Sunday 27 January 2013

Sunburnt Country

Sunday Stamps may not fall on 26th January, Australia Day, but its near enough, just like this first day cover which also celebrates Australia Day but on the 24th January.  From an aborigine perspective that may be a better day as they call the 26th January, invasion day.

The stamp design is by Arone Raymond Meeks drawing on his Aboriginal heritage, the back of the envelope explains:
"it depicts our ancient land being cradled and protected by a Creation Ancestor, called a Wandjina.  In the Wandijina's hand, an egg symbolises perfection and rebirth, an ideal which all Australians can aspire.  A Rainbow Serpent, also a Creation Ancestor, runs through the Wandjina's body, its tongue forming the Wandjina's eyes".
The cover photograph shows the Walls of China in the Mungo National Park (in south-western New South Wales); a series of lunette (crescent shaped sand dunes).  For photographs of Walls of China lunettes see here

The area was declared a world heritage site in 1981 and is of great significance to the Aborigine people who settled here 40,000 years ago. The Walls of China lie east of the dry Lake Mungo where there have been remarkable archaeological finds of ancient people which have been named Mungo man and Mungo women. The ultimate footprints in the sands have been found by archaeologists - the world's largest number of  human footprints in the dry lakes dating back to the ice age, about 20,000 years ago. 

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps    

9 comments:

VioletSky said...

You picked a good theme for this week.
There is always a tenseness and disquiet between the natives and the 'invaders'.

Bob Scotney said...

A gorgeous cover with a lovely stamp.

viridian said...

The geologist in me is thinking how this place may have been during the last ice ages, when the lake was probably there, and how lovely it was.
Thanks for joining in this week.

Lisa B said...

Lovely colours in the stamp.

Ana said...

Great cover for a Happy Australia's Day!

Postcardy said...

I would love to see those old footprints.

agi said...

i love aboriginal culture and art, i have a few prints hanging on my wall :)

Helen said...

This is possibly my favourite Australia Day stamp ever released. Often they are fairly boring flag stamps or whatever. These days Australia Post usually issues its 'Legends' series on Australia day, featuring stand-out people. But the stamp you have chosen is a perfect Australia Day stamp. I think is really positive and meaningful. I have not seen the FDC before. It is fantastic. And what a great postmark.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I'm still learning so much about Australia. I hadn't known about this area, nor that it's a UNESCO site.