Australia Post Issues Stamps on Centenary of Powered Flight

Australia Post came out with three stamps on March 9, 2010 commemorating significant powered flights from it's early aviation history.

The first stamp feature Englishman Colin Defries with his modified Wright Model A powered aircraft named The Stella that took a sustained and controlled flight on December 9, 1909 at the Victoria Park race course in Sydney.

Another stamp shows famous American "escapologist" Harry Houdini and his imported Voisin aircraft. Houdini made the first of several well-publicised flights in Australia on March 18, 1910. Houdini's name is emblazoned on the plane's tail.

The last stamp to complete the set is of John Duigan who was the first Ausralian who flew an Australian-designed and constructed powered aircraft. Duigan's self-designed biplane flew 180 metres at 64kph at an altitude of 3.4 metres at his family property at Mia Mia, Victoria on October 7, 1910.