Joint Issue Australia-Sweden

On 16th August 2001 Sweden and Australia released a joint issue, engraved by Czeslaw Slania, featuring the Swedish botanist Daniel Solander (1733-1782).  The Swedish stamps were engraved by Lars Sjööblom, and the Australian stamps by Czeslaw Slania.  There is a distinct difference between the two engravings.

• Sweden 2001.  Daniel Solander (engraved by Lars Sjööblom).

• Sweden 2001.  Booklet cover of the Swedish issues, showing a portrait of Solander, attributed to William Parry, and shown on the cover by permission of the Linnean Society of London.  

• Australia 2001.  Daniel Solander (engraved by Czeslaw Slania). 

He was born in Piteå Gammelstad in the northernmost part of Sweden.  After studies at the University of Uppsala (Sweden) under the auspices of Carl von Linné, he was sent to England to teach the Systema Naturae, Linné's system for classification of plants, animals and minerals.  

Solander is better known abroad than in Sweden, and several different public squares have been named after him, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, where he is considered the Father of Pacific Botany.  Already in 1914 a stately monument featuring him was inaugurated in Botany Bay in Australia. 

Solander also travelled to Iceland for professional researches, and at his death in 1782, he worked with British Museum in London.

• There are two different first day covers in this set: above the Swedish First Day Cover, cancelled for Australia in Botany (New South Wales) on 16th August 2001, and for Sweden in Uppsala, also on 16th August 2001.  The Australian cancel shows one of the plants discovered by Solander, and the Swedish cancel the ship Endeavour, on which he travelled with James Cook 1768-1771. 

• The Australian First Day Cover is cancelled only in Botany (New South Wales) on 16th August 2001, and - since Slania has engraved the Australian stamps, the cover also bears his signature. 

Stamp design is by Melinda Coombes, Melbourne.
Stamp engraving is by Czeslaw Slania, Stockholm.
The stamps are printed in Sweden (intaglio and colour offset).
Cover design is by Belinda Marshall, Australia Post Design Studio. 

Solander came in contact with the reputed botanist Joseph Banks, and through his friendship with Banks he had the opportunity to accompany him on Captain James Cook's journey of discovery 1768-1771 on Endeavour.  The eastern coast of Australia was sighted on 19th April 1770.  At Botany Bay the two botanists were able to go ashore and gather hundreds of new plants.  Their next major landfall was at Endeavour River in northern Queensland.  Although now remembered as Cook's voyage, at the time it was Banks and Solander who received popular acclaim.  Newspapers were full of stories of their exploits and the two men were presented to the King.  The specimens they brought back incited a great deal of interest.  

• Australia 2001.  Two beautiful maximum cards, each prepaid with one of the stamps and first day cancelled in Botany Bay on 16th August 2001.  Both cards are signed by Czeslaw Slania.  

Link:

• Australian National Botanic Gardens, Daniel Solander Biography 

• More about Capt. Cook and "Endeavour" on Stamps