Lunar New Year Tasmania Renewable Energy AAT Mawson Station Landmark Bridges 50th Anniversary of Queen's visit to Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Transcription

1 Lunar New Year Tasmania Renewable Energy AAT Mawson Station Landmark Bridges 50th Anniversary of Queen's visit to Cocos (Keeling) Islands

2 Christmas Island Lunar New Year Has anyone ever called you a cheeky monkey? Well, if you were born in 1992, you really are a monkey! According to Chinese astrology, the years are named for different animals in a 12-year cycle. And 1992, like 2004, was a Monkey year. The stamp sheetlet pictured shows all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Kylie Minogue, Shane Gould, Grant Hackett and Macauley Culkin are all famous Monkeys. 2

3 Year of the Monkey Those born in the year of the Monkey are said to be clever, original, quick-witted and skilful. As you might expect, they are also lively, entertaining and mischievous. They are usually good at just about everything they try. If you want to know if there are any Monkeys in your family, these are all Monkey years: 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, It will be twelve years (2016) before the next Year of the Monkey comes around. Issue date 6 January

4 Tasmania Do your friends a favour! Tell them they can subscribe to the Australian Stamp Explorer. And it's free! All they have to do is send their name and address to Stamp Explorer Subscriptions P O Box 4000 Ferntreee Gully VIC 3156 We will send them a subscription form. Remember, always check with Mum or Dad first! 4

5 These stamps mark 200 years since Europeans settled in Tasmania. The stamps tell a story about the past and present of different parts of Tasmania. The mini sheet shows us an antique map and satallite image, to remind us that the past and present are connected. Cheshunt is the name of the lovely old homestead shown on the 50c stamp in the upper left corner of the mini sheet. The stamp below 'Cheshunt', is a beautiful photograph called Mountains upon mountains South-West Tasmania taken by Olegas Truchanas. Next to that is the painting Hobart Town from Kangaroo Point. John Glover painted it in the earliest years of settlement. Aboriginal people lived in Tasmania long before European people settled in Hobart in 1804, possibly as much as 60,000 years ago. The beautiful shell necklace shown on the stamp in the upper right corner was made in the early 20th century, but necklaces like it could have been made and worn for many centuries before. Issue date 3 February 2004 Every year, Australia Post issues special Australian Legends stamps to honour Australians whose achievements are so great that they are living legends. Who will it be this year? That s something we d all love to know! 5 It s a big, big secret and it will stay that way until the big award ceremony. Keep your eyes and ears open on the date of issue and all will be revealed! Issue date 23 January 2004

6 AAT Mawson Station Designs on these stamps show the past and present of Mawson Station, the oldest continuously operating station inside the Antarctic Circle. The scientists who are based there have the honour of working in one of the coldest and windiest places on earth! Issue date 13 February 2004 Cartoon 6

7 Renewable Energy Renewable energy is what we call energy production that does not use up its source of power. These stamps show four types of renewable energy that are used to create electricity in Australia: solar (or sun) power, wind power, biomass (energy from organic matter, including waste products) and hydro (or water) power. Issue date 30 March 2004 Sunny-side up Use the sun s renewable energy to make your lunch! On a hot, sunny day put an oiled frypan on concrete in direct sunlight. Break an egg or two into the pan, then cover the pan with a glass lid or a sheet of clear plastic. In a few minutes your lunch will be ready. Mmmm, delicious! 7

8 Landmark Bridges The bridges on these stamps are some of the best known in Australia. Ross Bridge in Tasmania, crossing the Macquarie River at the village of Ross, was built in It is famous for its beautifully carved Celtic symbols. The Lockyer Creek Bridge was just one of many concrete arch bridges built for Queensland railways between 1900 and One of the most famous bridges in the world, the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in The arch, which was gradually built out from opposite shores, was joined two years before that. Birkenhead Bridge in Port Adelaide is called a twin bascule span bridge. Bascule is the French word for see-saw, which is just what the bridge does to open up and allow big ships and yachts to go through. It opened in The final stamp shows Melbourne s Bolte Bridge, which opened in The bridge could easily stand without its two distinctive towers, which are only there for looks! Issue date 16 Mar

9 50th Anniversary of the Queen's visit to Cocos (Keeling) Islands Queen Elizabeth visited the Cocos (Keeling) Islands fifty years ago, on 5 April At that time, the Islands still belonged to Britain. They eventually became an Australian Territory in These stamps, which show the Queen s various activities on the Islands during her visit, have been designed in a 1950s style using original black and white photos. Issue date 30 March

10 Competition and winners Here's a list of winners and recipients of our special encouragement award for Explorer 74's Colouring in competition. NSW Koula Tranopoulos; Young Lin; Laura Nang ACT Shahrehan Bt. Shahrir QLD Sterling Tebbett; Kelli Richardson; Tamzie Parr; Catherine Louise Hargraves NT Helen Bailey SA Ashlea Radan; Emily Neldner NT Holly Tapp WA Rachel McCafferty; Therese Colman; Lauren Hancock; Shannon Wood VIC Jason Kovac; Casandra Segan; Kylie Cookes TAS Jessica Hastie Special encouragement to: NSW Matthew Graham; Paige McGovern; Suzy Clifton; Antonia Simos QLD Anita Batorowicz; Ned Higgins; Joyce Lui; Nelson Kahler NT Vayda Menmvie SA Amesha Meyers; Rachael Franyik NT Samantha Coonan WA Kaili Bradshaw; Kate Wardell; Michael Britton; Michell Canny TAS Eloise Murdoch; Samantha Griffiths VIC Bronson Lugt-Wallace; Hayley Frances Page Explorer subscribers have another chance to win one of 20 stamp collecting related prizes. All you have to do is colour your 'Colour me in' competition entry form (it's opposite the order form). Then fill out the entry form and send it by 15 March 2004 to: Stamp Explorer 76 "Colour me in" Locked Bag 3300 Kew VIC 3101 An important reminder To enter the competition you must include your name and address on the competition entry form. And your mum, dad or legal guardian has to sign the form too! Jason Kovc, VIC Sterling Tebbett, QLD Tamzie Parr, QLD Ned Higgins, QLD 10

11 Sniffer's Letters Hi Gang Happy Lunar New Year. If you turn 12 after 22 January 2004 you were born in the Year of the Monkey. According to the Chinese Zodiac you have a good sense of humour and are entertaining and mischievous. Hmmm, that sounds like me. But I was born in the Year of the Dog...at least I think I was. We had a swarm of entries for Explorer 74's Colouring In competition. So we picked twenty additional 'special encouragement' winners. A small selection of the beautiful batch of butterfly art is printed here on page 10 and 11. Love Sniffer and the Stamp Gang Matthew Graham, NSW Koula Tranopoulos, NSW Young Lin, NSW Shannon Wood, WA 11

12 Watch for Explorer 77 to find out who the 2004 Australian Legend is and see beautiful new stamps about rainforest butterflies, Australian innovations and Australian paintaings.