COVER N. 563 - FRANCE - NEW CALEDONIA

Postmark: Nouvelle-Calédonie Pondimié 26.02.2025 

Posted on the 26th February; Received on the 10th March 2025

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Thanks to Eric and Marianne for the opportunity to add another cover from a rather uncommon origin to my collection.  Muito Obrigado Eric; Un grand Merci, Marianne.

La Nouvelle-Calédonie is not the kind of place that you hear much about in the news, and I am sure the fact that it is the most distant territory under administrative supervision by another country anywhere in the world highly contributes for this.

In fact Nouméa, the capital, lies 16,000 km away from Paris...

We have a saying in Portugues: longe da vista, longe do coração... away from the eyes, away from the heart.... and although I'm sure that a relationship that has endured since the mid 19th century must have extended its roots deeply into the administrative framework that governs it, the geographical remotness and the natural socio cultural diferences it implies must pose strain on the relation...

Since the 80's independence has been the subject of at least three referenda. So far, those prefering to maintain the ties with the French Republic have been the majority (although not an overwhelming one), but things are far from settled as attested by the events of 2024, which led to the declaration of a State of Emergency and the reinforcement of the military presence on the islands, following protests that caused at least 13 deaths.

At the root of the protest, as far as I understand it, was a constitutional ammendment passed by the French Parliament  allowing immigrants coming from the mainland recently residing in New Caledonia to vote in local provincial elections, what  was considered by the Kanak population (the indigenious population of the islands) as a way of diluting the strenght of their vote  and reinforcing that of those opposing indepence.

Things have since became calmer as diplomacy makes its way behing the stage curtains, but the independence impetus is quite a strong force to contend with, so only time will tell if Nouvelle Calédonie will one day cease to be a sui generis collectivity of the French Republic to become a full fledged independent state.

Marianne used three very nice stamps from a set of four, all with a face value of 110 Francs, issued on 08NOV2018 in souvenir sheet format, dedicated to the pollinators of New Caledonia.

From Left to right we have:

- our well known common European bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) which was probably locally introduced by Europeans settlers;

- a Flying fox (Pteropus Ornatus) endemic to New Calledonia, with a "Vulnerable" IUCN classification

- Crow honeyeater (Gymnomyza aubryana), an endemic bird also endemic to New Caledonia and the South Pacific, which is classified as being Critically Threatened.

The 30 Franc small stamp is part of a 4 definitive stamp set illustrated with a stylised image of a Kagu, (Rhynochetos jubatus) the national bird of New Caledonia where its is also endemic.

So far this set has been reissued several times, since the first issue in 2016. The stamp on the cover is the 2019 imprint.

The postmark hails from Pondimié, on the east coast of Grand Terre, the archipelago's main Island

Marianne kindly included in the cover  a nice postcard with a map of New Caledonia

COVER N. 389 - FRANCE - DROM-COM - NOUVELLE CALÉDONIE

Postmark: Nouméa Ag.ce Philatélique - Nevlle Calédonie 08-12-2023

Posted on 8 December 2023; received on the 12th January 2024 

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The second Cover I got on the same day from Nouvelle Calédonie, this time thanks to Pierre!

Merci bien, Pierre!

The SNCASE (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud-Est) Caravelle was one of the first really successful jet civil aviation transport aircraft, its maiden flight having taken place in 1955 with its production running between 1956 and 1972, yielding a total of 282 aircraft of all manufactured variants of the type.

Union de Transports Aériens (UTA), a private aviation company established in 1963, ordered two Caravelle 10R, ( a variant of the initial model re-engined with Pratt and Whitney engines, of which only 20 aircraft were made) specifically for the service Nouméa-Sidney, which was operated with these aircraft from 1966 till 1978, although from 1972 on only one of the Caravelles was still in service with UTA since the other had been sold to another company abroad.

The 340 Franc stamp of the series “Avions d’Hier et d’Aujourd’hui” (Aircraft of yesterday and today) illustrated with the image of an UTA Caravelle on approach to Nouméa was issued on 24JUL2023.

COVER N. 388 - FRANCE - DROM-COM - NOUVELLE CALÉDONIE

Postmark: Nouméa Ag.ce Philatélique - Nevlle Calédonie 08-12-2023

Posted on 8 December 2023; received on the 12th January 2024 

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My list of mail from France's "Départements et Régions d'Outre-mer et Collectivités d'Outre-mer", DROM-COM, for short, keeps growing, thanks to the care and kindness of French friends. 

Um grand Merci pour Roland et Pierre, pour les sensationnels plis de Nouvelle Calédonie, reçues hier!

Super!

Nouvelle Calédonie is a territory comprising several archipelagos and islands in the South pacific, which came under French "possession" in 1853, through a simple annexation declaration made by a  rear-admiral Febvrier-Despointes... those were the days.....

In time the Island that gives the name to the territory would be transformed into a penal colony, from 1864 onwards, and amogst all those that were exiled to the distant Oceanic colony were no fewer than 5000 Communards, many of which would return to France after an amnisty in 1880.

The rise of self-determination and independence ideals in colonised nations that ensued out of the ashes of the second world war was also felt in Nouvelle Calédonie and even if the territory has gained ever growing authonomy following years of sometimes violent clashes during the 80s of last century, this is still at large an unsettled matter, which is reflected in the Administrative classification of the Territory as a suis generis collectivity, with the right to self-determination recognised by the central Adminsitration.

The Postal Services of Nouvelle Calledónie - Office des Postes et Télécommunications de Nouvelle-Calédonie (OPT-NC) - were present in the 76th Salon Philatélique d'Automne, held in Paris, between 8 and 10 November, last year.

This was the occasion chosen for my French friends to send me the two much appreciated Nouvelle Caledónie covers which I am posting on my blog, as attested by the very beautiful cachet with a swimming turtle on the envelope.

The Amédée lighthouse, a 56 metres high cast iron tower, whose 30,000 candela light can be seen from some 20 nautical miles away, is located in  Amédée Island, Nouvelle Calédonie.

The iron structure was built in Paris in 1862 and then transported by ship to Le Havre from where it embarked on its final journey to its destination, its local assembly being completed in 1865.

The stamp on the cover, illustrated with a magnificent rendition of the Amédée Lighthouse, carrying no face value but including a legend "International", which I believe is an indication of its intended purpose, although the release notes on La Poste site indicate that it is only to be used on mail originating in new Caledonia destinated to the DOM (départments d'Outre Mer) and Metropolitane France, was isued on 24JUL2023.

The Postmark hails from the Philatelic Agency of Noumea, the capital of Nouvelle Calédonie.