Norfolk Island

Now this postcard is something of a treat - you don't tend to receive too many postcards from Norfolk Island! I received this one from Jillian, from a great "thematic stamps" RR on the postcrossing forum. The theme here is "vintage", that is, the stamp must make reference to something old. The stamps really are amazing, too (I'll get back to them later), although I really, really like the postcard itself as well.



I must confess I know hardly anything about Norfolk Island. It's such a small island, though (about 5 x 8 kilometres with a population less than 2000 (in 2003)), that I don't think it's very surprising... Jillian tells me that you can see almost half the island in this view! I can't imagine living on such a small island, so isolated from the world...

Norfolk Island is in the Pacific Ocean, located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance. Together with two neighbouring islands, it forms one of Australia's external territories.

On this postcard you can see Emily Bay, one of the loveliest beaches on the island, according to Jillian.



Anyway, the main point of this postcard is the stamps, as it's from a stamp-related RR. Aaaand the stamps are truly gorgeous, and there are so many of them! The stamp on the left is from a set of 3 Christmas stamps issued in 1982. The stamp next to it is from a set of 6 definitive stamps showing Museums' Artefacts (this one here showing China from the second convict settlement, I think), the one next to that is from a set of 4 stamps issued in 2006, depicting Classic Cars (this one here being 1965 Ford Falcon XP). The stamp on the right is from a set of 5 stamps issued in 1993 depicting Historic Kingston, this one here showing old military barracks. The stamp at the bottom is from a set of 4 stamps issued in 2007, representing Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area, this one here showing H.M.S. Sirius & Supply off Kingston.

...once again I wish I could get hold of old UK stamps - there are lots of very pretty ones among the past issues, but I have no idea where to get them, at least for a reasonable price. :(