AAT...The First Stamp.

The first Australian Antarctic Territory stamp was issued in Australia on 27 March 1957 and in Antarctica on 11 December 1957. This stamp was a 2 Shilling Blue, depicting a map and explorers.

Of course post offices existed in the AAT before 1957. The first Post Office in the AAT was established in 1947 at Heard Island. A second opened at Macquarie Island the following year. On the Antarctic continent the third Post Office was established at Mawson station in 1954, followed by Davis station in 1957. The fifth Post Office opened in 1959 at Wilkes, following the handover of the station from the USA to Australia. The sixth was opened at Casey station in 1969.

Before the release of the first Australian Antarctic Territory stamp Australian stamps were used with Antarctic postmarks.

Postmarks from AAT are great to collect. Here's a list of the bases:

• Casey
• Davis
• Heard Island
• Macquarie Island
• Mawson
• Wilkes

In 2010 Cape Denison was added to this list.

Stay Stamp Crazy!

The Seadragon

Decommissioned.

The USS Seadragon (SSN 584), launched 16 August 1958, was decommissioned on 12 June 1984. She was the first submarine to transit the Northwest Passage and the third submarine to surface at the North Pole.

The cachet on the cover is awesome...