15
FRIDAY, JULY 8 1988
I
SPECIAL STAMP SET FEATURES PEAK TRAMWAY
A SET OF FOUR SPECIAL STAMPS FEATURING THE CENTENARY OF THE PEAK TRAMWAY WILL BE ISSUED ON AUGUST 14, THE POST OFFICE ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE STAMPS ARE IN DENOMINATIONS OF 50 CENTS, $1.30, $1.70 AND $5. A SOUVENIR SHEET CONTAINING THE FOUR STAMPS WILL ALSO BE ISSUED AT $8.50.
IN ADDITION, STAMP BOOKLETS CONTAINING THREE SOUVENIR SHEETS WILL BE PUT ON SALE ON AUGUST 25. THESE WILL BE PRICED AT $26.
THE PEAK TRAMWAY IS HONG KONG'S OLDEST FORM OF MECHANISED PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND ITS ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, A POST OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE SUGGESTION THAT A PEAK TRAMWAY SYSTEM BE CONSTRUCTED WAS INITIATED BY A MERCHANT, MR ALEXANDER FINDLAY SMITH, IN 1881.
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 1885, AND THE RAILWAY WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR WILLIAM DES VOEUX, ON MAY 28, 1888. IT WAS OPENED TO THE PUBLIC TWO DAYS LATER.
THE ROLE OF THE TRAMWAY HAS UNDERGONE CONSIDERABLE CHANGES IN 100 YEARS, FROM PRIMARILY A MBANS OF TRANSPORT FOR COMMUTERS TO LARGELY A RECREATIONAL SERVICE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS.
TODAY, THE PEAK TRAM IS ONE OF HONG KONG'S MOST FAMOUS TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND LAST YEAR CARRIED OVER 2.7 MILLION PASSENGERS,
TIIF STAMPS AND SOUVENIR SHEET WERE DESIGNED BY MISS LILIAN TANG, ILLUSTRATED BY MISS KATHRYN BLOMFIELD AND PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA BY LEIGH-MARDON PTY. LTD.
OFFICIAL FIRST DAY COVERS AT 50 CENTS EACH WILL BE PUT ON SALE AT ALL POST OFFICES ON JULY 21.
FOR
THIS
PARTICULAR ISSUE,
INTRODUCED FOR HANDSTAMPING FIRST DAY
ISSUE.
A SPECIAL DATESTAMP WILL
COVERS ON THE FIRST DAY OF
ВЕ
FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED CLOSER TO THE DAY OF ISSUE.
/16