Te Whanganui-a-Tara – NZ Post’s new stamp issue celebrates the 40th anniversary of the beloved classic children’s book Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy.
The stamps showcase the book’s original canine characters including the much loved scruffy pooch Hairy Maclary himself.
Popular in New Zealand and around the world, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy was the first in a series of books written and illustrated by acclaimed author Dame Lynley Dodd.
A highly respected author and illustrator of 34 children’s picture books, Dame Lynley’s work has sold over two million copies worldwide and she says it’s an enormous honour having her work chosen to be put on stamps and coins.
Tauranga based, the 81-year-old can’t wait to see the stamps in circulation.
NZ Post head of stamps and collectables Antony Harris says it has been an honour to work with Dodd and share her exceptional Hairy Maclary artwork on New Zealand stamps and coins.
NZ Post collectables programme manager Lynette Townsend says commemorating the work of artists and authors will continue to be a key part of NZ Post’s official stamp programme.
“Hairy Maclary has been part of the lives of several generations, in New Zealand and all over the world. We hope that the stamps and other collectables we are creating for the 40th anniversary will create an immediate sense of delight and evoke warm memories for the people who come across them.”
Personally approved by Dame Lynley, the stamp release includes a miniature sheet first day cover, greeting card set, enamel pin and individual stamps ranging in price from $1.70 to $4.50.
NZ Post will also release two coins in the next couple of months; an uncirculated coin and a 1oz silver proof coin.
Individual stamps in the issue:
$1.70 Hairy Maclary: Since the small terrier of mixed pedigree’s first appearance, everything about him was already evident – animated, scruffy, expressive and determined.
$1.70 Hercules Morse: Hercules Morse, an English Mastiff, is the second dog we meet. He already looks excited as he leaps over the chain at number 54.
$3.00 Bottomley Potts: Bottomley Potts, like all the dogs we meet in the book, is framed by a front gate and yard that seems to echo his own Dalmatian looks and personality.
$3.80 Muffin McLay: The other dog with a Scottish surname (despite being an Old English Sheepdog), Muffin McLay is possibly another reason why Scottish readers have taken Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy to heart.
$4.30 Bitzer Maloney: In her original hand-written plan for the book, Lynley Dodd describes the part greyhound as a thin bitser.
$4.50 Schnitzel von Krumm: Low slung and keen to keep up, Dachshund Schnitzel von Krumm is the final friend we meet before all six dogs embark on their adventure through town.
