Australian Aboriginal "One Pound Jimmy" Cinderella stamps

[MJ's pet]

Does anybody think that the 1946 film may have helped to inspire the 1961 stamp design, shown above in this Stampboards thread? Or for that matter, the decision to issue the 1950 and 1952 stamps?

It is a good question: why did the photo of Jimmy appear on the 1950 stamp, and when it did, one which Paige does not answer.

Paige assumes at page 101:

It seems certain that Tjungurrayi’s image was selected for both the 1938 and 1950 stamps in order to capitalise on the popularity already generated from Walkabout.

But why would one image from a set of photographs taken in 1935 and some reproduced in Walkabout in January 1936 be resurrected in 1950, 14-15 years later? When one looks at stamp designs from the 1950s, the PMG didn’t go around selecting already popular images to reproduce on stamps. It was the release of the 1950 stamp that propelled Jimmy's popularity such that it was then reproduced on the Walkabout cover on 1 September 1950, two weeks after release of the stamp on 14 August 1950.

Paige seems to have things back-to-front. The stamp appeared first, then the Walkabout cover. Not cover first, then the stamp. She seems completely unaware of the the actual issue date.

Jillian Barnes is more specific and points to the hand of Holmes at page 108:

Whilst Tjungurrayi lived his complex life, Holmes [Charles H. Holmes, the tourism executive, head of the Australian National Travel Association for 30 years] continued his unrestricted and uninformed use of his photographs. This situation changed abruptly in the early 1950s however, after Holmes was instrumental in having one of his portraits mass-produced on a stamp and Tjungurrayi was inadvertently catapulted into an international symbol of Australian Aboriginality.

Again, Paige has made no effort to explore Australia Post archives to answer this question. The KGVI booklet put out by AP in the 1970s features many postage stamp essays (proposed designs), but checking this there are none of the Jimmy stamp. Given the popularity of the Jimmy stamp, this absence is unusual:

If this is correct, it is an unusual situation that there was no choice of designs. Did the PMG have only one design? The question is: why? Did Holmes lobby for the inclusion of his photograph on a stamp? Surely the AP archives has correspondence or notes relevant to how Jimmy came to be selected and issued as a stamp design.

The PMG at the time was Hubert Lawrence ("Larry") Anthony (Country Party) who assumed office after the defeat of Labour on 19 December 1949. Anthony held the PMG office until 1956. Australia had no tourism minister as such, but Neil O’Sullivan (Liberal) was incoming Trade and Customs minister in 1949.

The earliest announcements of the forthcoming stamp where it as described in some detail and the issue date announced as “August 1950” was in The Advertiser 6 May 1950 p1; Argus 6 May 1950 p7. The stamp was first illustrated in News, 29 June 1950 p6; The Sun 29 June 1950 p11. The 8 1/2d was issued on 14-Aug-1950.

All of this points to the need to go to the AP archives to find out the genesis of the stamp, rather than make rather obvious statements and assumptions that it came about because of the "popularity" of the image.

Paige did dot pick up on some of the terminology used in the press releases: e.g. "a fine study of a head of male Central Australian Aborigine". Some might say this is medicalised terminology, others artistic.

Related question: has anyone seen Die Proofs of the 8 1/2d or 2/6d? Absence of them might suggest the design did not go through the stamp design committee.

You cannot make this stuff up.

[Allanswood]

The postage and registration fee had recently gone up to a combined 8½ pence rate - which was a stamp rate that we had not had before or since. So a new stamp was required.

The design may have been "sitting around" in the "good idea" folder and this was an opportunity to use it.


If my reading follows price rises correctly, when there was a later need to raise the price of the 2/- postage to 2/6 they used Jimmy's image again, (the 8½d having by now run its course), but this time it replaced the 2/- Aboriginal Art Crocodile painting issue. The Crocodile issue was the one that replaced the ever enduring Kangaroo issue of 1913.

There was a competition earlier (late 1940"s?) that gave us the Crocodile issue, Jimmy may have been there as an entry? Need to find the year of the competition.

edit...

