Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

Bob Barclay

"New Zealand"

Bob Barclay displayed his collection of New Zealand at this, our latest, meeting. Instead of just showing the various stamps issued by the country, Bob decided to take us all on a tour of the North and South Islands of New Zealand using New Zealand stamps to illustrate, the sites, attractions, industries and nature of the different places.

Starting at the tip of North Island where the Maoris and later the European explorers Abel Tasman and James Cook first landed, the tour took in Auckland, Northland with it's history of first flights to Australia, Waitangi where the 1840 treaty set the foundation of modern New Zealand, Waikato, Wanganui, Hamilton and Palmerston where the legendary All Blacks rugby team have their museum. The tour of North Island ended on the Cook Strait in the city of Wellington .

In the second half Bob crossed the Cook Strait to the picturesque town of Picton on Marlborough Sound. New Zealand has a long history of first flights and the development of air routes during the earliest days of flying. Bob showed covers and cards issued for these flights. The terrain of New Zealand is so rough and some areas so remote that even with rickety aircraft of the time flying was an attractive method of transport. The journey continued through Canterbury province to the city of Christchurch , Mt Cook the highest point in the country and Dunedin founded by Scots emigrants in the 19th century. On show were cards and covers for the 1925 Dunedin Exhibition.  The tour ended with Otago province and Fiordland with its key features Mitre Peak , Milford Sound and the Milford Track, terrain made famous as "Middle Earth" in the Lord of the Rings films.

Ian MacPherson, a recent visitor to New Zealand, proposed the Vote of Thanks.

Thanks to David Haig for writing this report.