Australia 2000 Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
- Issue Date: 3 July 2000
- Designed by: FHA Image Design
- Printed by: SNP Ausprint
- Print Process: Lithography
- Stamp Size: 26 mm x 37.5 mm
Description
This commemorative stamp issue was released before the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, to raise awareness of the games and highlight the historic first Summer Paralympic Games to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. The Paralympic Games are about ability, athletic endeavour and elite performance. Athletes must meet strict international qualifying standards. They compete according to their type of disability and functional ability. The designs are powerful and dynamic, highlighting the diversity of the athletes and their abilities. The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games’ (XI Summer Paralympiad) opening ceremony was held on 18 October.
Stamps
The issue includes a se-tenant pair of 45c stamps, and a strip of three se-tenant 49c stamps with a coloured selvedge. The 49c denomination is designed to be used in combination to make up the ‘large letter’ rates of 98c, $1.47 and $2.45.
Sheet Stamps
- Perforations: 14½ x 14
- Format: sheets of 50 (two panes of 25 separated by gutter)
45c Tennis (Wheelchair) Stamp
Wheelchair tennis is one of the forms of tennis adapted for wheelchair users. The size of courts, balls, and rackets are the same, but there are two major differences from pedestrian tennis: athletes use specially designed wheelchairs, and the ball may bounce up to two times, where the second bounce may also occur outside the court.
Wheelchair tennis is played at Grand Slams, and is one of the sports contested at the Summer Paralympics. There are three categories; Men, Women, and Quads; each category has singles and doubles tournaments. Quads is the category for quadriplegic players and it is sometimes called Mixed, especially at the Paralympic Games. Quads can use electric-powered wheelchairs, and players can hold rackets taped to the hand.
45c Track (Amputee) Stamp
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Paralympics since the first games in 1960. Men and women from all disability groups compete in the sport. Some athletes use wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs.
49c Basketball (Wheelchair) Stamp
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people with varying physical disabilities that disqualify them from playing an able-bodied sport. These include spina bifida, birth defects, cerebral palsy, paralysis due to accident, amputations (of the legs, or other parts), and many other disabilities. Wheelchair basketball has been contested at the Summer Paralympics since the 1960 Summer Paralympics in Rome.
49c Cycling (Vision Impaired) Stamp
Cycling has been contested at every Summer Paralympic Games since the 1984 Summer Paralympics. Cyclists are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows cyclists to compete against others with a similar level of function. Cyclists with a visual impairment use a tandem bicycle.
49c Shot Put (Amputee) Stamp
Se-tenant Stamps
Self-adhesive Stamps
- Perforations: 11½
- Formats: coils of 100 (45c) and booklets of 10 (49c)
Single Stamps
Coil Pair
Booklet
First Day Covers
The first day of issue postmark was Sydney NSW 2000. An official first day cover for the 49c self-adhesive varieties was not produced.
Maximum Cards
