Australian Legends

The Australian Legends is an annual series of commemorative postage stamps issued by Australia Post since 1997.[1] The stamps commemorate living Australians who have made lifetime contributions to the development of the Commonwealth's national identity and character. Prior to 1997, the only living persons who could appear on Australian stamps were members of the British royal family.[2]

As examples of Australian graphic art, the stamps are designed to tell the story of events and personalities that shaped contemporary Australia. Each becomes part of a collective Australian memory which reflects Australian values and documents the development of Australia's national identity.[3][4]

In addition to the philatelic commemoration, the honour is also known as the Australia Post Australian Legends Award.[5]

Russell Crowe appears in the series despite not holding Australian citizenship.[6]

Issue details

• 1997 – Sir Donald Bradman, one of the world's greatest cricket players[1]
• 1998 – Australian Olympians, Betty Cuthbert, Herb Elliott, Dawn Fraser, Marjorie Jackson, Murray Rose and Shirley Strickland
• 1999 – Arthur Boyd, artist[1]
• 2000 – The Last Anzacs, Roy Longmore,[7] Walter Parker and Alec Campbell[8]
• 2001 – Slim Dusty, a celebrated country music composer and performer[1]
• 2002 – Medical Scientists, haematologist Professor Donald Metcalf, microbiologist Professor Nancy Millis, immunologists Professor Sir Gustav Nossal and Professor Peter C. Doherty, and epidemiologist and public health researcher Professor Fiona Stanley
• 2003 – Tennis Champions, Margaret Court and Rod Laver[1]
• 2004 – Dame Joan Sutherland, world-renowned soprano opera singer[1]
• 2005 – Fashion designers, Prue Acton, Jenny Bannister, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Joe Saba and Carla Zampatti[5]
• 2006 – Barry Humphries, satirist and actor[1]
• 2007 – Legends of Australian Horse Racing, George Moore, Roy Higgins, Bart Cummings, Bob Ingham, John Tapp and Arthur "Scobie" Breasley[2]
• 2008 – Australian Legends of Philanthropy, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Victor Smorgon and Loti Smorgon, Lady Mary Fairfax, and Frank Lowy[9]
• 2009 – Australian Legends of the Screen, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and Geoffrey Rush[10]
• 2010 – Legends of the Australian Word, Peter Carey, Bryce Courtenay, Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough, Tim Winton and David Malouf
• 2011 – Advancing equality of women, Eva Cox, Elizabeth Evatt, Germaine Greer and Anne Summers
• 2012 – Australian Legends of Football, Mark Schwarzer, Gary Ablett Jr, Billy Slater, David Pocock, Ron Barassi, Joe Marston, John Raper and David Campese[11]
• 2013 – Legends of Australian Music, Cold Chisel, Men at Work, INXS, The Seekers, AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Paul Kelly, and Molly Meldrum[12]
• 2014 – Legends of Cooking, Margaret Fulton, Maggie Beer, Stephanie Alexander, Neil Perry, and Kylie Kwong.[13]
• 2015 – The Victoria Cross, Keith Payne, Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith, Daniel Keighran, and Cameron Baird.[14]
• 2016 – Legends of Singles Tennis, Pat Cash, Ashley Cooper, Roy Emerson, Neale Fraser, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, John Newcombe, Patrick Rafter, Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman, and Fred Stolle.[15]
• 2017 – Indigenous Leaders, Tom Calma, Lowitja O'Donoghue and Galarrwuy Yunupingu.[16]
• 2018 – Legends of TV Entertainment, Daryl Somers, Denise Drysdale, Bert Newton, Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Ray Martin[17]
• 2019 –Legends of Children's Literature, Mem Fox, Morris Gleitzman, Leigh Hobbs, Alison Lester and Shaun Tan[18]

Notes

1. "Australia Post – our past". Australia Post. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
2. Australia Post: "Racing Legends are first past the post," 2007. Archived 11 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
3. "156 years collecting Australian graphic art," Priority (Australia Post), 2000. Archived 7 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
4. "History of the Australian Legends stamp series 11 December 2015". Australia Post Collectables. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
5. Australia Post: "Previous Australia Post Australian Legends," 2005. Archived 10 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
6. Michael Idato (26 March 2015). "Russell Crowe rejected twice as Australian citizen". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
7. Goldstein, Richard. "Roy Longmore Dies; Australian 'Legend,' 107," The New York Times. 2 July 2001.
8. "Legends in their lifetimes" (PDF). Australian Stamp Explorer (60): 4. April 2000. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
9. "New stamps honour five philanthropists". The Age. Australian Associated Press. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
10. "Academy winners are stamped as 2009 Legends," (Australia Post), 2009 Archived 6 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
11. "Schwarzer stamps his name in history". 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
12. "Legends of Australian music on stamps!". Australia Post. 18 January 2013. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
13. "About us – Australia Post". Australia Post. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
14. "Victoria Cross Legends honoured on postage stamp". Australia Post. 22 January 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
15. "Australian tennis greats honoured as 2016 Australia Post Legends". Australia Post Collectibles. 21 January 2016. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
16. "Australian Legends 2017". Australia Post Collectables. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
17. "Australian Legends 2018". Australian Post. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
18. "Australian Legends of Children's Literature". Australia Post Collectables. Retrieved 15 November 2019.

References

• "Australia Day: Australian Legends," Stamp Bulletin (Australia Post). No. 254. March–May 2000.
• "156 years collecting Australian graphic art," Priority (Australia Post). Issue 32, 2000.