Australia 1999 Nature of Australia - Coastal
- Issue date: 8 July 1999
- Designed by: Wayne Rankin
- Printed by: SNP Ausprint
- Print Process: Lithography
- Stamp Size: 30 mm x 25 mm
- Perforations: 14.0 x 14.5
- Format: sheets of 50
Contents
Description
Australia’s coastline is one of the longest and most beautiful in the world. Plant life is a significant feature of coastal environments and plays an important role in the formation and stability of Australia’s sandy coasts. Australia’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone covers nine million square kilometres of seas (an area sixteen per cent larger than its land surface). Its marine environments feature some of the most diverse and spectacular marine life in the world.
The Nature of Australia – Coastal stamps, the third issue in the Nature of Australia definitive series, are based around the marine life and coastal habitat of Fraser Island, located on the north eastern coast of Australia.
Stamps
70c Humpback Whales Stamp
Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) grow to a length of sixteen metres and a weight of 40 tonnes. They travel from Antarctic waters up to the seas near Fraser Island each year where they give birth to their calves. The shell is a Zebra Volute (Amoria zebra) – a common shallow water species of Fraser Island.
90c Brahminy Kite Stamp
A Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) and is a Checkerboard Helmet Shell (Phalium areola) are featured on this stamp.
90c Fraser Island Stamp
This stamp shows a Brahminy Kite in flight and an interior view of a Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) along with a view of Fraser Island. Fraser Island’s coastal environment was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1992. It is the world’s largest sand island and took more than 700,000 years to form.
$1.05 Loggerhead Turtle Stamp
A Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) and a Baler (Melo amphora), also known as a Melon Shell, feature on this stamp. The Loggerhead Turtle is an inhabitant of the tropical and warm temperate waters of the Australian coast.
$1.20 White-bellied Sea-Eagle Stamp
This stamp features the White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) and a Campbell’s Stromb (Strombus vittatus campbelli) which is an abundant shell species on Fraser Island. The White-bellied Sea-Eagle is a common breeder on Fraser Island, mostly seen along the coastline.
Se-tenant Pair
First Day Cover
The first day of issue postmark was Hervey Bay Qld 4655.
Maximum Cards
