Thank you!

Our readers acted with positive responses, to our November 2004 newsletter, thank you. So positive that it raised over $3000 towards the costs of hosting Kiwipex 2006! Also we sold out of our Kiwipex 2006 greetings stamps, and our overprinted Lord of the Rings (part II) miniature sheets.
Since our last newsletter we have received additional funding support from the New Zealand National Philatelic Trust to whom goes our sincere gratitude. This is in addition to support received from New Zealand Post and the Christchurch City Council.

Kiwipex 2006 news
Our mystery envelopes, to be launched in late 2006, will contain a range of attractive souvenirs: for example we have a number of imperforate Antarctic souvenir sheets. These (imperforate Antarctic souvenir sheets) will not be offered for sale via this or any later newsletter. In addition there will be a special printing of The Lord of The Rings (part III) miniature sheets plus various other goodies.
One such goody is a trip for two to Singapore! Another is listed under Kiwipex 2006 customised stamps later in this newsletter. We are working on making our mystery envelopes truly well worth purchasing and will report more about them in due course, so keep watching this space!

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Since our November 2004 newsletter we are pleased to announce the appointment of 3 overseas commissioners. We welcome our two FIAP commissioners: Malcolm Hammersley from Hong Kong and Wirat Limpaiboon from Thailand, and we also welcome Erica Genge from the West Island (better known to the rest of the world as Australia).

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In our previous newsletter we mentioned the death of Bruce Alexandre, our NZPF approved Chairman of the Jury. We are pleased to announce the appointment by the NZPF of a new Kiwipex 2006 Chairman of the Jury: Jeff Long. Not only is Jeff our new Chairman but he has also been persuaded to join the organising committee of Kiwipex 2006!
One of Jeff’s first tasks was to provide input to our draft prospectus. After much work this has now been finalised. In essence with the publication of our prospectus it means that we are now accepting entries, subject to final confirmation, for Kiwipex 2006! Unlike American national exhibitions where it is a case of first come first accepted, Kiwipex 2006 is accepting entries via several avenues. a electronic prospectus can be found here.  The Kiwipex 2006 prospectus contains information pertaining to the King George VI Colonial Postal History Challenge as well as the Christchurch Exhibition Memorabilia class.
Applications to enter Kiwipex 2006 from residents in Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia must be submitted through their relevant commissioner. Applications from residents of New Zealand and all other countries must be made directly to Kiwipex 2006. Applications may be made traditionally via mail or via electronic means. A copy of the entry form can be found here

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Finally, a reminder that donations of philatelic material for Kiwipex to auction should be submitted now to the above address, Thank you.

New Kiwipex Souvenirs
The Lord of The Rings – part III miniature sheets. Thanks to New Zealand Post we were fortunate to acquire 500 of each of the 40c and 80c miniature sheets. These have been overprinted by Christchurch printers New Century Press with our Kiwipex 2006 logo in silver ink.

We also managed to acquire 250 blank miniature sheet FDC envelopes for this issue and thus 125 FDCs of each were prepared.
Strangely enough when received the bricks of miniature sheets carried various reprint stickers from the printers Southern Colour Print. New Zealand Post was contacted for an explanation. According to Alan Hollows New Zealand Post only placed the one order for the Lord of The Rings – part III.
It transpired that Southern Colour Print held insufficient stocks of red phosphor stamp paper to print the entire order for New Zealand Post. In this instance the order as part supplied and the remaining quantity delivered following receipt of additional paper stock. Whilst New Zealand Post placed only the one order the term reprint was used by the printer to describe the balance of the stock being delivered.

These outer wrappers of the bricks are retained by Kiwipex 2006 and will be sold in due course.

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Errors!
The bricks of miniature sheets were handed intact to our printer for overprinting, and were received back unchecked.
Preparation of Rings (part III) miniature sheets for our mystery envelopes involved stripping sets of miniature sheets from 500 hangsell packs and separating them. A somewhat tedious task but this was completed before the overprinted Rings (part III) miniature sheets were received from our printer. Once they had been received various were affixed to blank FDC envelopes, and others were handed in to be cancelled. Unfortunately the quality control checker (the Kiwipex 2006 chairman) tired only too readily and a number of 40 cent Kiwipex 2006 overprinted Rings (part III) miniature sheets were found to be double perforated at the top.
One cancelled miniature sheet shows a complete double perforation strike. This will be offered for sale later.
We located a number (20) of similar miniature sheets but with oval perforations and narrow teeth at the top. These will initially be offered to supporting members – on a first come first served basis – with a normal overprinted Kiwipex 2006 miniature sheet for $30.00/pair. Any remaining oval perforated miniature sheets will be made available for general sale at the end of May 2005.

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Kiwipex 2006 customised stamps.

