Australian Legends

The Australian Legends is an annual series of commemorative postage stamps issued by Australia Post since 1997. The stamps commemorate living Australians who have made lifetime contributions to the development of the Commonwealth's national identity and character. Prior to 1997, the only living persons who could appear on Australian stamps were members of the British Royal Family.

As examples of Australian graphic art, the stamps are designed to tell the story of events and personalities that shaped contemporary Australia. Each becomes part of a collective Australian memory which reflects Australian values and documents the development of Australia's national identity.

In addition to the philatelic commemoration, the honour is also known as the Australia Post Australian Legends Award.

Russell Crowe appears in the series despite not holding Australian citizenship.

Issue details

• 1997 – Sir Donald Bradman, one of the world's greatest cricket players
• 1998 – Australian Olympians, Betty Cuthbert, Herb Elliott, Dawn Fraser, Marjorie Jackson, Murray Rose and Shirley Strickland
• 1999 – Arthur Boyd, artist
• 2000 – The Last Anzacs, Roy Longmore, Walter Parker and Alec Campbell
• 2001 – Slim Dusty, a celebrated country music composer and performer
• 2002 – Medical Scientists, haematologist Professor Donald Metcalf, microbiologist Professor Nancy Millis, immunologists Professor Sir Gustav Nossal and Professor Peter C. Doherty, and epidemiologist and public health researcher Professor Fiona Stanley
• 2003 – Tennis Champions, Margaret Court and Rod Laver
• 2004 – Dame Joan Sutherland, world-renowned soprano opera singer
• 2005 – Fashion designers, Prue Acton, Jenny Bannister, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Joe Saba and Carla Zampatti
• 2006 – Barry Humphries, satirist and actor
• 2007 – Legends of Australian Horse Racing, George Moore, Roy Higgins, Bart Cummings, Bob Ingham, John Tapp and Arthur "Scobie" Breasley
• 2008 – Australian Legends of Philanthropy, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Victor Smorgon and Loti Smorgon, Lady Mary Fairfax, and Frank Lowy
• 2009 – Australian Legends of the Screen, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and Geoffrey Rush
• 2010 – Writers, Peter Carey (novelist), Bryce Courtenay, Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough, Tim Winton and David Malouf
• 2011 – Advancing equality of women, Eva Cox, Elizabeth Evatt, Germaine Greer and Anne Summers
• 2012 – Australian Legends of Football, Mark Schwarzer, Gary Ablett Jr, Billy Slater, David Pocock, Ron Barassi, Joe Marston, John Raper and David Campese
• 2013 – Legends of Australian Music, Cold Chisel, Men At Work, INXS, The Seekers, AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Paul Kelly, and Molly Meldrum
• 2014 – Legends of Cooking, Margaret Fulton, Maggie Beer, Stephanie Alexander, Neil Perry, and Kylie Kwong.

References

• "Australia Day: Australian Legends," Stamp Bulletin (Australia Post). No. 254. March–May 2000.
• "156 years collecting Australian graphic art," Priority (Australia Post). Issue 32, 2000.

• Australia Post: "Racing Legends are first past the post," 2007.
• "156 years collecting Australian graphic art," Priority (Australia Post), 2000.
• Australia Post: "Previous Australia Post Australian Legends," 2005.
• Goldstein, Richard. "Roy Longmore Dies; Australian 'Legend,' 107," New York Times. 2 July 2001.
• "Australia Day: Australian Legends," Stamp Bulletin (Australia Post), p. 3.
• "Academy winners are stamped as 2009 Legends," (Australia Post), 2009
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