Anniversaries 1974

The Universal Postal Union is a unique organisation which creates a single world postal territory without frontiers, and enables freedom of transit for mail anywhere.  Seventy thousand million overseas letters annually criss-cross over one hundred and forty nine postal administrations throughout the world.

Centenary of Napier - 4c
This stamp depicts the fountain "Spirit of Napier" at the southern end of Napier's Marine Parade.  Napier is the ninth largest city in New Zealand, with a population of just over 52 000. The city is sited on the shoreline of Hawke Bay and is the main port for Hawke's Bay province.  The first European visitors to the Napier area were whalers, who operated seasonally from a base at Ahuriri during the 1830s and 1840s. A mission station was established there in 1844 by William Colenso.

Centenary of the Universal Postal Union - 5c
This stamp features the Clock Tower in Berne.  The first International Postal Congress opened at Berne, Switzerland in September 1874.  The Congress held fourteen meetings, in the course of which a draft convention prepared by Dr Von Stephan was discussed, amended and completed.  On 9 October 1874,  "a treaty concerning the establishment of a General Postal Union to be effective from 1 July 1875" was signed.

Centenary of the Universal Postal Union - 8c
The emblem of the Universal Postal Union.  The first International Postal Congress opened at Berne, Switzerland in September 1874.  The Congress held fourteen meetings, in the course of which a draft convention prepared by Dr Von Stephan was discussed, amended and completed.  On 9 October 1874,  "a treaty concerning the establishment of a General Postal Union to be effective from 1 July 1875" was signed.

Stamp bulletin

This stamp issue first appeared in New Zealand Post Stamp Bulletin No. 10 in August 1973.

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/