The 25th Anniversary of The Norfolk Island National Park.

In this issue Norfolk Island Post  issued  4 postage stamps to celebrate 25 years of the Norfolk Island National Park on June 24, 2011. Four endangered endemic plant species are featured in this issue, which recognises the years of hard work by the park rangers and conservation volunteers. The featured species are the Norfolk Abutilon, Hibiscus Insularis, the Popwood, the Broad Leaf Meryta.

 The 25¢ stamp  features the Norfolk Abutilon, Abutilon julianae . This low growing plant was rediscovered on Phillip island in 1985.  Along with other species in imminent danger of extinction the Abutilon plants propagated from this single plant have been actively planted back on Norfolk Island.

In rehabilitation works around the parks and gardens, this Abutilon should not be confused with the Common Abutilon A grandiflorum which also grows on Norfolk but is a weed and grows into a shrub, where this endemic variety is more like a ground cover in habit. 

Palm Seed Industry of Norfolk Island

The Palm Seed industry began on Norfolk Island back in the 1880s when Belgium propagators travelled the world looking for different and exotic plants to grace the conservatories of the Belgium Aristocracy.

To commemorate the Palm Seed Industry, Norfolk Island issued the miniature sheet of stamps depicts the picking of the Kentia palm seeds. This issued was designed by Mary Butterfield, Issued 29th May 2007.

The Palm was extremely popular because it proved to be a hardy indoor and outdoor plant and was aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

The picking of the Kentia palm seeds on Norfolk Island can take several weeks to complete and is very labour intensive. The tall palm trees are picked by hand using ladders and ropes.The local people who still sell the seeds have the option to pick their own crop or have the local exporter and his team of palm seed pickers come to their home and do the picking.

The Kentia Palm seek industry on Norfolk Island began in 1923 and has survived throughout the years. The height of the industry was in the 1980s when a bushel of seed was sold for over $800.00.

Technorati Tags: Norfolk Island,Palm seed