Article by Australia Post:

"1948 Australian Animals stamp issue

The first Australian stamp to feature an Indigenous art theme was released in 1948. It was a 2 shilling stamp representing a crocodile, in the style of a rock painting, as part of the Australian Animals definitive stamp issue of that year. However, this was not an artwork by an Indigenous artist. Sydney artist Gert Sellheim entered a competition in 1946 for Australian stamp designs.

The Postmaster-General at the time wanted to generate Australian themes on higher value stamps. A special judging panel picked eight designs as winners but of the eight designs, only two were issued as stamps, including Sellheim’s. The judging panel went on to become Australia Post’s first Stamp Advisory Committee, commencing in 1947."

Looks like the missing 6 are these below.

Wonder who is shown in the first essay of the hunter with kangaroo?

[MJ's pet]

Border Watch, 25 May 1950, page 4

Yes, quite right to say the 8½d stamp was required for the new combined letter+registration rate.

What was the date of letter rate increase to 2½d and registration to 6d in 1950? This was a period of high wage inflation, leading to increases in postage rates.

But this does not explain why Jimmy was selected as a stamp design and the process, if any. Probably not a case that the design was sitting around in the PO. The photograph was the copyright of Homes/Walkabout who must have had to approve use of the image. Holmes was very influential and the election of the Menzies govt in late 1949 probably is not coincidental. But there is a lot to learn about the workings of the Stamp Design Committee from 1947.

Would have thought very unlikely Jimmy photograph was entered in the 1947 competition, for if it were, it didn't even make the top eight. If it were entered, it would have won. Everything about the Jimmy stamp in 1950 thus far points to a decision made then to use Jimmy. Barnes seems to say with some certainty that Holmes was behind the decision.

Fascinating Aboriginal essay from the 1946 design competition. Who submitted it? Why was it rejected? Much more work to do. (Good to see those reprinted essays getting some attention )

[Allanswood]

Aboriginal peoples have often been submitted in design competitions right back to and probably earlier than the 1911 Commonwealth stamp design competition. Even then, fighting against the White Australia policy.

Not that they could be individually identified.

[MJ's pet]

https://www.glenstephens.com/snoctober10.html

Looks like some teacher has pinched Glen's "back-to-Back" images from the internet for some teacher's aid materials called "Who Was One Pound Jimmy?":

Link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Who-is-One-Pound-Jimmy-5698607

Description
A comprehension worksheet on One Pound Jimmy, aka Gwoya Tjungurrayi - the Aboriginal man featured on the Australian $2 coin, the first Aboriginal featured on a postage stamp, and just an all round legend of a guy.
Includes comprehension questions for students to review.
Famous Australians in history


You can't make this stuff up.

[MJ's pet]

The Jimmy "inspired" the $2 coin story has been repeated on the internet so many times that nobody even bothers with the truth or facts anymore.

For what it is worth, here is another example from 2013. Note that this missive also wrongly claims that Jimmy was "named" on the 1950 stamp, which he plainly was not. (They probably mean first "living" Aboriginal person).

You can't make this stuff up.

[Allanswood]

Really wish educators would at least try and get facts checked and "reading between the lines" suggestions justified.

Some of the blurb on the home schooling activity (2 post back) - "first Aboriginal on a stamp" - well, no he wasn't. First identified perhaps. Try 1934 Melbourne Centenary please.

'Australia Post withdrew the stamp shortly after his death in 1965'. Sorry but please explain - it wasn't called "Australia Post" and stamps were just about to go decimal. Are they suggesting that as a mark of respect they withdrew the stamp? As I doubt it. Not out of disrespect but new designs and values happen all the time.

And that is absolutely Glen's image, background shadowing and all.

Anybody can rewrite history - just type whatever you think fits and let the internet do the rest.

[MJ's pet]

The earliest dated image of the stamp I can find is in newspapers of 29 June 1950, so probably sent out the day prior by the Post Office.

News, 29 June 1950 page 6

[MJ's pet]

As McGooley noted in the very first post, an envelope was produced for the November 1934 Australian Philatelic Exhibition, held in Melbourne, that was obviously based on the Centenary stamp set although not a direct copy. Same stone age vs modern age imagery. (Note the aeroplane as an added touch).

