Reading Time: 4 minutes Rural Women New Zealand have partnered with NZ Post to create a stamp collection that celebrates the organisation’s centennial year. Two iconic rural women images, now feature on a special edition centennial postage stamp. The just announced Rural Women New Zealand 100 Yearsstamp collection features the bush nurse and Rural Women rose. This collaboration between Rural Women New Zealand and NZ Post has been years in the making. In 2017, as Rural Women New Zealand began to look ahead to its
centennial, a call went out to all members asking for ideas on how to celebrate. Jean Hamilton had just come home from a local branch meeting when she stumbled upon Plunket Society’s centennial stamp collection. “I had just come in from the meeting and thought yes! Centennial! That’s what we need, a stamp,” she said. Jean alongside her late husband, Maurice Hamilton, has been a keen collector of NZ Post stamps for most of her life. But it was when their son was born that
they began collecting more seriously, purchasing every issue each year. “I’ve got 42 years’ worth of NZ stamps hidden away! I’ve probably got most of NZ stamps since the 1980s at least and well before that.” Jean said stamps and the post have always been a great part of her life. “It was just a thing back then. You’d collect stamps and then swap them at school. “You know when I left for university in Dunedin, home wasn’t too far away, but it was a
thing you did, that you sent a letter home every week to tell your parents you were ok. Phone calls were quite serious when we were young, so we would send a letter instead,” she said. When Jean retired from her busy career as a teacher, she moved rurally and retrained as a meat inspector, a job she says was stressless compared to teaching. With her children leaving home, Jean found herself with more time and a growing sense of isolation, prompting her to seek
connection. While she found community through joining Rural Women New Zealand, she also found comfort in the simple ritual of receiving and collecting the post. “Postage was a big thing, especially in the country. You’d look forward to receiving the post because it was something new, a way to connect with the outside world and find out about what’s going on” she said. Jean is an avid writer and although she doesn’t write letters as much anymore, she still collects NZ Post stamps for the
novelty and tradition. When she first saw the centennial stamp designs, she was delighted to spot the Rural Women rose among them. The flower holds special meaning for her, as she bought one to plant in the large Otama garden she lovingly tends in memory of her late husband. Rural Women New Zealand National President Heather Sorensen says the new centennial stamps are fantastic. “We don’t do things by halves here at Rural Women, and we have certainly celebrated our Centennial year in style. From
a beautiful rose, a blue colour changing gin, limited edition tea towels and merchandise and now these stamps. “For the last 10 months members from around the country have gathered for high teas, dinners and celebrations in all regions, each member marking our 100-year journey in a way that was unique to them,” she said. Imagery featuring the bush nurse and the Rural Women rose have become symbols of the organisation’s centennial. “The bush nurse is an example of how our forebearers solved the problem
of a lack of healthcare in isolated areas, we sent nurses on horseback to where the need was. The Rural Women Rose, created by Matthew’s Nursery, thanks to our Fordell Mangamahu Branch raised money for the Whanganui Education Bursary,” said Heather. NZ Post Collectables Programme Manager Lynette Townsend says commemorating RWNZ’s centennial offered a fantastic opportunity to highlight a nationally significant women’s organisation. “NZ Post has always been proud to celebrate organisations that support their communities and champion good causes, and dedicated stamp collectors like
Jean are a huge part of why we are able to continue commemorating our culture and history through stamps,” she said. Rural Women New Zealand 100 Years stamps are available for pre-order now, and available in-store from the 3 June 2026 – 2 June 2027 from here. Rural Women New Zealand has been providing support and connection for 100 years. For $50 a year you will join a community of support, connection, and inspiration. Join here. RWNZ has established a news and insights partnership with
AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. RWNZ news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.
Rural Women New Zealand, NZ Post, centennial stamps, bush nurse, Rural Women rose, stamp collection, Jean Hamilton, Lynette Townsend, Heather Sorensen