Heritage - The Achievers

Single 40c 'Grace Neill - Journalist, Social Reformer and Nurse (1846-1926)' gummed stamp.

Grace Neill certainly left her mark on New Zealand health and hospitals. She initiated the registration of nurses - now commonplace around the world - and was highly influential in raising standards of care through training, examination and instigating legislation. Grace Neill also set up our first state maternity hospital in Wellington in 1905. It later became the model for St Helen's hospitals throughout the country.

Single 50c 'Jean Batten - Aviator (1909-1982)' gummed stamp.

Jean Batten was undoubtedly New Zealand's greatest aviator. The first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, she then astounded the world by making a series of daring record-breaking flights between Australia and England (1935), England and Brazil (1935) and England and New Zealand (1936). She completed the latter flight in 11 days and 45 minutes. In her later years Jean escaped all media attention, purposefully hiding herself away from her adoring public.

Single 60c 'Katherine Sheppard - Social Worker (1848-1934)' gummed stamp.

Katherine Sheppard emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1869. As a result of her campaigning our country was the first in the world to award equal voting rights to women. A social worker and a feminist, she founded the New Zealand Christian Women's Temperance Union. She then went on to lead New Zealand women in the historic campaign for suffrage.

Single 80c 'Richard Pearce - Inventor (1877-1953)' gummed stamp.

Was it a Temuka farmer who built the first successful flying machine? Did he in fact beat the Wright brothers with his haphazard test flight over the Waitohi Flat? Richard Pearse dreamt of building a flying machine. And according to eyewitness accounts, this pioneer of New Zealand aviation first took to the skies for a 100 metre jaunt - before the Wright Brothers made their historic flight in 1903.

Single $1.00 'Bernard Freyberg - Sportsman, Solider and Governor-General (1889-1963)' gummed stamp.

'Tiny' Freyberg distinguished himself as a British soldier at Gallipoli landing by swimming ashore alone to light decoy fires. This, along with many other acts of bravery and his care for the welfare of his troops earned him numerous medals, including the DSO with three bars, the CMG and the Victoria Cross. In World War II he commanded the New Zealand Division in Greece, Africa and Italy, then went on to become a very popular Governor-General of New Zealand from 1946 to 1952.

Single $1.50 'Peter Buck - Sportsman, Scientist, Statesman and Soldier (1877-1951)' gummed stamp.

Peter Buck graduated from Otago University in 1904, a sports champion and an outstanding student. Fascinated with science, he worked tirelessly in this field for most of his life, interrupted only by war. He was a qualified physician and received numerous accolades for his contribution to science and his courageous military service. He was elected a Member of Parliament in 1909 and later reached the rank of Cabinet Minister.