In early 2004 New Zealand Post sponsored the Wellington 2004 International Arts Festival by producing a 40 cent self adhesive stamp that featured the event’s logo. Just prior to the increase in domestic postal rates in April 2004 New Zealand Post was involved with the ANZ Bank. The ANZ Bank sponsored three different self adhesive 5 cent stamps – these were the first of the New Zealand Post customised stamps to feature the NZ Post button logo within a grey band at the right of the stamp.
Owing to a shortage of 5 cent definitive stamps New Zealand Post used the basic design of the customised stamps to produce the now infamous "5c Emergency" grey self-adhesive stamps. These had a sales period of about four weeks and proved difficult to acquire. Suffice it to say that Kiwipex 2006 has a quantity (400) of these booklets set aside for including in our mystery envelopes.
Following from the successes and disaster of the above stamps we are pleased to offer our readers Kiwipex 2006 customised stamps! Those astute enough to be a supporting member will have received one of the two different Kiwipex 2006 customised stamps on their envelope for the posted out newsletter 6.
Our stylised Kiwipex 2006 logo was used as the basis for one stamp whilst Fred, our friendly penguin, made another return to prominence – this time as the basis for a self-adhesive stamp. Formerly Fred was depicted on our Antarctic souvenir sheet # 4.   This time it is his mirror image that appears on a stamp.

Our Kiwipex 2006 customised stamps were printed in sheets of 50: 25 with our logo at the left side of the sheet and 25 with penguin Fred at the right of the sheet. A total of 1250 of each stamp exists (incidentally they cost us well over double face). We offer – subject unsold – complete sheets of 50 stamps, mint blocks of four of each stamp plus a block of four comprising two of each stamp, as well as first day covers and maximum cards. For obvious reasons we do not have many of the blocks with two of each Kiwipex 2006 stamp!

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Credit card orders will result in a Classic Stamps Ltd charge appearing on your statement. Please note that Kiwipex can no longer accept payment by AMEX or Diners card.

The 1906/7 Christchurch International Exhibition

(Thanks to Laurence Eagle for supplying the following snippets of information:)

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At a time when exhibitions were in vogue, Christchurch staged the New Zealand International Exhibition in 1906-7. Sponsored by the New Zealand Government, the exhibition was the biggest to be held in the country. Huge halls were constructed on a 5.6 hectare site in Hagley Park, and a branch railway line was built from Riccarton to service the complex. Exhibitors included the United States, South Africa, Canada, the UK, Fiji, Australian states, and even the Straits Settlement.
In 1903 Mr Seddon, New Zealand’s premier, suggested that it was time for a great exhibition. There was little enthusiasm. In 1904 the St Louis Exposition opened - with NZ exhibits.
Mr Seddon stated in 1904 that time was opportune and that 'I am still of opinion that the most fitting place is Hagley Park, and I hope to see the matter taken up with vigour'. £1000 was granted to meet preliminary expenses, and in November Seddon met with citizens of Christchurch. Committees were appointed during early 1905. The government appointed Mr. G.S. Munro as executive commissioner and Mr. E.J. Righton as secretary. Munro convinced Seddon that the government should finance the whole scheme.
On 18 December 1905 the foundation stone was laid by Mr Seddon, who gave a moving address, recounting Canterbury's and the nation’s progress, to date. This was regarded by many that attended, to be Seddon's greatest political speech. As one paper reported after the event: 'It was generally agreed that Mr Seddon never spoke with more effect to the people than on that occasion. The scene was picturesque. He stood bareheaded on the platform, with the flags of many countries flying above. The people were gathered in front, and behind them was the great stretch of Hagley Park, flowing away in beautiful undulations. The grey-headed premier, grown old in the country's service, spoke with exceptional warmth and hope for the future of the Colony he loved.'
The immense buildings were soon erected, and it was not long before the whole face of the northern part of Hagley Park was entirely changed.
The grandiose buildings included machinery, produce and concert halls, and in the south tower visitors took an electric elevator constructed by Turnbull and Jones, to ascend for the view from the top.
Attractions included a model Maori village complete with geyser, poi dancers and 'model Rotorua'. A ride on the water chute gave boatloads of screaming visitors a splashdown on to what is now called Victoria Lake. Amusements included the Laughing Gallery, Rocky Road to Dublin, Katzenjammer Castle and a Cyclorama depicting the Battle of Gettysburg from the American Civil War.
The official exhibition programme advertised 'good suits made to measure, 40 shillings', and sheet music of such popular songs as, 'I Wouldn't Leave my Little Wooden Hut for You' and 'Stop Your Tickling Jock'.
Sadly, Mr Seddon, died at sea on 10 June 1906 – five months before the Christchurch International Exhibition, opened to the public on 1 November 1906. It was open for five and a half months and closed on 15 April 1907. Registered admissions totalled 1.8 million whilst New Zealand's population at the time was about 900,000 and that of Christchurch was only 68,000.