75th Anniversary of New Zealand Meat Export Trade

The first shipment left Port Chalmers on 15 February 1882 on board the ship Dunedin.

The sailing ship of 1,250 tons took 98 days to reach London with its cargo of 4908 sheep and lamb carcasses. Farmers in New Zealand and those in other colonial countries had been trying for years to find a method of transporting some of the abundant meat to the thickly populated and more urbanised nations of Europe.

Although New Zealand was behind Canada, Australia and South American nations in refrigerating meat, the success of the Dunedin's first voyage launched the meat industry in this country. As a result of the successful voyage of the Dunedin the type of sheep raised in the country changed from predominantly Merino to crossbred animals with better meat value.

The industry developed so quickly that within ten years, 17 freezing works capable of handling 3.5 million carcasses a year had been established.

Stamp Bulletin

This stamp issue first appeared in New Zealand Post Stamp Bulletin No. 12 on 24 January 1957.

Acknowledgments: Bulletin scanned and provided by John Biddlecombe of the New Zealand Society of Great Britain. Their web site offers further information useful to those interested in the stamps and postal history of New Zealand. Link: http://www.nzsgb.org.uk/

Product Listing for 75th Anniversary of New Zealand Meat Export Trade

Image	Title	Description	Price
	Single Stamp	Single 4d gummed stamp.	4d
	Single Stamp	Single 8d gummed stamp.	8d