Perc Meara was one of the first philatelists to undertake a systematic study of post-1937 recess-printed stamp issues of the Australian Commonwealth.  These stamps, produced using new technology, required very careful and minute examination in order to reveal the techniques used in their manufacture.  Perc was a leader in this field right into the 1970’s, much of his earlier work being undertaken with Chas Dunn.  Much of our knowledge of this period comes from the observations made by Perc of these stamps when they were current.  It is no coincidence that many of the dates for the recorded changes of paper, perforation and plate layout are those of first sightings in Brisbane.

The results of this research was publicised in Philately from Australia, the Bulletin of the Australian Commonwealth Collectors Club of NSW, and the Bulletin of the Australian Commonwealth Specialists’ Society of Great Britain (now the British Society of Australian Philately). Most of these articles remain the most important source of information available on the subjects treated.  Indeed an article entitled “Laying down the Australian Master Plate” published in 1958, is probably the single most important article on Australian Commonwealth philately ever written.  He formed a very important research collection of Australian stamps 1937-1970 on which much of his research was based.

Despite this body of work, Perc is best known as the editor of the Australian Commonwealth Specialists’ Catalogue from 1965 to 1982, and under his guidance this already well-established catalogue was maintained and continually improved.