Before a stamp is released for sale in your local post office. The Philatelic Group at Australia Post carefully chooses a subject and a designer for each new stamp release. There is a detailed design stage where the artwork is developed, and finally, a precise printing, cutting and collating stage.

Find out more in the Stamp Design section of the Australia Post Stamps website.

Collecting Stamps

Lots of people love to collect stamps. In fact stamp collecting is the most popular hobby in the world.

Some stamps are quite rare and valuable. The world’s most valuable stamp is the 1855 Swedish 3-skilling banco (ie: currency used in Sweden) yellow which sold for $US 1.35 million in 1990. This stamp is very valuable because it is a mistake. The stamp is meant to be green, but was printed yellow in error. So far only one copy of the yellow version has ever been found.

People collect stamps for all sorts of reasons, not just because they might be valuable. Some do it because they like the designs. Others enjoy learning about other countries through their stamps. Others are interested in a particular topic and like to collect everything to do with that topic.

Whatever the reason, stamp collecting is fun and it’s really easy to get started. The Stamp Collecting  section of the Australia Post Stamps website has all the information about how to collect stamps and the equipment you’ll need.

You might like to subscribe to the Stamp Bulletin to keep up-to-date with new Australian stamp issues, events and related information. The Stamp Bulletin is a free magazine that is designed for people over the age of 13. Find out more in the Stamp Bulletin  section of the Australia Post Stamps website.

National Post Master Gallery

The Post Master Gallery displays Australia’s most significant collection of philatelic heritage and artwork, the National Philatelic Collection. The gallery also holds one of Australia’s most significant graphic design archives, and brings together stamps, graphic and fine art and historical objects into exhibitions as diverse as the themes featured on stamps.

The Post Master Gallery is located in Melbourne Victoria, it also tours exhibitions throughout Australia, to broaden public access to the collection.

It conducts more than 660 school tours a year for students from Grade 2 to Year 12. Stamp design and illustration workshops are a great resource for VCE and tertiary design students, who are able to meet stamp designers. A range of study material is provided for CSF and VCE courses in design, SOSE, History and Civics.

What else you can see at the Gallery:

• A permanent exhibition featuring selections from the National Philatelic Collection and the Chapman Collection, illustrating changes in Australian stamps during each decade of the century.
• The Court of Honour featuring rare and unusual philatelic items.
• Archives of Australian stamps since 1913.

For education and program bookings contact John Link on +61 03 9204 7727 or e-mail john.link@auspost.com.au. Check out What's on at the Post Master Gallery.

Admission:

Monday to Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday midday - 5pm                                         Closed on Sundays, Public Holidays and 24-31 December