Accession No. PA.2026.0001: Susan Hilliard, 2024 July
[identification of item], Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) Club Sir Hubert Wilkins 85th Anniversary Commemorative Postal Cover, SPEC.PA.56.5010, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program at polararchives@osu.edu for more information.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processed by: Sierra McGee, 2026 January; Finding aid written by: Sierra McGee, 2026 January
The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) Club is an organization whose members have been involved in the activities of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions. The club was formed in 1951 for returning ANARE team members who wanted to stay in touch and share their experiences. The ANARE Club commemorates the anniversaries of expeditions by creating commemorative postal covers and stamps for collectors. Commemorative covers have been developed to reflect polar regions, and memorable explorations or scientific excursions into the polar regions, and are sought by collectors who collect philately materials from the polar regions. As of 2026, the ANARE Club sends a monthly newsletter to members, host teleconferences between members and people stationed in the Antarctic stations, and hosts dinners and other activities in different Australian states.
Sir George Hubert Wilkins (1888-1958) was an Australian polar explorer, aviator, photographer, cinematographer, naturalist, newspaper correspondent, soldier, consultant to the United States Military, lecturer and author. From 1912-1940, Wilkins participated in 17 expeditions and trips around the world, including nine expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica. On January 8-11, 1939, Wilkins landed in Australian Antarctic Territory. Starting in 1942, and continuing until his death in 1958, Wilkins served as a consultant to the United States Army, with his area of focus being primarily hot and cold weather clothing and survival techniques.
Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) Club Sir Hubert Wilkins 85th Anniversary Commemorative Postal Cover are three envelopes and a brochure commemorating Wilkins’s landing in the Australian Antarctic Territory. The numbered envelopes contain a stamp from Davis Station, a picture of Sir Hubert Wilkins posing under a painting of himself, and a postage stamp with a picture of the Walkabout Rocks. The envelopes include a card with details about the limited edition envelopes stamped at Davis Station, Antacrtica and a signature from the ANARE Club president. The set of envelopes in this collection is numbered nineteen out of thirty. The envelopes are dated January 8-11, 2024. A brochure included with the envelopes contains excerpts from logs and reports from Wilkins’s landing in Australian Antarctic Territory on January 8-11, 1939.