First Pictorials: officials Stamps overprinted Official were issued for the first time on 1 January 1907 as, from that date. all Government mail had to be stamped with stamps overprinted Official. The first pictorials overprinted Official were the ½d, 2d, 3d, 6d, 1s, 2s and 5s values on Cowan watermarked paper perf 14 were overprinted. […]
First Pictorials: local prints The second-sideface definitive issue had been surfaced printed and the Government Printer in Wellington did not have the facilities for recess printing. There was therefore a delay before the printing of the first pictorials was transferred to New Zealand. Local issues, 1899 Instead of sending out the plates used in London,
Christmas Eve Flights 1932 The 1932 Christmas Eve airmail flights were organised along the same routes as in 1931. The mail was smaller (6,709 compared with 16,836). A much fancier cachet was applied compared with the earlier survey flights. Once again, Palmerston North was the centre of operations. Mail from Auckland was sent by the
Dominion Airlines 1930-31 Dominion Airlines ran a weekday passenger and airmail service between Gisborne and Hastings in December 1930 and January 1931. The service began on 22 December 1930 with airmail payment by a special 6d label. Letters were posted on arrival and so there was also the ordinary 1d postage. Sixpence label 44 letters
Christchurch-Dunedin, 1930 Air Travel operated a daily passenger service between Christchurch and Dundedin from 6 November 1930 until April 1931. The plane was a DH 50 and the pilot was Sq-Ldr M.C. McGregor. An official airmail was carried on the first day flights: from Christchurch in the morning and the return from Dunedin in the
Hawkes Bay Earthquake 1931, Emergency Flights On 3 February 1931 there was a devastating earthquake in the Hawkes Bay area killing 161 people in Napier, 93 in Hastings and 2 in Wairoa. As the road had been badly damaged, special emergency flights took place to carry emergency medical supplies although mail was also carried. Mail
Gisborne Air Transport Gisborne Air Transport ran a Gisborne – Hastings airmail service from March 1931 to December 1932. Gisborne Air Transport took over the Dominion Airlines route with the first flight being on 10 March 1931. The plane was a DH 60 Moth and the pilot was W.H. Lett. The airmail cost was 6d
Survey Flights 1930-32 Although New Zealand is larger than the United Kingdom, its population is less than 3.5 million. The distance by road from the north of the North Island to the south of the South Island is greater than the distance between Edinburgh in Scotland and Milan in Italy. The combination of it being
Wellington – West Coast On January 20, 1932 a survey flight was made from Wellington to Hokitika on the west coast of the South Island with the return on the same day. Stops were made in both directions at Nelson and Westport. The company involved was Air Travel, the pilot was M.C. McGregor and the
Kaitaia – Auckland, 1931 The Kaitaia Aero Club started an intermittent passenger service betwen Kaitaia and Auckland with the first flight on 29 November 1930. The plane was a DH 60 Moth owned by the Air Survey and Transport Co and the pilot was F.D Mill. The first Auckland – Kaitaia airmail was on 24
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
Christchurch-Timaru: 10th Anniversary, 1931 New Zealand’s first daily air mail service was between Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru and started on 31 January 1921, run by Canterbury (N.Z.) Aviation. It was not commercially successful and ceased in April. To mark the 10th Anniversary, a special envelope was produced and signed by Capt. Euan Dickson who had
Air Pageants 1932: Invercargill and Timaru Special commemmorative covers were flown at Air Pageants held in Invercargill on 20 February and in Timaru on 9 April 1932. In both cases the pilot was Capt. T.W (Tiny) White who signed all covers and the plane was a Hermes Spartan IV. Invercargill The covers were flown from
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 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
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.
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
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
Edward VII Definitives Edward VII was King from 1901 until 1910, but the definitives were not issued until 8 November 1909. The stamps were withdrawn after a few weeks so that remaining stocks of the first pictorials could be sold. Few were therefore sold during the lifetime of Edward VII. The stamps The halfpenny was
First Pictorials: fiscals Like the second sidefaces, the first pictorials were used for both postal and revenue purposes. Due to its high value, there was little genuine postal demand for the 5/- value and so most were used fiscally. Hence collectors must be wary about cleaned fiscals, especially those that initially had a pen cancel.
First Pictorials I am sometimes asked why I collect New Zealand stamps. A major reason is the four classic definitive issues: the Chalon Heads, the first pictorials, the GV recess printed and the second pictorials. London prints, 1898 In 1895, the New Zealand Post Office opened a competition for a new issue stating that the
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
Forces Mail, 1940-45 From February 1940 until 1943, a significant number of New Zealand troops were based in Egypt. Initially, they used Egyptian stamps, but from 1 May 1941, British Middle East Forces were able to use the stamps of their own country on letters home. Egypt to New Zealand before Horseshoe Route Until 8
End of Horseshoe Route When Japan entered World War II in December 1941, the Horseshoe Route was immediately under threat. At the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor both Siam and Malaya were attacked by the Japanese on 8 December and Siam surrendered later that day. Three reserve routes had been planned between
Early Horseshoe Route, June – August 1940 After Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, mail could no longer be flown between Alexandria (Egypt) and the UK via the Mediterranean. Air mail that was in transit and had still to cross the Mediterranean was ‘dumped’ and sent by surface, usually via the Cape.
Air Mail Across Indian Ocean, 1944-45 The route from New Zealand to the UK via Australia was re-opened for high priority air mail and forces airgraphs in July 1943 [1]. The mail was flown across the Indian Ocean between Perth and Lake Koggola, Colombo in a Catalina flying boat by Qantas. This service was kept
First Regular Tasman airmail (TEAL) April 1940 Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) inaugurated the first regular trans-Tasman airmail service from Auckland to Sydney on 30 April 1940. The plane was the Short S30 Empire flying boat Aotearoa and the flight took 9 hours. The Aotearoa, commanded by Capt. J.W. Burgess, had been flown from Southampton
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.
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
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
