Australian Commonwealth: Kangaroo issues [1964]

[Editor: This extract, regarding the Kangaroo and Map stamps, was published in The Australian Stamp Catalogue (1964, 5th edition).]

Australian Commonwealth

HISTORICAL NOTE: Although the Commonwealth came into existence in 1901, and the Post Office immediately was organised on a Federal basis, the first Commonwealth postage stamps were not issued until 1913. The long delay was due partly to inefficiency within the Post Office and partly to political wrangling on the basic design to be adopted. At that period a considerable anti-Royalist sentiment existed within Australia and the Republicans, who were extremely vocal in Federal politics, strenuously opposed the incorporation of the head of the British Sovereign (first Edward VII and then George V) on Australian stamps. This group managed to carry the day with a result that the first postage stamps were of the Kangaroo in map design. When the Fisher Government was defeated in 1913, one of the first acts of the Cook Government was to order the issue of a series of stamps bearing the portrait of King George V — and in 1914 the first of these stamps appeared. With typical bureaucratic compromise however, the Post Office then proceeded to keep BOTH basic designs on issue — for 32 years in the case of the much criticised Kangaroo design and for 23 years in the case of the George V design.

Kangaroo issues

The basic kangaroo in map design was conceived by the then Postmaster-General (Mr. Frazer) who had the final art work executed by Blamire Young, a British artist at that time resident in Australia. Mr. Frazer released the design (shown below) on April 1, 1912, and this was greeted with a torrent of criticism from almost all sections of the community and the press. Cartoonists and humorists of the day made particular reference to the two-pronged tuft of grass in front of the kangaroo, claiming that it was a rabbit with its head out of a burrow. Despite the widespread criticism of the design, Mr. Frazer proceeded with it but made several alterations, the most important of which were the inclusion of the word POSTAGE under AUSTRALIA, a changed position for the value tablet and removal of the offending tuft of grass. Below is shown the official essay and the design as it finally appeared.

1913-1945 Kangaroo Series. Wmk types 6, 7, 8, 10. Perfs 12.

1932 OVERPRINTED “O.S.”

The first Kangaroo type stamps were placed on sale in January 1913, and thereafter were re-issued in changed colours, perforations, watermarks and papers over a period of 32 years, the last issue of the series being the 2/- maroon issue of 1945. Prices above are for the commoner types in each denomination.

Well executed forgeries of the £2 value exist. They were made by Jean Sperati, the master French forger.

Source:
The Australian Stamp Catalogue, Dubbo (NSW): Review Publications Pty. Limited, 1964 (fifth edition, third printing), p. 4

Editor’s notes:
Blamire Young = William Blamire Young (1862-1935), artist; born in Londesborough (Yorkshire, England) in 1862, and died in Lilydale (Vic.) in 1935 (lived in Australia 1885-1893, 1895-1912, 1923-1935)
See: 1) Elly Fink, “Young, William Blamire (1862–1935)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Blamire Young”, Wikipedia

essay = a proposed or preliminary design for an official postage stamp, which was not used, or was altered; any design or part of a design essayed to, or produced by, a government or established mail carrier for a postage stamp, and which differs in any detail from the officially issued postage stamp
See: 1) Rick Miller, “What are essays, proofs and specimens?”, Linn’s Stamp News, 27 April 2021
2) “Essay (philately)”, Wikipedia

Fisher = Andrew Fisher (1862-1928), federal parliamentarian 1901-1915, leader of the Labor Party 1907-1915, Prime Minister of Australia 1908-1909, 1910-1913, and 1914-1915, and High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom 1916-1920; he was born in Crosshouse (Ayrshire, Scotland) in 1862, and died in London (England) in 1928
See: 1) D. J. Murphy, “Fisher, Andrew (1862–1928)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Andrew Fisher”, Wikipedia

Perfs = (abbreviation) Perforations

Wmk = (abbreviation) Watermark