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The Kangaroo stamps of Australia, commonly known as Roos, were the Kangaroo and Map series of definitive stamps of the Australian Commonwealth first issued in 1913.
Contents
Background and design
They were issued in 1913, over 12 years after Federation. Although the delay had several causes, one of the major reasons was political wrangling regarding the design. There was a considerable amount of opposition to any inclusion of British royal symbols or profiles.
A design completion was announced in 1911, and several designs, including royal profiles were chosen. The government decided on having only one design, and Charles Frazer, then postmaster-general, inspired the basic outline of the new design.
Blamire Young, a local watercolour artist, was commissioned to produce the final design.
The issued stamps
There was some criticism and minor changes made, and the first issues were released in January 1913. The stamps were issued in 16 values ranging from a halfpenny to a two-pound value.
When Joseph Cook took over as Prime Minister in mid-1913, he promptly had issued a series of stamps featuring the profile King George V. However, the Kangaroo and Map series continued to be issued, and was not removed from sale for over thirty years.
In 1948, H. Dormer Legge published the first definitive study of these stamps, The Kangaroo Issues of the stamps of the Commonwealth of Australia.