The Victorian Philatelic Council publishes VPC News quarterly.  It is issued in March, June, September, and December.

VPC News is distributed free of charge to:

• All Victorian Philatelic Societies and Stamp Clubs affiliated with the VPC

• Victorian based APTA members

• Youth club leaders

• Philatelic Managers at Collector Corner outlets of Australia Post

• Other Australian State Philatelic Councils

Advertising in VPC News is available:

¼ page $50 or $150 for four issues
½ page $75 or $225 for four issues
1 page $100 or $300 for four issues

Subscriptions to VPC News are available to other interested persons and organizations at a cost of $15 p.a. post paid.

An electronic version of VPC News is available on the APF website.  The format and contents of this version differs from the print version.  For instance, the listings of philatelic events and the listings of Stamp Clubs are already on the APF Site, and are not duplicated.

As well as our usual program- the Public Risk Insurance, VPC News, Club Listings, and support at Stamp Fairs, the VPC in 2008 is planning to

• Conduct an exhibitors’ workshop
• Organise its Congress (hopefully at a Melbourne venue – as training for our major exhibition in 2009)
• Promote APF booklets on philately
• Increase VPC information on the APF website
• Attract and respond to Club concerns and issues
• Liaise more effectively with Australia Post

If your Society, Club, or organization wishes to publicize its activities or publications to the broader philatelic community please send details to the editor at GPO Box 9800, Melbourne, 3001 or direct by email in Word, Publisher or pdf format to The Editor.  All contributions ought to be sent well in advance of the event because of the dates of publication of VPC News.  The closing date for material for the next issue of VPC News is 15th February for March 2008 issue.

VPC prints 400 copies of each issue of VPC News and these are sent to 140 different individuals or organizations.  VPC News is mailed out in the week prior to the first of the month each quarter.

Alex Stoneman
Editor VPC News
PO Box 66, Carisbrook Vic 3464
Tel: (03) 5464 2400
E-mail 

Transfer to our VPC page for details and more information about the VPC.

Why not promote your club or society on the world wide web by having your 2008 program on the APF website.   It's a free service.   Simply send your current program to the APF Webmaster (Denis Rosenfeld) at P.O Box 4087, Patterson, 3204, or send it via e-mail to darosenfeld@optusnet.com.au

A number of additional navigation buttons have been added to most pages on the APF website to make it easier to move around related pages as well as return quickly to the top of the page being viewed.   The Victorian Clubs, Victorian Fairs & Special Events and VPC pages all include these buttons to make moving between each easier than ever and without the need to go back via the Victoria home page.

Denis invites email contacts to be placed on the APF website for information about your Stamp Club or Society as more people are used to using the web for sourcing information. Do not submit private email addresses to Denis for inclusion unless the person is happy to receive such emails.

Entries are invited for Sunstamp 2008 to be held in Brisbane 22-24 August. The Queensland Philatelic Council Inc. Is the patron of this auspices of the APF. It is a Half National Philatelic Exhibition, with Traditional, Postal Stationery, Thematic, and Youth classes.  Full details, regulations and an entry form are available on the APF website.  Delivery of entries must be through the Victorian State Commissioner.

We need help!  An important contact with collectors is at the APTA and ANDA Stamp Fairs.  These attract many collectors and we distribute information about Stamp Clubs, booklets about stamp collecting, talk with them about the hobby, and put on philatelic displays.

The Fairs are on Saturdays and Sundays and the 2008 dates are: July 26/27; September 12/14; and November 8/9. Venues are Malvern Town Hall or Melbourne Tennis Centre. VPC volunteers get free entry.

Please get in touch with Alex Stoneman if you can help at any of these events.  We would be very grateful.

The new editor of this quarterly is Bernard Doherty.  The current edition has wonderful articles (fully illustrated) on how to arrange an exhibit. Congratulations to Charles Bromser, who has edited the last 25 issues. NAPE’s website is www.nape.info.

Click here for a full list of Victorian stamp clubs and societies affiliated with the VPC (as listed on pages 6 & 7 of VPC News).

Click here to view the current list of upcoming stamp fairs in Victoria (as listed on page 8 of VPC News).

Which was the first country to introduce Postage Due stamps?  France.   In what year?  1859

The winner is David Cotton of Bendigo.  P.S Congratulations!

In the early days of postage stamps not every country had the name of their country on the stamps.  The first was Great Britain, which still has the privilege. On page one of VPC News there are four postage stamps (below).

Name the country or issuing authority for each of these. The first two correct entries will win an overprinted mini-sheet.  Entries to the editor.

Hello I am 12 years. I am german. I collect used post stamps. Thank you very much. Please help me. I have not much.  Hagen Jargstorff, Eichholzweg 4, 25782 tellingstedt, germany E-mail: sigrid.jargstoff@jarsoft.de

NB  I cannot vouch for this enquiry. I assume his parents gave approval!  Alex Stoneman.

Did you know that the APF has a list of accredited speakers available to visit clubs?  That these cover a wide range of interests? That the APF provides funds to clubs for such visits?

If your club is interested in having a Visiting Speaker please contact the VPC Secretary – Peter Leitch, GPO Box 9800, Melbourne, 3001 - for help with an application or details of the speakers available. Full details will be in June VPC News.

Australia Post is applying to the ACCC to raise the cost of postage for a standard letter to 55c and to increase bulk mail charges.  Letters have cost 50c for the last five years.