1910 Victoria Land
The halfpenny Edward VII and penny Dominion stamps were overprinted
'Victoria Land' in connection with Captain Robert Falcon
Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova Antarctic expedition. Only ten sheets were
overprinted and fewer than two thousand copies of the stamp were issued to
the public. Forgeries of this overprint are known and expert advice is
recommended before buying.
Scott led a party of five which reached
the South Pole on the 18th of January 1912, only to find that they had been
beaten by Roald Amundsen's Norwegian party in an unsought race for the
Pole. On their return journey Scott and his four comrades all perished, due
to a combination of exhaustion, hunger and extreme cold. Shortly before his
death, Scott wrote:
"We took risks, we knew we took them;
things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for
complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our
best to the last ... Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the
hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred
the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must
tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see
that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for."
Bibliography
The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume V by R. J. G Collins FRPSL FRPSNZ |
| Edited by A. R. Burge FRPSNZ and C. W. Watts FRPSNZ | Published 1967 by The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Incorporated | Pages 756 - 767 |
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