World of Stamps: By Geir Sør-Reime

New Caledonia today has a special status in relation to , the former colonial power. New Caledonia consists of the main island, Grande Terre, and many smaller islands, including the archipelago in the north, the Loyalty Islands to the east, the Isle of Pines to the south, and the to the west of Grande Terre. For administrative purposes, the Wallis and Futuna Islands were attached to New Caledonia from 1887-88 onwards, and until 1961. Unoverprinted stamps of New Caledonia were used here until 1920, when New Caledonian stamps overprinted “ILES WALLIS ET FUTUNA” or “WALLIS ET FUTUNA” were in use until 1944 (with a few exception concerning the French colonial omnibus issues, where some of these were inscribed Wallis et Futuna). A map of Island a p p e a r e d on a 1978 s t a m p . 1979 Mare Island M a p s o f (Sc. 444) the Ouvea 1978 Lifou Is- 1979 Ouvea Is- and Mare land (Sc. 441) land (Sc. 443) Islands were shown on two 1979 stamps, a map of Pines

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  If you enjoy this article, and are not already a subscriber, for $12 a year you can enjoy 60+ pages a month. To subscribe, email [email protected] Island also, and a map of the Belep Is- lands on a 1981 stamp. Scenery of was shown on a 1967 air post stamp, on two 2001 stamps and a 2005 tourism stamp. S c e n e r y o f 1981 Belep Islands (Sc. 462) Pines Island ap- peared on two 1986 stamps, and scenery from the main island on a 1971 air post stamp, three 1973 air post stamps 1964 Isle of Pines air and two 1986 stamps. A beach scene post (Sc. C35) from Belep appeared on a 2004 tourism stamp. The total area is 7,359 square miles and the population is approximately 250,000. The South Pacific Commission, a cooperation body between nations and powers of the Pacific has its headquarters in Noumea. In 1972 HQ of South Pacific 1972, a single Commission, Noumea stamp com- (Sc. C87) m e m o r a t e d the 25th anniversary of the Commis- sion, showing the HQ in Noumea. In 1987, a single stamp commemorated 1987 40th anniversary of South Pacific Commission the 40th anniversary of the Commis- (Sc. 566) sion. Human population of the islands started around 1500 BC when first the Lapita people and later Polynesian people arrived. Lapita pottery was depicted on a 1992 air post stamp for the Noumea Museum and again on two 1997 stamps also dedicated to the Noumea 1997 Lapita 1992 Lapita Museum. p o t t e r y ( S c . pottery (Sc. C286) C229)

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  Europeans first sighted the is- lands in the late 18th century, and trade and other contacts slowly de- veloped. Captain James Cook named the islands New Caledonia (New Scotland) in 1774. 1974 explorers (Sc. In 1974, a set of five air post C118) showing Loyalty stamps commemorated the discovery Islands of New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. The islands were claimed and annexed by France in 1853, and they estab- 1979 for 125th anni- lished Port de versary of founding of 1966 centenary of Noumea (Sc. C155) change of name from France (today’s P o r t - d e - F r a n c e t o Noumea, the capital) the following Noumea (Sc. C47) year. Many European prisoners were deported to the islands. The centenary of the re-naming of Port de France into Noumea was marked with a single 1966 air post stamp. The 125th anniversary of Port-de-France was commemorated 1979 with a single air post stamp. Views of old Noumea appeared on several stamps from 1976 onwards, and a 2004 stamp featured views of both old and new Noumea.

1948 air post, view of Noumea (Sc. C23)

2005 pre-stamped envelope, views of Noumea; and aerial view today

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  New Caledonia was made a separate French colony in 1860. In 1946 it became a French Overseas Territory (TOM). Its status changed again in 1999, when New Caledonia was made a special type of commonwealth within the French Republic.

Kanak natives Right from start of con- tacts with Eu- ropeans, there have been con- flicts between the native pop- 1 9 9 6 n a t i v e ulation, call- 1948 defini- dance (Sc. 754) ing themselves tive Chief- Kanak, and the Europeans. tain’s House (Sc. 294) A liberation front was estab- lished 1985, and the trouble gradually led to the Noumea Accord of 1998. This agreement started a devolution pro- cess aiming at the gradual independence of New Caledonia. Today, the Kanak population numbers around 44% of the total population.

