2023 Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens
First Day Cover
Overview
Norfolk Island Botanic Garden was originally a 0.6-hectare private garden cleared and planted by Mrs Annie Moore in the 1950s. After she left the island in 1975, Norfolk Island Administration maintained the gardens until 1986, at which time it became part of the Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden. In 1993 an adjoining 4.9 hectares was purchased to complete the current 5.5 hectares.
Most of the garden’s plant species are native and many are rare and endemic to the Norfolk Island group. The garden also includes a boardwalk trail, subtropical rainforest and Discovery Centre, where visitors can learn more about the island’s precious flora and fauna.
Shown on the stamps, along with a section of the boardwalk trail, are the Pepper Tree (Piper excelsum subsp. psittacorum) and the critically endangered Phillip Island Hibiscus (Hibiscus insularis). The minisheet features Shade Tree (Meryta latifolia, which is an evergreen tree endemic to Norfolk Island).
The Stamps
$1.20 Stamp (Boardwalk trail and Pepper Tree)
The subspecies of Pepper Tree shown on the stamp is confined to Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Kermadec Island and some islands off the north coast of New Zealand. Named for its slightly aromatic and peppery leaves, the Pepper Tree produces long spikes that range between 4 and 16 centimetres high, depending on whether they are male or female.
$2.40 Stamp (Boardwalk trail and Phillip Island Hibiscus)
Pictured with a section of the boardwalk trail is the Phillip Island Hibiscus, a large shrub or small tree that grows to around 2.5 metres high. It produces solitary cream to light green flowers with a dark magenta centre. As they age, the flowers turn a reddish purple colour. This critically endangered plant is confined to three patches on the northern slopes of the island, its numbers greatly reduced by introduced pigs, goats and rabbits, which have since been removed from the island.
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