Stamp of approval for local social club

Entering 2023, the Strathalbyn Philatelic Society is welcoming new members and visitors to join its monthly meetings.

The social club has a long history in the local community after forming in 1979 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019.

With a shared interest in history and collections, about 13 members meet monthly for an auction of items such as stamps, covers or postcards.

Guest speakers attend most meetings to tell interesting perspectives on history and offer insights into their collections.

President Malcolm Twartz said members’ interests and collections are varied, but the common bond is often an interest in history.

“It’s not just sitting down and looking at stamps”, he explained.

“We endeavour to be social, so we might have a supper, and if someone’s having a birthday, we might celebrate that to.”

Mr Twartz has an interest in postal history and how communication has changed over the years, and collects post cards.

“These days people send messages through phones, Facebook, and Instagram,” he added.

But, because communication has been more complicated throughout history, the messages offer interesting insights into the culture of the time.

And other cards can have “fairly ordinary” messages such as: “the weather was hot”.

Secretary Lloyd Deer – a “mad coin collector” – also owns an amusing postcard, sent to his grandpa in 1908, and, being a leap year, the lady was requesting his hand in marriage.

“I started collecting stamps when I was a kid, then when I found out a different currency was coming in, I started collecting coins,” Mr Deer said.

“I’ve got pretty well every one except the 1931 penny.

“I’ve collected all the dollars and cents ever since.

“It’s not all about stamps, it can be about other collections and history-orientated things as well.”

That was the case for member Terry Pannell, who became “hooked” on the hobby.

His parents were stamp collectors and he ended up with nine collections, working on them pre and post his time in the Navy.

“Because of my military background, I got into the history of where I was living and where I was going,” he said.

Treasurer Bronwyn Holdsworth is an inaugural member, collecting stamps with cats, golf, cricket, football, tennis, and Christmas since she was a teenager.

“It’s just a relaxing but interesting little hobby,” she said.

Visitors and new members are welcome to attend meetings held on the second Monday of each month at the Lutheran Church, North Terrace, Strathalbyn, from 8pm.

For further information, contact Secretary Lloyd Deer on: (0428 596 119).