New South WalesFirst Postage Stamp

Sydney Views from Down Under

Australia’s very first stamps were issued in 1850, with several denominations featuring the iconic Sydney View design. The stamp shown here is the 1d value, known for its rich variety of plate characteristics and collectible quirks. One of the most notable features of the 1d is the “with cloud” vs “no cloud” variation above the ship. The earliest version, from Plate I, had no clouds at all. Plate II introduced the cloud design, though interestingly, about 1 in 25 stamps from this later plate also lack clouds. In some cases, the clouds faded due to plate wear, leading to confusion between plates. This cloud variation is specific to the 1d stamp. Other denominations issued alongside it have their own unique traits and collecting challenges. Plate II of the 1d also brought subtle design differences that have become a focus for specialists, like the “no trees on hill,” the “hill unshaded,” and a second “without clouds” variety, all tied to individual stamp positions on the plate. Printed locally using a basic lithographic process, no two Sydney View stamps are absolutely exactly the same. A distinctive beginning to Australian philately, straight from Down Under.