Australia 2026 "Creatures of the Palaeozoic"

U N D E R     C O N S T R U C T I O N 

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Issue Date	10.02.2026
ID	Michel: ; Scott: Stanley Gibbons: ; Yvert et Tellier: ; Category: pR
Design	Illustration: Peter Trusler Stamp typography and product design: Jason Watts, Australia Post Design Studio Medallion cover and collection design: Keith Downes, Pixelad
Stamps in set	4
Value	AUD 1.70 - Nesonektris Aldridgei AUD 1.70 - Emu Bay Shale Monster AUD 1.70 - Anomalocaris Daleyae AUD 1.70 - Redlichia Rex Many other sea creaturess featured on the margins of the Mini-Sheets
Emission/Type	commemorative
Issue place	Adelaide, SA 5000
Size (width x height)	stamps: 37.5mm x 26mm Mini-Sheet: 170mm x 80mm
Layout	Four Sheets of 50 , Mini-Sheet of 4, Four Mini-Sheets in Prestige Booklet.
Products	FDcC x2, MC x4, PP x1, Medallion Cover x1, Gutter Pairs x4,
Paper	Tullis Russell 104gsm Red Phosphor/Blue PVA Stamp
Perforation	13.86mm x 14.6mm
Print Technique	Offset lithography
Printed by	bpost Philately & Stamps Printing
Quantity
Issuing Authority	Australia Posta

On February 10^th, 2026, the Post Authority of Australia, introduced a stamp set "Creatures of the Palaeozoic". These stamps were printed in individual sheets and in a Mini-Sheet of four stamps with many additional palaeozoic sea creaturess featured on its margins.

According to official press release, this issue features prehistoric creatures that lived on our continent around 500 million years ago, in the early Cambrian Period of the Palaeozoic Era. At this time, organisms had not yet emerged from the water to live on land. They had, however, developed skeletons, shells and other external and internal hard structures through the process of biomineralization. This evolution started an “arms race”, where some animals developed hard body parts to prey on other organisms. These prey animals in turn evolved features such as spines, hard coverings, digging and fast-swimming mechanisms to avoid being eaten.
The fossils of the extraordinary early Cambrian creatures on the stamps were found in Emu Bay Shale deposits on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. This stamp issue represents the latest in palaeontological research. The artist, Peter Trusler, has collaborated with palaeontologist Associate Professor Diego Garcia-Bellido of the University of Adelaide in the illustration of this issue.

Products and associated philatelic items

FDC		First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Medallion Cover	Presentation Pack	Prestige Booklet
Maxi Cards	Gutter Pairs

References

Internet resources

• Technical details and official press release:
  Stamp bulletin No. 399, 2026 of Australian Post.

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