Ascension Island - Sydney Philatelics
Ascension Island lies in the South Atlantic at 7.55' south, 14.15' west. The island is quite small, approximately 34 square miles in area. Population 1350.Two Boats village is at the foot of Green Mountain and is the British base area. There are 44 major craters on this small island ! The island was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Joao da Nova Castella on Ascension Day 1501, but the island was not settled until the Royal Navy occupied it and built the first Permanent settlement in 1815. It was only occupied then to prevent the French from mounting a rescue mission to release Napoleon Bonaparte from his exile on St Helena, 700 miles (1000 kms) to the south. Ascension became H.M.S. Ascension - listed as a sloop of war, and until 1922 remained a British naval outpost and victualling station garrisoned by the Royal Marines. The small port settlement was first named Garrison, but was later renamed Georgetown after King George III. The Royal Marines left the island in 1922 when Ascension became a dependency of the British Crown Colony of St Helena. The island's administration was then delegated to the Eastern Telegraph Company now Cable & Wireless. In 1964 the administration of the island was delegated to an Administrator appointed by the Governor of St Helena.
Postal History
A datestamp was supplied February, 1858. Before 1887 the datestamp was usually applied to the cover rather than to the stamp. Regular surface mails were carried by the Union Steamship Co. and its successors from 1863 until 1977. Airmail services since 1972 have been routed to London in sealed bags by US military aircraft to Miami and thence by British Airways. Stamps from Great Britain were used from March 1867 to 1922.
Link to A Comprehensive Price List of Ascension Island
Wideawake Airfield was built during World War II - in 1942 by US Army engineers. St Helena still has no airstrip. Needless to say, Ascension Island has an extremely interesting history. One of it's most famous visitors was William Dampier - the 17th century explorer, buccaneer and Admiralty hydrographer who's ship the Roebuck was wrecked on the island in 1701.
• Sydney Philatelics • P.O. Box 122 Milton NSW 2538 •
• Phone: +61 (0)2 4455 4011 • Fax: +61 (0)2 8572 9911 •
• E-mail:info@stampsaustralia.com.au •
