The Gallipoli Stamp

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 12

The Gallipoli Stamp

The occasion of the Gallipoli landing and the spirit in which it was undertaken should be tellingly represented on the postage stamp to commemorate April 25, 1915. It is understandable, therefore, that the Gallipoli Veterans’ Association is taking a keen, if belated, interest in its design. But the two main features of Mr R. M. Conly’s proposal do seem to meet these requirements. His representation of Anzac Cove could easily be modified so as to portray the beach as it must have been on the day of the landing, without the jetties and huts which were subsequently built.

The poppy, as a symbol of heroism and sacrifice, may have been more conspicuous on another battlefield: but it is no longer peculiarly associated with Flanders. It has become established as a symbol of precisely those qualities that were evident at Anzac Cove. That it also grew on the Gallipoli peninsula is a coincidence that broadens its relevance. The poppy symbol and the name of Anzac are now so firmly linked that the flower has a meaningful and appropriate place on this stamp. A more precise and limited representation, along the lines of those suggested by the association to the PostmasterGeneral, could not convey such a widely recognised message. When the fiftieth anniversary of the landing is observed next year the details of the occasion will not be overlooked. The message on the proposed stamp is simple, direct, and immediately apparent.