23 March 2020
Overview
The lighthouses positioned around Sydney, New South Wales, along the coast and within Sydney Harbour, play a central role in ensuring safe navigation in and around harbour and the Port of Sydney.
This stamp issue presents eye-catching photographs of Macquarie (1883), Hornby (1858) and Robertsons Point (1910). These Sydney lighthouses are included on various heritage registers (state and commonwealth), due to both their historical importance and the fact that they are still in use as a navigational device.
The stamp issue is timed to coincide with 200 years since Australia’s first lighthouse was turned on for the first time – the original Macquarie Lighthouse of 1818.
Products released in this issue
- Minisheet
- First day cover (blank, gummed, minisheet, self-adhesive)
- Stamp pack
- Maxicards
- Booklet of 10 (self-adhesive)
- Roll of 100 (self-adhesive)
- Postal numismatic cover
- Medallion cover
Technical specifications
| Issue date | 23-Oct-18 |
| Issue withdrawal date | 30-Apr-19 |
| Denominations | 2 x $1 |
| Stamp design | Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio |
| Product design | Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio |
| Printer - gummed | EGO |
| Paper - self-adhesive | SecurePost MC90 |
| Paper - roll | RAF Unik |
| Printing process - gummed | Offset lithography |
| Printing process - roll | Flexography |
| Stamp size | 37.5mm x 26mm |
| Minisheet size | 170mm x 80mm |
| Perforations | 13.86 x 14.6 |
| Sheet layout | Module of 50 |
| FDI postmark | Vaculuse NSW 2030 |
| FDI withdrawal date | 21-Nov-18 |
Stamps in this issue
Hornby Lighthouse, Inner South Head, NSW
Hornby Lighthouse (1858), with its distinctive vertical red and white stripes, stands high up at Inner South Head, near Watsons Bay, Sydney. Hornby is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in Australia. It was constructed after the public outcry following two maritime disasters in the area in 1857. Until it was built, the original Macquarie Lighthouse on Outer South Head was the only other lighthouse in the area.
The stamp photograph is by Bruce Hood.
Robertsons Point Lighthouse, Cremorne Point, NSW
LRoberstons Point Lighthouse is located in Cremorne Point, a harbour-side suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney. Positioned in the shores of Sydney Harbour, it’s connected to the shore by a short timber walkway. Its eight-metre-high, mains-powered tower is an early example of the use of reinforced concrete in Australian lighthouse construction. It has a distinctive blinking green light, which flashes at three second intervals.
The stamp photograph is by Ryan Payne.
Macquarie Lighthouse, Outer South Head, NSW
The construction of the 1883 Macquarie Lighthouse was necessitated by the fact that the original Macquarie Lighthouse (1818) had begun to disintegrate. Tours of the lighthouse are run by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and the grounds can be accessed year round as part of Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk.
The stamp photograph is by Matthew Kelly.
Related stamp Issues
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11 February 2019
Robin Boyd: 1919—71
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14 March 2016
Australian Bridges
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22 October 2018
Lighthouses of Sydney
This content was produced at the time of the stamp issue release date and will not be updated.