Australia 2000 Great Southern Land
- Issue Date: 20 June 2000
- Designed by: Beth McKinlay
- Printed by: SNP Ausprint
- Print Process: Lithography
- Perforations: 14½ x 14, 14 x 14½ ($4.50, $5, $10)
- Stamp Size: 42.5 mm x 18.75 mm, 56.25 mm x 24.75 mm ($4.50, $5, $10)
- Formats: sheets of 20, sheets of 50 (50c, $1, $1.50)
Description
The International stamp range showcases Australia’s breathtaking panoramic views. This new definitive range of eight stamps enables Australia Post to comply with new Australian tax legislation, effective 1 July 2000. The stamps in the issue are a distinctive size and shape, and carry ‘International Post’ branding. Two stamps in the issue formed part of Australia Post’s Olympic stamp programme. They show the Sydney Opera House (50c) and the Sydney Harbour Bridge ($1.50) and carry the Olympic and Paralympic logos.
Stamps
50c Sydney Opera House Stamp
Viewed from land, air or sea, the distinctive shape of the Opera House is an instantly recognised symbol of Sydney and of Australia. Its sail-like forms are suggestive of the yachts that sail on Sydney Harbour. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Opera House in 1973. Photographed by Jean-Marc La Roque.
$1 Nandroya Falls Stamp
Wooroonooran National Park, the largest rainforest park in Queensland, contains the State’s highest peaks, Mount Bartle Frere and Mount Bellenden Ker. Nandroya Falls, deep within the park, is surrounded by dense tropical rainforest and moss covered rocks. The park is in Queensland’s Wet Tropics area which was listed as a World Heritage Area in 1988. Photographed by Grenville Turner.
$1.50 Sydney Harbour Bridge Stamp
The image of the single-arch steel bridge framed by its four decorative sandstone towers may be the most universally recognised symbol of Sydney. The bridge connects Sydney with North Sydney and is used for rail, road and pedestrian transport. Construction began in 1923 and on completion in 1932 was the world’s largest arch bridge. Photographed by Philip Quirk.
$2 Cradle Mountain Stamp
This spectacular view across Dove Lake is one of many natural highlights of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The area, at the northern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, marks the start of Tasmania’s famous Overland Track, one of Australia’s premier wilderness walks. Photographed by Mark Lang.
$3 Pinnacles Stamp
Here in the heart of Nambung National Park thousands of huge limestone pillars rise from the shifting yellow sands. Some are jagged, sharp-edged columns, others resemble tombstones. Although most are between one and two metres high some giants tower three and a half metres above ground level. Photographed by Peter Walton.
$4.50 Flinders Ranges Stamp
These strikingly beautiful ranges north of Adelaide feature ancient and diverse outback landscapes including soaring red cliffs, deep gorges, abundant wildlife, fossils and Aboriginal art. Gammon Ranges, Flinders Ranges and Mount Remarkable National Parks are all within the Flinders Ranges. Each of the parks offers its own unique and often spectacular scenery. Photographed by Stavros Pippos.
$5 Twelve Apostles Stamp
This is one of the best known of the many majestic rock formations of the Port Campbell National Park along the south coast of Victoria. The rugged coastline is almost as well known for its historic shipwrecks as for its extraordinary views. The Aboriginal people knew the shore well and cut steps down the sheer cliffs to harvest food from the sea. Photographed by Shane Pedersen.
$10 Devils Marbles Stamp
These gigantic rounded granite boulders, many of which are precariously balanced on top of one another, are scattered across a wide, shallow valley north of Alice Springs. Most of the conservation reserve lies within an Aboriginal sacred site. Photographed by Phil Gray.
First Day Covers
The first day of issue postmark was Sydney NSW 2000.