Animal Definitives: Sunday Stamps

Ok. If it is one thing Australia has, it is plenty of strange wildlife. The fauna (and flora) confounded the Europeans when they arrived here a couple of hundred years ago and the unique animals cohabitating our continent continue to amaze and inspire.

So it is no surprise that there are plenty of animal stamps issued by Australia Post, as our native fauna helps us to define ourselves. We are a young nation (albeit with a long indigenous past) and quirky animals are easy totems by which we can distinguish ourselves in the world.

 All of which is to say, our animals are basically kick-ass.

Australia Post has issued stamps on our reptiles, our birds, animal welfare and even our bugs. But I thought the above definitives issued in 1986 and 1987 were appropriate to share this week on Sunday Stamps which has an animal theme.

And just to prove how nationalistic animals can be, I also dug up this 1995 joint-issue with China which celebrates the Koala and the Panda.

But just for good measure, and a bit of frivolity, I thought I would also share this cute dog stamp from Japan, which is perhaps the cutest stamp in my whole collection.

You gotta love an irregularly shaped stamp. Especially one featuring a puppy. Awww. Cute.

That's it from me for this Sunday. Have a great week all!