1999 ratification of Noumea Accord (Sc. 836)

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  1884 surcharge 1886 surcharge Overprint only, on French Colo- on French Colo- 1892 (Sc. 17) nies stamp (Sc. 6) nies stamp (Sc. 9)

1889 Emperor Napoleon III (Sc. 1)

Overprint and 1900 surcharge 1901 surcharge S u r c h a r g e , (Sc. 60) (Sc. 63) 1892 (Sc. 35)

1892 issue for New Caledonia and Dependen- cies in Naviga- tion & Commerce design (Sc. 40)

1912 surcharge 1915 semi-post- 1924 surcharge (Sc. 117) al (Sc. B1) (Sc. 127)

A single stamp inscribed Nle Caledonie and portray- ing Emperor Napoleon III was issued 1860, but was only in use until 1862, when the general issues for the French colonies were used. Until distinctive new stamps for New Caledonia, inscribed “Nle Caledonie et Dependances” (New Caledonia and Dependencies) were issued 1892, general French colonies issues were overprinted and surcharged locally between 1881 and 1892. There are also numerous surcharges on the 1892 defini- tive series, which was issued in revised colors in 1900.

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  1903 Kagu over- 2003 centena- 1905 Kagu de- 1960 re-issue print for 50th anni- ry of 1st Kagu finitive (Sc. 90) Kagu (Sc. 311) versary of French stamp (Sc. 913) rule (Sc. 67) The national bird of New Caledonia, the Kagu, first was used on stamps as part of the 1903 overprints on the 1892 series. This overprint commemorated the 50th anniversary of the French annexation. The 50th anniversary of this se- ries was in fact commemorated on a 2003 stamp.

1943 Free French is- 1948 definitive Kagus sue (Sc. 261) (Sc. 278) 1985 Kagu de- finitive (Sc. 514)

1993 philat- 2009 Kagu len- 2007 BirdLife stamp show- ely in schools, ticular stamp ing Kagus (Sc. 1020) Kagu (Sc. 686) The Kagu then also appeared as a part of the design of New Caledonian stamps in 1905. Since then, the bird has been a recurring motif on New Caledonian stamps, including the 1943 Free French definitive series printed in London, several values of the 1958 definitive series, the 1985-86 definitives, the 1989 modified version of this series (with new country name Nouvelle Caledonie

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  only), the 1990-94 definitives, the 1997 definitives, the 2003 and the 2009 definitives. A pair of Kagus also appears on one of the values of the 1967 birds series. In 2009, a special stamp with a Kagu motif was issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the postal service of New Caledonia. The 1905 defini- tives also included stamps illustrating the anchorage at Noumea and the bark President Felix Faure. 1905 Ship definitive (Sc. This series also ex- 115) 1 9 0 5 L a n d - scape definitive (Sc. 105) ists in differ- ent printings and with nu- 1928 definitive (Sc. 1928 definitive (Sc. merous sur- 175) 155) charges. A new series featuring three new designs, two scenic and one featuring portraits of discoverers Bougainville and the count of Le Perouse, along with the their ship L’Astrolabe, was 1933 for Paris-Noumea issued 1928-40. flight (Sc. 190) During WWII, the Vichy govern- ment in France released two val- ues of this series without the “RF” monogram, but these stamps (and all other stamps issued by the Vi- chy government for New Caledonia) 1944 definitive without were never put “RF” issued by the Vichy on sale in New government, but not put Caledonia. on sale in New Caledonia ( Sc. 265B) During the 1930s, the French colonial omnibus issues were also issued for New Cale- 1931 Colonial Exhibi- tion, Paris (Sc. 178) donia: 1931 Colonial Exhibition, Paris;

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  1937 International Exhibition, Paris; 1938 Curie; 1939 New York World’s Fair; 1939 150th anniversary of the French revolution.

1937 Interna- 1941 Defence of the Em- 1941 Marshall Petain tional Exhibi- pire semi-postal, issued and landscape, issued tion, Paris (Sc. by the Vichy govern- by the Vichy govern- 211) ment, but not put on ment, but not put on sale in New Caledonia sale in New Caledonia (Sc. B12) (Sc. 216B) 1942 Imperial Fortnight air post semi-postal, issued by Vichy government and not placed on sale in New Caledonia ( Sc. CB4) The Vichy authori- 1944 Colonial Welfare ties also made issues for semi-postal, issued by the Vichy govern- New Caledonia as part ment, but not put on of their omnibus issues: sale in New Caledonia the 1941 Defence of the (Sc. B12A) Empire, the 1941 Marshall Petain is- sue, the 1942 child welfare semi-postals, the 1942 Imperial Fortnight and the 1944 colonial welfare semi-postals. None of these were put on sale in New Caledonia.

