Ian McMahon began schoolboy collecting in his home State of Queensland. However his philatelic prowess and skills blossomed when he moved to the national capital and joined the Philatelic Society of Canberra in 1978.  Since that time his contributions to organised philately at Local, State, National and International level have been outstanding. These include:

• the Council of the Philatelic Society of Canberra from 1986 to present in many roles including President 1991-94 and from 2009;
• the ACT Philatelic Council 1989-present, President 1991-99 and from 2002-present;
• the APF Executive from 1996-09 in a variety of roles including President 2003-05 and Secretary 2007-09;
• a Bureau Member of the FIP Postal Stationery Commission since 2006.

He brought to all these positions dedication and enviable administrative skills always accompanied by quiet, unruffable efficiency.

Exhibiting & Judging

Ian has a diverse range of collecting interests and is a regular exhibitor at National Shows in Australia and New Zealand as well as at FIAP and FIP Exhibitions. His major interest and successes are those of Postal Stationery especially of Canada, New Zealand and modern Australia.  He qualified as a judge at State level in 1996, at National level in 1999 and as Postal Stationery judge with FIAP in 2008 and with FIP in 2009.  He has been a jury member at numerous national shows, often as Chair or Secretary, and is qualified to judge in a range of classes. Canberra is unique in that commencing in 1980 it launched a continuous series of major biennial shows and Ian has played a major role in the organisation of all of these events since 1988.  He is also an experienced and widely travelled Australian Commissioner to a range of FIAP and FIP shows.  Ian is always prepared to assist with training courses for new exhibitors and judges at all levels of competitive philately.

Research & Publications

Ian has been a prolific contributor to a range of journals and his bibliography of articles and monographs since 1987 lists over 200 entries.  These included Australian and overseas publications as diverse as archival research into early Queensland railway postal rates to APF brochures such as `I have just inherited a stamp collection'.  Especially praiseworthy is his association with the Postal Stationery Society of Australia; he has been the driving force and editor of its journal, the Postal Stationery Collector, since its inception in 1995.  His personal contribution to listing and describing items of modern Australian postal stationery deserves special note.