Australian Antarctic Territory: Macquarie Island

On Tuesday I got two cards: my first card from the Australian Antarctic Territory and one from Germany.

The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia since 1933, because of the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959 it is not recognised by the most countries. It is the largest part of Antarctica claimed by a nation. The Mawson Station opened as first Australian antarctic station in 1954. Today there are three Australian stations in the territory and some stations of other countries. The Australian stations are operated by the Australian Antarctic Division, which has its headquarters in Kingston on Tasmania.

The card shows a King Penguin and a dog on Macquarie Island. Macquarie Island is a sub-antarctic island. It is part of the Australian State of Tasmania and since 1948 the Australian Antarctic Division operates a permanent base on the island. It is located on the meeting place of two tectonic plates and is thus a site of major geoconservation significance. The dog was used during a successful pest eradication program, which aimed at the extinction of introduced non-native species. Macquarie Island is since 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The card is a maxicard. The stamp on it was issued on 9th September 2015 in a set of four stamps.

The card is prepaid.

Thank You very much Azzi!