Palmerston North enabled connections to be made with Union Airways services at Palmerston North and hence with Cook Strait Airways at Blenheim. This cover was carried
Cook Strait Extension, 1937 The initial Cook Strait Airways service was between Wellington, Blenheim and Nelson. In February 1937, the service was extended from Nelson to Greymouth and Hokitika. There were three flights a week from Wellington, Blenheim and Nelson to Greymouth and Hokitika from where a connection could be made with the Air Travel
East Coast Airways On 16 April 1935, East Coast Airways (ECAL) started a regular passenger service between Gisborne and Napier. This was the first licensed regular passenger service in New Zealand. The planes used were two DH 84 Dragons. Gisborne – Napier An official airmail was only carried on the first flight from Gisborne to
NZ to US and Canada Although there was an experimental official airmail flight to the United States in 1938, a regular New Zealand – USA airmail service did not start until 1940. However, mail from New Zealand could connect with airmail services provided by other countries, including the USA and Canada. Before July 1930, the
US Military Post Offices in New Zealand The location of US ships, army divisions, etc. was not publically known and mail was sent via Fleet Post Offices or Army Post Offices. Numbers were allocated and the associated location often changed as units were moved around. Various Naval and Army Post Offices were based in New
