Commemorative Covers and Events
Commemorative Covers and Events
Such was the popularity of the Pigeon Post Services from Great Barrier that there have been many commemorative covers and events.
1931
The first commemorative covers that I have in 'The Collection' are from 1931 when airmail really became very popular. Covers adorning the 1931 Airmail stamps and other stamps from the era are available. The two covers below are some of my favourites as they have the iconic 1931 Health stamps on them.
Two covers from 1931, each with a different airmail stamp and Health stamp. The bottom cover highlights the actual path of the aircraft in delivering the letter.
1938
1938 saw the 40th anniversary of the first official pigeon post stamps from 1898. On the opening day of the AirMail Society of New Zealand Exhibition on 7 November 1938, 500 messages were flown by bird from Rangiora to Christchurch. Each bird carried a 'missive' which was then put inside a commemorative envelope and mailed through the post using the NZ airmail stamps of 1935.
1948
In 1948 the golden jubilee of the first airmail stamp was celebrated by the Auckland Philatelic Society. An 'etiquette' (a replica of the original VP1 stamp) were flown by pigeons from the Auckland Racing Pigeon Federation from Okupu to Auckland and then affixed to the envelope. The event was not without its drama. The pigeons had to be loaded one by one by hand into the plane and only half could go at once. Once they were in Okupu they wouldn't leave the plane so had to be handed out one by one before being released.
A second trip was required and by the time they were all released there was a full force gale blowing. A good number of the etiquettes were lost or were so wet they couldn't be used. This explains why many of these covers have the printed VP1 on cover and not the gold edged etiquette. The etiquettes that did make it back were affixed to the covers and then stamped with an actual original Great Barrier Pigeongram Services' cancellation.
Many of the birds didn't make it back until days later and one was found still on the island weeks later. And the pigeon handler wrote of a near death experience flying back to Auckland! This story is well written up in Reg Walker's seminal book - cover shown below.
Inside each of the envelopes was a double sided card explaining the history of the Pigeongram services and stamps complete with a photo of S. H. Howie's loft in Newton Road. (As an aside it's interesting to note that the origianl loft building is now owned by Nigel Shanks, partner in Auckland City Stamps! A complete coincidence I'm told, but feels like karma of some sort! 😁
1949
In 1949 the Air Mail Society of New Zealand undertook a 50th anniversary for the Great Barrier Pigeogram Agency stamps - the 'triangulars'. They printed 1,750 miniature sheets with three each of the two stamps but inverted the colours so the 6d was Red and 1/- was Blue. This was probably to ensure no attempts were made by some flks to sell them off as originals.
They also printed 300 similar miniature sheets in green for members of the Society only. The Society also prepared 2,000 envelopes which were posted from Okupu to Auckland before being mailed to the Societies headquarters in Christchurch by the national carrier - then called N.A.C. National Airways Corporation.
Two covers commemorating the silver jubilee of the Agency triangle stamps. There were 1,000 of each stamp placed on the covers - 1,000 6d and 1,000 1/- and each envelope was individually numbered. Quite cool to have number 2,000 in 'The Collection'.
1958
Ten years later was the Diamond Jubilee and the late Reg Walker, author of the excellent reference on Pigeon Post was in charge of the event. The Auckland Philatelic Society organised a commemorative exhibition of Reg Walkers collection at the Farmer's Trading Company store, a landmark store of the time.
A special commemorative envelope was created and about 14,500 of the 15,000 printed were sold.
Modern Commemorative Issues
Modern day commemorative issues are plentiful as different organisations celebrated the first pigeon post airmail issues, including NZ Post. Below is a collection, by no means complete, of different celebratory issues. The Christchurch Philatelic community played a large role by using the pigeon as their theme for Stamp Week for a few years. Below the stamps from their endeavours.
1978
1979
1980