Left to right: 1941 Free French overprint (Sc. 228); 1944 semi-postal (Sc. B13); 1945 surcharge on Free French issue (Sc. 272) New Caledonia rallied to the Free French, and in 1941, the entire definitive series was overprinted “France Libre” to reflect this. In 1943, the London-printed Free French series depicting a Kagu was issued. This series was re-is- sued with new value surcharges in 1945.

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  In 1944, a London-printed semi-postal for the mutual aid fund was also released. In 1945, New Caledonia participated in the omnibus issue honoring Governor-General Eboué, the first French governor-general to rally to the Free French. A 2 0 1 0 s t a m p marked the 70th an- niversary of Governor 1945 Gover- Henri Sautot’s rally nor Eboue (Sc. 275) to the Free French in 2010 for 70th anniver- July 1940. sary of New Caledonia A completely new definitive series rallying to Free French was issued 1948. Besides values illustrating a pair of Kagus, these

1948 definitive Porcu- pine Isle (Sc. 284)

1948 definitive Nickel Foundry (Sc. 287) stamps featured scenery of the is- 1948 definitive “Tow- lands. ers of Notre-Dame” (Sc. 290) In 1953, four stamps celebrated the centenary of the French presence on the islands. In 1959, New Caledonia and De- pendencies became a French over- seas territory, but this did not change the inscriptions or anything on the 1953 centenary of French presence (Sc. stamps. 296)

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net  1960 centenary of 1979 for death centenary postal service and of Sir Rowland Hill and stamps (Sc. 316) also showing New Cale- donia Sc. 1 (Sc. C159) 1986 for Stock- In 1960, the centenary of h o l m i a 8 6 New Caledonia’s first stamp showing New was celebrated. One stamp Caledonia Sc. of this series was a modifi- 1 (Sc. C210) cation of the original design (but now with a revised country name). 1960 re-issue 1859 (Sc. 315) This first stamp was also reproduced on a 1979 air post stamp marking the death centenary of Sir Rowland Hill. It was also reproduced on a single air post stamp issued for the Stockholmia 86 stamp exhibition, and on 1999 stamps 1999 140th anniver- issued for the 140th anniversary of it sary of 1st stamp (Sc. 830) (in 2000). A m o n g other post- 1 9 5 9 i s - sues wor- thy of men- 1985 Kagu Philatelic tion are the Society (Sc. 527) 1984 single s h o w i n g the arms of the territory and the 1985 single for the Kagu Philatelic Society. Starting in 1988, the inscrip- tion on the stamps of New Cale- 2007 souvenir sheet for 60th donia was changed from “Nou- anniversary of Kagu Phila- velle-Caledonie et Dependances” telic Society (Sc. 1022)

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net 10 to simply “Nouvelle-Caledonie”. This resulted in a redrawn version of the then current Kagu definitive series, and this interim series was replaced by a completely new Kagu series in 1990, again replaced by new designs in 1997, in 2003 and 2009. A large stamp in 1999 (page 4) celebrated 2003 Kagu d e f i n i t i v e the approval by refer- (Sc. 917); See endum of the Noumea also, page 6 Accord which put an end to ethnic unrest and hostilities on the islands. Already in 1988, the Matignon Accord had started the process leading up to the Noumea 2008 for the 20th an- niversary of the Mati- Accord. The 20th anniversary of the gnon Accords (leading Matignon Accord was celebrated on to Noumea Accord) a 2008 stamp. New Caledonia has re- leased a number of prestige stamp booklets and in re- cent years, also self-adhe- sive booklets with definitive stamps similar to the French ones.

Cover of 2003 prestige-booklet for centenary of 1st Kagu stamp, containing two stamp panes, one with ten stamps reproducing the 1903 stamp, and one with ten stamps with nickel die-stamped onto the Kagu design

New Caledonia also has a large output of postal stationery items every year, including annual sets for various local events like the 2009 pre-stamped CD card with Cinema Festival and the scenery from Loyalty Islands Coffee Festival.

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net 11 2001 postal card with Kagu

2004 pre-stamped envelope with flowers

2009 pre-stamped envelope for Coffee Festival

Issue 39 - March 7, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net 12 If you enjoyed this article, and are not already a subscriber, for $12 a year you can enjoy 60+ pages a month. To subscribe, email [email protected]