Does anyone know who designed the cover? Presumably it was sold by the exhibition committee before, at and after the exhibition. I have sighted at least two colours of the printed text and cityscape (and there may be others): dark green and orange.

Of course the existence of the exhibition envelope was not noted by Paige.

[MJ's pet]

And further to the above, the exhibition medal given to exhibitors showed the cityscape on one side, and an Aborigine looking like an ancient Roman or a Greek Olympian on the other!

Medal - Centenary of Victoria & Sixth Australasian Philatelic Exhibition, Australia, 1934

Source: Museums Victoria, Item NU 18358

Summary
Victorian Centenary & Sixth Australasian Philatelic Exhibition 1934 (AD)
Mint: Stokes & Sons
Awarded to: Not awarded, in original case
Other Details: This is an unissued, gilt prize medal from a major philatelic exhibition called 'VIC VI' that was held in Melbourne in association with the Victorian Centenary celebrations in 1934. The Aboriginal man associated with 1834 was a common theme in materials associated with the centenary.

Of course Paige was unaware of this too.

[Allanswood]

Comments were made (somewhere I can't recall reading, perhaps the other papers that I've been reading) about the imagery used on the 1934 Centennial Stamp and the "stone age/modern age" "savage/civilised" displayed on the stamp. I don't know, but it often seems that people look "back in anger" at history and tar all imagery with the same racist, wild savage brush.

Don't get me wrong here, so much inhuman savagery was directed against the first nation peoples that it makes you wonder how people ever thought they were the "civilised" ones when they passed laws that put bounties on Aboriginal heads and declared Australia to be uninhabited when colonised.

However, Rosenblum, in his "Stamps of the Commonwealth of Australia" notes that for this issue: "the design for this issue showed an Aborigine of the (extinct) Yarra Yarra tribe, with spears, standing on the left bank of the River Yarra, and regarding the modern city of Melbourne on the opposite bank."

1834 above the then, 1934 above the now. To me it's often a simple design explanation that usually fits best and in this case: "the old and the new" or "then and now". After all it's meant to mean 100 years.

It is actually surprising that any Aboriginal representation appeared on any official government output because of the "White Australia" policy and that it was considered that Aboriginal's were not, er, "human" - were not recognised as Australian, could not vote, were "invisible" in plain view.

But eventually the pull of tourism (and money to be made) forms a strong link.

I wonder if Hansard has much to say - stamps were so often discussed in parliament.

[MJ's pet]

Undoubtedly another representation of Jimmy but depicted side on, on a 1950 Philatelic Exhibition cover.

souvenir cover from the October 1950 National Philatelic Exhibition, Melbourne

Of course Paige was unaware of this too.

[MJ's pet]

Any ideas who designed the 1934 and 1950 exhibition covers?

[Allanswood]

I don't know if this has been posted on the thread before and can't recall where I found it online!
Anyway, this appears to be some artwork for the 2/6 stamp.

[Global Administrator]

.
Greg, that will be a matted sunken Die Proof.

ACSC 256(DP)1 Cat $3,500 - 8 were given away.

I sold this 1957 Xmas Die Proof pair ex Bill Purves - they are on much larger pieces of thick card.

Glen

[MJ's pet]

I don't know if this has been posted on the thread before and can't recall where I found it online!
Anyway, this appears to be some artwork for the 2/6 stamp.

Thanks Allanswood. Been searching for images. Looks like a Die Proof.* (*Die Proofs should be larger. The stamp looks like convincing imperf, in light of the large margins around the printed area). Have been searching around for scans, numbers known, and info about the numbers on the back which correlate to members on the design committee. It would have been through the Stamp Design Committee if there is a number on the back.

The question is: did they have any others designs to choose from?

Issues around the process of selecting the design were sadly neglected by Paige of course.

[MJ's pet]

One Pound Jimmy article by john Young. Does anyone have this?

[MJ's pet]

The whole gist of Paige's article was that "she discovered" a brand new image of Jimmy. Except she didn't.

Now it turns out there is a whole photo archive of Jimmy images that she was unaware of.

