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Philatelists and stamp collectors may be interested in the St Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Philatelic Society website.
The History of Tristan da Cunha Told in the Island's Stamps & Covers
Tristan da Cunha has become a very popular subject for many stamp collectors and postal historians. Apart from the regular production of fine quality and attractive new stamp issues, the island's postal history is closely tied in with the natural and geopolitical events that have affected life for the islanders.
For example, in 1961 the volcano overlooking Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the island's main settlement, began to erupt. The threat was considered so great that the islanders boarded boats to nearby Nightingale Island where they waited overnight for a Dutch ship to complete the emergency evacuation of all the islanders back to the United Kingdom. On arrival in the UK they were housed in disused army huts at Pendell Camp, Merstham in Surrey before moving to better accomodation at a former RAF establishment in Calshot near Southampton, Hants.
After a survey carried out by The Royal Society in 1962 confirmed the danger from the volcano had diminished the islanders had to decide whether or not to return back to Tristan da Cunha. The British government of the time expected the islanders would want to abandon the trials of life in the South Atlantic and settle permanently in the UK but, despite this, a resettlement survey team including a dozen islanders made their way to Tristan and landed on 8th September 1962 to begin the clean up operation.
In December 1962 the government was surprised to learn that a ballot of the adult islanders still in the UK recorded 148 votes to 5 against in favour of returning to Tristan. The five who voted against had mostly formed relationships with english partners. As a result around fifty islanders set sail from Tilbury Docks aboard RMS Amazon to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where the MV Boissevain then took them home to Tristan arriving on 9th April 1963. The remaining 198 islanders departed Southampton on October 24th aboard the Danish ship MV Bornholm and arrived home on November 10th 1963.
The islanders confounded many with their determination to maintain their isolated community despite them having experienced the lifestyle of sixties Britain. Collectors today can still find philatelic covers produced at the time that document and commemorate the evacuation, Royal Society Survey and eventual return of the islanders (many of which were signed by islanders).
This is just one story from the amazing history of Tristan da Cunha that can be told in words, stamps and covers. There can be few better opportunities for collectors to build an affordable collection that tells such an incredible story as that of the Tristan da Cunha community.
The first Tristan da Cunha stamp issue took place on January 1st 1952 when the St Helena 1938-49 definitive issues were overprinted with the island name in black. The first unique Tristan da Cunha postage stamp to be issued was in 1953 to commemorate the Coronation of Elizabeth II.
Prior to 1952 post from the island was often sent without stamps or bore those from places like Great Britain and South Africa. These envelopes were often routed by ship via Capetown where Paquebot cancellations were applied. From late Victorian times until the 1950s a series of handstruck cachets were used to identify mail sent from Tristan da Cunha although, such was the scarcity and despite having the official right of onward delivery in many countries, receiving postal authorities regularly applied postage due penalties on the recipients. These so called forerunner covers bearing cachets are particularly desirable to many collectors.
More Tristan da Cunha Links from the Web
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