1990 Heritage Set 4 - The Ships.

Back to Set 3 - The Sea.                         Forward to Set 5 - The Achievers.

Heritage Series Overview.

This issue titled "The Ships" was is the fourth in the 'Heritage ' stamp series leading up to the 1990 150th anniversary celebrations in New Zealand.

 The stamps were a salute to the vessels that brought Polynesian voyagers, settlers and the other immigrants that determined our ancestry. These vessels have been selected, not because of their famous voyages or discoveries but for the contribution they made to the New Zealand Society we know today.  From voyaging canoes to steamships, these craft carried the first New Zealanders through dangerous unchartered waters to an unseen landfall across the world.


The Stamps and their Designs.

40c - Early Polynesian Double-Hulled Canoe.
Early Polynesian double-hulled canoes voyaged from Hawaiki to Aotearoa about 1000 years ago.  As well as carrying up to 60 people, these large canoes would carry such things as provisions, plants, seed tubers, pigs, dogs and fowl.  A fireplace on a bed of sand was carried for cooking during the voyage. These voyages were hard and it is believed many lives and even whole canoes were lost on the way.  Some of the larger canoes were three-masted, with sails made of plaited pandanus mats.
You may want to check out the  ½d value of the 1940 Centennial Pictorials which shows the Maoris arriving in a state of physical exhaustion, the inevitable consequence, despite their magnificent seafaring skills, of weeks spent at sea in open canoes.
For other stamps with Maori themes see our index New Zealand Maori.

50c - Captain James Cook / 'Endeavour.'
In 1769, the 'Endeavour', under the command of Captain James Cook, sailed into Poverty Bay for a historic landfall.  Purchased by the British Navy for Cook, 'Endeavour' was not a fast ship, but a smaller study vessel, well suited for the voyage to find the southern continent. The ship had the advantage for such unknown voyages of being able to be careened and beached easily for repairs.  Refitted after Cook's voyage, 'Endeavour' was eventually sold by the British Navy in 1775.
This stamp was used in the miniature sheet produced for the 1990 Stamp World Exhibition in London. (Included at the bottom of this post)

Captain Cook and the 'Endeavour' has been the subject of a number of stamps, including a couple of miniature sheets, over the years. Stamps about Cook would also make an interesting theme for a thematic collection. See our collection - Captain Cook Stamps of New Zealand.

60c - Advance Party English Settlers / 'Tory.' 
On 5 April 1839, the 'Tory' was commissioned to carry the advance party of English settlers to New Zealand.  Thirty-five passengers, including Charles Heaphy and Edward Jerningham Wakefield, were among those on the 96-day voyage.  Arriving in Queen Charlotte Sound on 17 September 1839, the 'Tory' entered Wellington Harbour three days later.  This three-masted, square-rigged barque was wrecked just two years later in the Palawan Passage.

80c - Iron Hull Immigrant Ship / 'Crusader.'
Between 1871 and 1897, 'Crusader' made a remarkable 28 return voyages between England and New Zealand.  Built of iron, she once carried immigrants to our shores in a remarkable 65 days.  Auckland, Wellington, Bluff and Port Chalmers were all visited by the speedy 'Crusader'.
Out of the six stamps in this set, in my opinion, this is the best picture. A full-rigged ship under full sail is always a grand sight to behold.

$1.00 - Teak Hull Immigrant Ship / 'Edwin Fox.'
Built of solid teak, the 'Edwin Fox', with 140 immigrants on board, first landed at Lyttelton in 1873.  A true 'survivor', she sailed the world for 32 years and led an eventful life.  Later, in service as a coal hulk, she sank a collier schooner and she also ran aground.  Fully repaired, she served out her last working days in New Zealand coastal waters.  She is currently under restoration in Picton Harbour.

$1.50 - Immigrant Steam Ship / 'Arawa.'
Launched in 1884, the 'Arawa' was considered one of the most beautiful steamships ever built.  A very fast vessel, she could average 14 knots and on her second voyage to New Zealand, she established an around the world record.  She carried 95 first-class passengers, 52-second class passengers and 200 immigrants in permanent berths.  There was also additional room for 470 more immigrants in a cargo 'tween deck with portable bulkheads'.  Originally built for the Shaw Savill Line, 'Arawa' was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean by a German submarine.
With a duel steam and sailing ship, I wonder what state the sails would be in after being subjected to the dirty coal smoke from the steam engines.


As well as the six stamps there was a First Day Cover issued at the same time. Nicely laid out with a special cancel also featuring a ship.


1990 Stamp World Exhibition in London.


New Zealand Post attended the 1990 Stamp World Exhibition in London in May 1990. A miniature sheet was produced to commemorate the occasion incorporating the 50c 'Endeavour' stamp from the 'Heritage - the Ships' stamp issue, against a background design reproducing Captain Cook's early chart of New Zealand.

See our collection of Capt. Cook stamps - Captain Cook Stamps of New Zealand.

Technical information

        Date of Issue: 
        7 March 1990.
        Designers:
        G Fuller, Havelock North.
        Printers:
        Leigh-Mardon, Australia.
        Stamp Size:
        40mm x 28mm.
        Sheet Size:
        105mm x 125mm.
        Process:
        Lithography.
        Perforation Gauge:
        14 x 14.25.
        Paper Type: 
        Red phosphor-coated, unwatermarked.

Back to Set 3 - The Sea.                         Forward to Set 5 - The Achievers.


Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their web site and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/