[press release]
Australia Post features sweet nostalgia on new stamps

Australia Post is paying tribute to one of the first locally manufactured foods in Australia, jam, in its latest stamp issue.

The new stamps will feature the artwork of Australian paper jam labels from the late-19th century until the mid-20th century, and be available in Post Offices across the country and online from 6 March 2018.

Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said: “The four colourful jam labels shown in this stamp issue represent some of the key stages, locations and players in the history of Australian jam manufacturing. The vibrant designs have a nostalgic feel that will appeal to many, especially as vintage jam labels are a highly collectable form of ephemera.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia’s primary production industries expanded at a great rate, leading Australia to become a major exporter of food, including fresh fruit, tinned fruit and tinned jam.

The four domestic base-rate ($1) stamps, designed by Jo Muré of the Australia Post Design Studio, present four bright and cheerful paper labels from the follwing brands:

• Peacock’s which is considered the first factory-scale site for commercial jam manufacturing in Australia. George Peacock (1824-1900) set up his factory in 1861, in Hobart, Tasmania, before expanding his business into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand. Peacock is also credited as the first commercial jam manufacturer to use tins instead of jars. His factory is where Henry Jones, the creator of the IXL brand, began work at age 12, pasting labels onto tins.
• Kingurli which was one of many brands produced by George McEwin, a gardener and orchardist from Houghton, South Australia. McEwin founded a jam factory with this son, in 1862, to make use of excess fruit. At its peak, the factory employed more than 100 people. Other McEwin brands included Glen Ewin and Viking. The label presented shows jam made from Prince Englebert plums.
• Melray was a grocery chain founded in 1932, in Prahran, Melbourne, and one of several grocers, buyers groups and wholesale co-operatives that sold jam under their own brand names. Melray had branches across Australia and its jam labels often included special customer reward tokens for redemption in-store.
• Alva was one of the many smaller jam manufacturers operating in the early 20th century. The Alva brand was first established by W H Johnson’s Jams Pty Ltd of Melbourne in the 1930s, and was a well-advertised brand of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Alva Jams was bought out during the 1970s – a period of industry-wide decline.

The products available with this stamp issue are a minisheet, first day cover, stamp pack, set of maxicards, booklet of 10 x $1 self-adhesive stamps, chequebook of 20 x 10 x $1 self-adhesive stamps and a booklet collection. Visit auspostcollectables.com.au for more information.