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HIGH COURT CENTENARY 1903-2003 This issue of two stamps and a miniature sheet commemorates the centenary of the High Court of Australia. About the High Court The High Court – the highest court in the Australian judicial system – was established in 1901 by Section 71 of the Constitution. The functions of the High Court are to: • interpret and apply the law of Australia; • to decide cases of special federal signifi cance including challenges to the constitutional validity of laws • and to hear appeals, by special leave, from federal, state and territory courts. Decisions made by the High Court are fi nal and are binding on all other Australian courts. The fi rst sitting of the High Court took place in the Banco Court of the Supreme Court Building in Melbourne on 6 October 1903. The distinguished Bench was made up of three men who had been prominent in the Federal 10 movement, all of whom had an intimate knowledge of the Constitution. The fi rst Chief Justice, Sir Samuel Griffi th was a former premier and former Chief Justice of Queensland. Sir Edmund Barton – Australia’s fi rst Prime Minister and the leader of Australia’s Constitutional Conventions – was appointed as Justice. Justice Richard O’Connor was a former Minister of Justice and Solicitor- General of NSW and the fi rst Leader of the Government in the Senate. From their fi rst judgments the Justices stamped the authority of the High Court over the State Supreme Courts and showed that the Court was a necessary and powerful arm of the newly created Commonwealth of Australia. The High Court did not have a permanent home until 1980, when the High Court Building in Canberra was opened by Her Majesty the Queen. The new building’s design, by Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Briggs Pty Ltd, was the result of a national architecture
competition held in 1972 and 1973. The design reinforces the ideals intended for the Court. The soaring ceilings and large windows symbolise the transparency of the legal process. Its space and light symbolise Australia itself. The building is located in the Parliamentary Triangle positioned to emphasise the Court’s independence from the legislative and executive arms of government. The designs The designs of the stamps and miniature sheet link the historical and contemporary life of the High Court. The 50c stamp features a portrait of the fi rst Chief Justice of the High Court, Sir Samuel Griffi th juxtaposed with the Constitutional text that made provision for the High Court in 1901. The text reads in part: ‘The judicial power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Federal Supreme Court, to be called the High Court of Australia…The High Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and so many other Justices, not less than two, as the Parliament prescribes’. In this stamp the archival image and old style typography used to render the Constitutional text calls to mind the historic foundation of today’s court. The $1.45 stamp, with its bold typography and colours, reminds us of the court’s contemporary face. The design combines a typographical representation of ‘Justice’ with a selection of signifi cant decisions made by the High Court throughout its history. These are: Engineers Case 1920; Bank Nationalisation Case 1948; Communist Party Case 1951; Boilermakers Case 1956; Payroll Tax Case 1971; Sea and Submerged Lands Case 1975; Territory Senators Case 1975; Tasmanian Dam Case 1983; Spycatcher Case 1988; War Crimes Act Case 1991; Mabo 1992; Wik 1996. The miniature sheet shows the extension of Sir Samuel Griffi th’s portrait from the 50c stamp and his signature. The border area of the 2 September 2003 Set of fi rst day covers (stamps, miniature sheet) miniature sheet shows headlines and excerpts from newspaper reports of major High Court rulings, further emphasising the Court’s enduring importance . The dominant colour used in the stamps and associated products is the traditional scarlet of the law. The words ‘High Court’ are highlighted to reinforce the pre-eminence of the High Court within our judicial system. As well as the gummed stamps and miniature sheet the issue includes fi rst day covers, a stamp pack and a set of two maximum cards. Additional information Blackshield, Tony; Coper, Michael; Williams, George, The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia, Oxford University Press, 2001. And on-line at www.highcourt.gov.au 11
Page 1 and 2: stamp bulletin AUSTRALIAN No. 271 A
Page 3 and 4: 150th 15OTH Anniversary ANNIVERSARY
Page 5 and 6: Maximum cards (SA) and Echuca (VIC)
Page 7 and 8: Self-adhesive products (roll, chequ
Page 9: Technical details Denominations....
Page 13 and 14: Specialist Notes Notes 30 to 31 Aug
Page 15 and 16: Postmarks Ordering postmark impress
Page 17 and 18: New from the Perth Mint H.R.H. Prin
Page 19 and 20: Another Golden Jubilee - the Bullet
Page 21 and 22: Olympic efforts 1956 2000 stamps,
Page 23 and 24: RUGBY WORLD CUP 2003 RAM collector
Page 25 and 26: Recent New Issues Mail Order Produc
Page 27: Also Recent Available Issues Mail O
Page 30 and 31: Mail Order Code Description of item
Page 32: AUSTRALIAN STAMP BULLETIN No. 271 A

stamp bulletin stamp bulletin - Australia Post Shop

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