Australia's KGV Airmails

Air Mail Service 1931

Although a stamp inscribed 'Airmail' was released on 19 March 1931, it was part of a commemorative series (Kingsford Smith) so its availability was limited. See below...

1931 Kingsford Smith Commemorative

In May 1931, the Post Office decided to continue the 6d Air Mail stamp in the same design as the Commemorative, albeit with some alterations. The inscription 'Kingsford Smith's World Flights' was removed from the stamp and was replaced with the words 'Air Mail Service'. And the colour was changed to sepia. The stamp was issued on 4 November 1931.

1931 Air Mail Service

Later in November, some quantities of the stamp were taken and overprinted 'OS'. They were released on 17 November and, unlike other 'OS' stamps which were for official use, these overprints were available for purchase by the public.

Technical Details:
Issued: 4 November 1931
Designed and engraved by F.D. Manley
Recess-printed on unwatermarked paper, perf. 11 single-line
Quantity: 518,200. 'OS' overprinted, 75,000

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Australia's First Airmail Stamp

1929

Although there were requests from the Australian public for airmail stamps as early as 1919, the Post Office did nothing about it until 1926 when the development of an airmail service between Adelaide and Perth was being considered. Arrangements were made in 1928 - at the same time that tenders were invited for the airmail service - for preliminary stamp desings to be prepared. The final desgin was the work of R.A. Harrison. Melbourne artist Harold Herbert was selected to finalise the design. On the 20 May 1929 the first Airmail stamp was released. In my view its a stunner. The plane depicted in the stamp is a De Havilland DH66. This type of plane was used in the new east-west Airmail service...

1929 Airmail

As is usual in the process of creating a stamp, many designs were considered. This is a facsimile of one such design...

An unadopted design

Technical Details:
Issued: 20 May 1929
Designed by R.A. Harrison and Harold Herbert
Recess-printed on unwatermarked paperand issued in sheets of 80, perf. 11 single-line.
Total number issued: 3,720,560
(a) In sheets of 80, 2,972,960. "OS" punctured approx. 180,000.
(b) In booklets containing 12 stamps: 1930: 50,000 booklets (600,000 stamps). 1935: 12,300 booklets (147,600 stamps).

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