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History of the Cairns Stamp Club

Cairns Stamp Club was originally formed on 13 September 1935, when a group of around 14 people went to Norton's Cafe on Abbott Street to discuss stamps and listen to one another's lecturettes and displays. This group met every month, seldom missing a meeting and came from as far a field as Babinda. Each person would bring pieces from their collections spanning the globe, with the collectors corresponding with societies in places such as Pretoria, Israel, Egypt and France.

The collectors each had their own area of specialty and after travelling would return with new foreign stamps to discuss with the rest of the group. On occasion a member would donate a stamp or series of stamps as a raffle or prize, including one very generous lady who donated a set of 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge mint complete, worth around 5/7 - far more than pocket money back in 1935.

By 1938 the club merged with the Naturalist Club and they held their first exhibition at the Hibernian Hall. The admittance charge of 1/- was considered most pricey and caused much controversy, however was well attended by the public.

In November of 1941, with the threat of World War II looming, the club was temporarily disbanded. On 30 December 1942 at a special meeting at the American Red Cross Library the decision was made to go into recess since many members were away on military service or in war-related work.

On a Friday the 13th in 1945 the Cairns and District Philatelic Society had their Annual General Meeting at the Masonic Club rooms with 21 in attendance. Dr Flecker was named the club's patron and the club then began to function as before.

As the years passed, less members started showing up at meetings. For several years there were only 5 or 6 in attendance at the monthly meetings, however all were passionate and interested in theirs and others stamp collections. The last minutes recorded were in July of 1955 when the club ceased operating for another 21 years.

On 27 October 1976, 17 male and female stamp enthusiasts in Cairns reformed what is now known as the Cairns Stamp Club. They were equally as enthused about stamps as their fore bearers and held a stamp exhibition in the National Australia Bank during National Stamp Week. Again dwindling numbers caused a brief hiatus until after some media and publicity in 1979 brought the Cairns Stamp Club back under it's new name.