SECRETARY’S REPORT AUGUST 2009 – MARCH 2010

Meeting

The Society last met at Melbourne Stampshow 2009 on 24 July 2009.

Membership

This currently stands at 60 in Australia and 30 overseas.

Postal Stationery Collector

The journal continues to appear regularly, thanks to the efforts of Editor Ian McMahon and his contributors. It remains our main means of communication, and is most valuable for the continued life of the Society. Please continue to support the journal by sending contributions to Ian on any aspect of postal stationery, Australian or foreign, old, modern or contemporary.

PSSA prize

At Melbourne Stampshow 2009 the prize was awarded to Emil Minaar of South Africa for an outstanding exhibit of Basutoland. Emil received a Gold Medal and a Special Prize.

PSSA webpage

Jeff and Yvette Trinidad continue with the work of maintaining the webpage. Covers and contents pages from current issues of the journal continue to feature there.

Australian Colonies / States Postal Stationery Catalogue Project

Work continues on the catalogues for New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania. A catalogue on South Australia is planned.

Australian Commonwealth Postal Stationery Catalogue

Some good news here – we are advised that Brusden-White Publishing of Sydney is working on a catalogue of Australian Commonwealth Postal Stationery up to the introduction of decimal currency in 1966 as part of their Australian Commonwealth Specialists’ catalogue range. Publication is expected about the end of this year (2010).

Australasian Stamp Catalogue

Many collectors of Commonwealth of Australia postal stationery are accustomed to ‘making do’ with the postal stationery section in the Australasian Stamp Catalogue (ASC). This is by no means an adequate reference, for it offers only basic descriptive information and has only black and white illustrations. The 30th edition, September 2005 is the latest published, and it is now out of print and no longer available from the publisher.

Judy Kennett

Secretary

March 2010