UNUSUAL POSTAGE STAMP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22404, 28 April 1936, Page 15

UNUSUAL POSTAGE STAMP

Sir, —The postage stamps mentioned by "Inquirer" in your issue of April 24 were used some years ago on messages that were carried by pigeons between the Great Barrier Island and Auckland, and vice versa. The Great Barrier Pigeongram Agency, as it was called, was inaugurated by my father, the late Mr. Walter Fricker, of Ponsonby. He conceived the idea shortly after the wreck of the S.S. Wairarapa, when so many lives were lost. In those days the pigeongram messages were the only link between the island and the city, except the weekly steamer. The green stamp (6d) was used on messages from the island, and hundreds of messages were sent from there during the 3 r ears the service was in operation. The messages were written on tissue paper, folded, rolled round the bird's leg, and covered with a rubber ring to prevent the birds from picking them. Stamps used on these messages were cancelled. The red stamp (Is) was used on messages from the city to the island, but it was found very difficult to get birds to leave the mainland and fly over the water. Mr, S. H. Howie, of Newton Road, also had an agency in operation, and a rectangular green stamp was used by him. A message from London some time ago, published in the Herald, mentioned the sale of a stamp which had been used by one of these agencies and which had been sold for £9, but I do not know which stamp it was. Being interested in stamps myself, I have some of my father's stamps still in my possession. 1 may mention that specimens of both stamps were sent to the late King Edward VII., who was then Prince of Wales, and a reply was received from him acknowledging the receipt of the stamps and thanking my father for them. H. E. Fricker. Otahuhu.