Australia Post will set sail with the release of a new stamp issue in 2015 depicting four 19th century clipper ships that sailed in Australian waters.
Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said both stamp collectors and maritime enthusiasts alike have a fascination with clipper ships and this evocative period of maritime history.
“The sailing ships featured in this issue have played a role in Australia’s maritime history. We trust everyone, especially maritime history enthusiasts, will ‘hoist their sails and set sail’ to collect these beautiful clipper ship stamps,” Mr Zsolt said.
“From the earliest days of European exploration, sailing ships were crucial in the development of Australia.” Clipper ships were widely used in the mid-19th century due to being fast, yacht-like vessels. The clipper route from England to Australia and New Zealand, returning via Cape Horn, although subject to dangerous weather conditions, generally offered captains the fastest circumnavigation of the world.
The clipper ships at the helm of this new stamp issue (designed by Lisa Christensen of the Australia Post Design Studio, one of the clippers was the FRANCIS HENTY as given by Lloyds Register, on the stamp is given FRANCES HENTY.
Built as a wooden barque rigged sailing vessel under yard No 181 by A Hall & Co., Aberdeen for Henty & Co., New South Wales, Australia.
Launched as the FRANCIS HENTY named after the youngest son of Thomas and Frances Henty, other source give that she was named after the wife of Thomas Henty.
Tonnage 432 gross, dim. 153.7 x 25.5 x 16.6ft.
1852 completed.
Her maiden voyage under command of Captain Alexander Cairncross was from London to Portland, Australia, the passage she made in 83 days. On board were 139 emigrants.
She made thereafter regular voyages between the U.K. and Australia, with passengers.
1859 Captain Cairncross left the ship, command was taken over by his son Robert who was before first mate on board.
In 1864 he made three voyages between Australia with sheep to New Zealand.
21 March 1865 she left Auckland for Valparaiso under command of Captain Torrance and returned with 600 tons of flour in Auckland, made the roundtrip within 100 days.
1873 Was she registered in Melbourne and owned by Thomas Jenner.
1880 Her register is closed, broken up that year at Footscray, Melbourne at that time was she still owned by Jenner.
Australia 2015 70c sg?, scott?
Source: Internet. http://www.aberdeenships.com Lloyds Registry. Trove.