In 1959^*1, the Festivals Committee of the National Council of Churches in New Zealand requested the Post Office to produce a Christmas stamp.

The suggestion to depict a reproduction of Rembrandt’s painting of the Nativity, “The Adoration of the Shepherds” located in the National Gallery, London was made by Miss J Fanning, Education Officer of the National Art Gallery of NZ. The stamp was issued on 1 November 1960.

Over 20 million copies of the stamp were produced, and at the time it was printed in a size larger than any stamp previously issued in New Zealand.

It wasn’t until 1977 that the Post Office introduced a cheaper postage rate for customers mailing Christmas Cards addressed to New Zealand addresses. The last year that this reduced rate was in place was for Christmas 1989.

The sending of Christmas cards in New Zealand however began way back in the 1860’s with imported cards from Britain, but by the 1880’s, local artists commenced using unique Kiwi scenes like the Pohutukawa tree and native landscapes^*2, moving from snowy winter themes to New Zealand local summer imagery reflecting a growing national identity and connecting colonists with home through  iconic NZ  flora and landmarks. Early cards were flat and later folded, with some historical events, soldiers, or local Maori figures, even if often manufactured overseas.

The Post & Telegraph Office, later the Post Office and more recently NZ Post have all played a part in connecting Kiwi’s at Christmas time through the delivery of Christmas mail and sending Christmas Greetings to its customers. The examples below are from Christmas 1901^3* and Christmas 1910^4*

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^*1 Refer https://collectables.nzpost.co.nz/christmas-1960/

^*2 Refer – https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22698780

^3* Refer – https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23078510

^*4 Refer – https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23105025

A “thank you” to Andrew McNiven for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

30/12/25