The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: 1843 entire letter showing fine strike of rare “PAID AT/KORORARIKA/-N.Z.-” in red, addressed to the Wesleyan Mission House, London, rated “8” with Apr. 20 1844 arrival on reverse, the contents being minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Northern Section of the New Zealand district held at Mngungu on Oct 4 1843. Kororarika (today Russell) was named after a mistranslation from the Maori for “How sweet is the penguin”, was the first post office in New Zealand, the town itself largely destroyed during the First Maori War. Photo. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: Fine centrally struck “KORORA/I/26 OC/01” c.d.s. on 1900 Pictorial 1d. (S.G. 274a). This believed to be the only surviving example of this datestamp although the Korora (Maori for Little Blue Penguin) office was open from 1901 to 1913. Wooders rated 9. Photo. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04: First Relief Expedition, “NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION/(penguin watching sunrise)/S.Y. “MORNING” printed heading on complete lettersheet (266 x 221mm, folded to 133 x 221mm), unused. Photo. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04, Canterbury Times postcards, set 1 “Emperor Penguins”, set 2 “Emperor Penguin Rookery at commencement of the Great Ice Barrier” and “Emperor Penguin with Young in Pouch”, unused. Wharton DE-5, DE-19, DE-20. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04, Christchurch Weekly Press First series postcard from “H.M.S.Morning/Antarctic Relief/Ship Lat. 65¡ 18’ S/Lon 179¡ 9’ 0” W Ross Sea” dated “Dec 25th 1903” written and signed by seaman Leonard Burgess on the Second Relief Expedition ship addressed to Leonard W. Storey in Christchurch, “Icebergs abound us, thick of snow but calm”, bearing 1d. Universal cancelled by Lyttelton squared circle. Wharton DC-3. Photo. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04, Christchurch Weekly Press First series postcard headed and dated from “H.M.S. Morning, Antarctic Relief Ship/Sunday Jan 17th 1904/Lat. 77¡ 49’ 0” S”, written and signed by seaman Leonard Burgess on the Second Relief Expedition ship addressed to Janet Storey in Christchurch, “We are as Far South as we can get now. It is all up at getting the Discovery out now , we are blasting today but it is no use. Two sledge parties has left the ship to fetch things from the Discovery”, bearing 1d Universal cancelled by Lyttelton squared circle with Christchurch Apr. 4 1904 arrival c.d.s. Wharton DC-4. An important item of Antarctic history, the S.Y. “Morning”, together with the “Terra Nova”, had been sent to evacuate the Discovery if she could not be freed from the ice. A log of the voyage, compiled by Burgess is held in the Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Photo. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09, Photographic postcard (unknown publisher) with “Nimrod” and Shackleton depicted inside lifebelt, oval vignette of penguins below, inscribed “THE RETURN OF THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION/LYTTLETON MARCH 1909/N.Z.”, used 1912 under cover from Auckland with lengthy message on reverse. Wharton GG-2 (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: 1964 Health 3d.+1d. Little Blue Penguin (Korora) showing spectacular downwards shift of black shift, unmounted mint with trivial gum disturbance. With normal for comparison. S.G. 823 var. Photo. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: Framed “POSTAGE PAID/SOUTHLAND/MUSEUM/(penguin/INVERCARGILL, N.Z./PERMIT No. 903” franking on stampless envelope to Christchurch. Very scarce, this the only example seen by the vendor. (Image1)

The Helen Davis Collection of Penguins: New Zealand: 1988 Native Birds 80c Fiordland Crested Penguin, unmounted mint dramatically misperforated block of six (2 x 3) from the left of the sheet, fine, also 1992 (May, June) $8 Penguin booklet, two printings. S.G. SB61a. Photo. (Image1)