The Charles Weetman Collection in the State Library of Victoria Pictures Catalog (online) has 196 photographs taken by Roy Dunstan, some of them of Jungarai and other Aboriginal people.

Here is but one example:

Two Aboriginal Australian hunters with weapons. Author/Creator: Dunstan, Roy, photographer. Date: [1936-1938]

Source: http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/294390

You can't make this stuff up.

[MJ's pet]

Here is another from the Weetman Collection.

Dunstan, Roy, photographer.
[Two Aboriginal men with spears and shields]
Date(s) of creation: [1936-1938]
negative : cellulose ; 12.0 x 9.0 cm. approx.
Reproduction rights owned by the State Library of Victoria
Accession No: H92.342/218
Image No: b26633

Source: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/gid/slv-pic-aab60317

You can't make this stuff up.

[MJ's pet]

Paige and Marcia also neglected to discuss the 1982 Australia Day stamp, which some people once said was racist and were going to take "legal action" against Australia Post. Marcia Marcia Marcia!

Canberra Times, 5 Feb 1982 p6


You can't make this stuff up.

[towradji]

So, 2 months on, where are we at with Paige Gleeson, the UTas Phd student and the copyright matter?

Apologies given, lessons learnt or has she clean bowled the complainants?

[Temora22]

Towradji - I too have been wondering what, if anything, has transpired.

Regards,

[MJ's pet]

Article by Australia Post:

"1948 Australian Animals stamp issue

The first Australian stamp to feature an Indigenous art theme was released in 1948. It was a 2 shilling stamp representing a crocodile, in the style of a rock painting, as part of the Australian Animals definitive stamp issue of that year. However, this was not an artwork by an Indigenous artist. Sydney artist Gert Sellheim entered a competition in 1946 for Australian stamp designs.

The Postmaster-General at the time wanted to generate Australian themes on higher value stamps. A special judging panel picked eight designs as winners but of the eight designs, only two were issued as stamps, including Sellheim’s. The judging panel went on to become Australia Post’s first Stamp Advisory Committee, commencing in 1947."

Looks like the missing 6 are these below.

Wonder who is shown in the first essay of the hunter with kangaroo?

Further to this, here are some further 1946 Stamp Design Competition entries, including one Aboriginal-themed design by "Ralantando" called "Typical Aboriginal head with weapons by each side".

[Tod.Moore]

If anybody is interested in the Cinderella which started this, there is a single and a block of four coming up at the Abacus sale on Thursday (2 Dec), Auction 246, Lot 382. Cheers, Tod.

[MJ's pet]

If anybody is interested in the Cinderella which started this, there is a single and a block of four coming up at the Abacus sale on Thursday (2 Dec), Auction 246, Lot 382. Cheers, Tod.

Maybe Paige Gleeson can buy them and claim she has made a new discovery?


The auction description says "Ex Tony Blakemore". Here are the scans:

"Pale Purple" block of four and a single

The sometimes washed-out scans make identifying the colours a little uncertain on the screen, but there seems to be at least three major shade groups:

(a) pale brown or buff
(b) pinkish brown
(c) pale purple

The pale purple block of four seems to be largest known multiple recorded thus far. In fact, the only multiple it seems.

[MJ's pet]

PS. The lot currently at $115 + BP.

[MJ's pet]

Sold for $190 + 19.8% BP = $228.

[Tod.Moore]

Here is an excerpt from ‘Australia’s 13 most interesting stamps’ by Gerard McCulloch in The Guardian, Mon 9 May 2022. The author known to us as Punk Philatelist, has done a great job here, many will agree. Informative, amusing, and full of political controversy, what is not to like.

Detail from The Guardian, Mon 9 May 2022.

But wait a minute? Surely we sorted this out months ago! Clearly, Tjungurrayi is not the one shown on the $2 coin. As The Sheriff and others have pointed out (see above), it is likely that Ainsley Roberts used Woritarinja as the model for the original design, which the coin was based upon. Punk obviously did not read this Stampboards thread. Tsk tsk. It is further proof that the ‘Alternative Facts’ story is ingrained, and it just refuses to go away. Cheers, Tod.