For Evelyn O’Neill, a stamp is never just a stamp. It is a story, a snapshot, a “miniature artwork”.
It’s a way of seeing the world that has stayed with the Nelson philatelist since childhood, when stamp collecting was less a hobby and more a household rule.
“Back when I was a kid, my father collected stamps, and so, because my father collected stamps, my mother had to collect stamps, then us kids had to collect stamps.”
Growing up in Temuka, she remembers buying stamps with her pocket money in the 1960s.
“They would come in the post, in little booklets,” she recalls.
Now, that lifelong passion and the stories behind it, will be part of the Collecting History event, hosted by the Nelson Philatelic Society at Founders Heritage Park on 18 April.
Over the years, Evelyn’s collection has grown beyond counting and she has “no idea” how many stamps she owns.
She has also inherited her siblings’, mother’s and father’s collections.
“We collected New Zealand stamps, but we also chose a different country each to start collecting.”
Evelyn chose Great Britain, while her father collected American stamps.
“He died in 1974, so the album only goes up to that year, and when I inherited it I actually decided to back fill it.”
That careful back-filling has become something of a mission.
She has also back-filled her father’s New Zealand album and says there are now “very few gaps”, though the remaining ones are “very expensive”.
Evelyn admits she took a break from stamp collecting for about 10 years as a teenager, which meant a lot of catching up later.
“I decided that I was never going to get behind again, because that was a horrendous task,” she laughs.
These days, she keeps pace with a standing order through NZ Post, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.
But Evelyn doesn’t follow the traditional rulebook when it comes to philately.
Instead, she arranges stamps into themed collections and “stamp stories” – kind of like a mini book or magazine with stamps as artwork.
Evelyn says collecting stamps is not an investment for her – it’s a hobby.
“I’m doing it because I get a lot of pleasure out of it.”
Like many collectors, she admits she can fall down “rabbit holes”, and she has recently been drawn into postal history, particularly local postmarks.
“I’ve actually taken on the task to collect the Nelson region. I’ve been able to get the list of all the post offices that have ever existed, and data on them.”
That interest will be on display at Collecting History, where Evelyn is working with fellow society member David Loe on a project documenting the post offices and postmarks of Waimea South.
David says the event is a chance to explore the stories behind the things people keep, whether stamps, family history or long-forgotten collections tucked in away the attic.
Expert appraisals will be available, alongside displays including diecast model cars spanning the 1930s to the 1980s. The New Zealand Society of Genealogists, along with the Waimea South and Nelson Historical Societies, will also attend.
David encourages anyone with old stamp collections to bring them along to the event.
“It’s actually quite fun and rewarding. A lot of us have that itch and want to scratch it. History isn’t boring.”
Collecting History runs from 10am–4pm at Founders Heritage Park on 18 April. