Paul (Pawel) Edmund Strzelecki - stamps, covers and postmarks

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The Polish explorer, scientist and diplomat Paul Edmund Strzelecki (1797-1873) has featured on a number of stamps, postmarks and envelopes / covers in his home country of Poland and Australia. His relationship to Mount Kosciusko has also been commemorated. Some of these items are listed below.

* Poland - 1860: Polish stamp - Lipno,10k dark blue and rose, cancelled on piece, signed Strzelecki (B-6). Sold at auction in 2012. It is possible that the signature refers to P.E. Strzelecki, though the surname is common and it is unclear if he was in Poland at that time.

* Australia - 1929: Strezelecki post office in Victoria was opened on 16 September 1929. It was renamed with the variant spelling Strzelecki on 30 September 1940 and closed on 16 August 1953. An Australian King George V head stamp with the initial postmark of 12 December 1929 is illustrated below.

Postmarked Strezelecki, 12 December 1929.

* Australia - 1957: A pictorial postmark for The Summit Mt. Kosciusko / 7308FT / N.S.W. Australia was issued by Australia Post, along with a special Wesley Cover Service (WCS) souvenir cover. Illustrated below are three examples, postmarked 15, 22 & 23 December 1957.

* Australia 1965: 125th Anniversary of the discovery of Mount Kosciusko by Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki, Polish Scientist, Explorer, Philanthropist. Special cover.

* Poland - 1973: A 1zt stamp was issued in Poland / Polska during 1973 to mark the centenary of the death of Pawel Strzelecki and with reference to his important explorations in Australia during the 1830s and 1840s.

* Australia - 1973: A pictorial postmark was produced during 1973 celebrating the centenary of Strzelecki's death and his European discovery and reaching the summit of Mt. Kosciusko. The postmark bore a profile plus the following text: Discoverer of Mt Kosciusko / Strzelecki 1797-1873 / [Date] / The Summit Mt Kosciusko NSW.

At this time a special envelope was produced by the Polish Historical Society in Australia and postmarked at the Summit.

A special overprinted Australia Post postcard was also issued during 1973 by the Polish Philatelic Society of Australia. It was produced by the Polish Philatelic Society of Australia.

An illustrated postcard also appeared around this time.

* Australia - 1974: An envelope was issued during September 1974 by the Polish Philatelic Society of Australia celebrating National Stamp Week and overprinting a cover honoring the 100th anniversary of the death of Strzelecki. It bore a green design similar to the 1973 postcard, and included the National Stamp Week 1974 overprint in brown. The following copy bears a stamp postmarked 29 November 1991.

* Explorers of Australia stamp - 1983: A stamp featuring a clay bust of Strzelecki was issued by Australia Post on 26 September 1983 as part of the Explorers of Australia series of four stamps.

 

Explorers of Australia, stamp and official first day cover, 26 September 1983.

A special pictorial postmark was also produced in association with the release of the stamp. Issued at Cooma, near the Snowy Mountains, it stated: Sir Paul Strzelecki - The first to ascend the Australian Alps highest peak which he named Mt. Kosciusko / 26 Sept 1983 / Cooma N.S.W. 2630.  The local Aboriginal people had known and ascended the peak over the previous millenia, with Strzelecki being the first European to official climb, describe and name the peak. A number of different envelopes were used with the postmark.

Envelope showing the route of Strzelecki's journey from Sydney to Melbourne 1839-40.

Pictorial postmark, Cooma, 26 September 1983, on Explorers of Australia first day cover.

Pictorial postmark, Cooma, 26 September 1983, on Waratah pre-stamped envelope.

* Poland - 1987: A 65zt Polska stamp was issued by Poland on 23 April 1987 showing a side-profile head shot of Strzelecki, based on an engraving published in The Graphic, London, at the time of his death in 1873. It is not known why the stamp was issued at this time.

65zt stamp, Poland, 1987.

Special Polish first day cover for Strzelecki stamp, postmarked 23 April 1987.

* Australia - 1989 : A pictorial postmark for The Summit, Mt. Kosciusko, was utilised on 27 January 1989 with a special envelope issued by the Federal Council of Polish Associations in Australia, marking the unveiling of the Kosciusko monument. A red flag and pictorial stamp dated 29 January 1989 appeared on the envelope.

* Poland - 1993: A sheetlet was issued by Australia Post in celebration of Polska '93, the World Philatelic Exhibition, held in Poznan, Poland between 7-16 May 1993. The sheetlet bore an Australian 1983 30c Paul Edmund Strzelecki stamp, a special postmark featuring a koala, and text in Polish and English.

 

 

* Poland - 1997: A 1,50zt stamp was issued by Poland during 1997 to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Strzelecki in 1797. A special postmark was issued with the stamp.

* Australia - 1998: Two envelopes were released during 9 & 10 September 1998 marking the change in spelling of the name of the highest mountain in Australia, from Kosciusko to Kosciuszko. 

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Poland: Kaja Renkas Posters | Ned Kelly Polski | Ostatni Etap film 1948 | Polish Posters of Australian Films | Personal Collection - Polish Posters | Strzelecki in Illawarra | Strzelecki in Australia (video) | Strzelecki stamps & covers | Ukraine & Hunka 2023 | Zuzanna Lipinska Polish Posters | W.B. Clarke | Mt. Kosciusko von Guerard print |

Last updated: 27 January 2023

Michael Organ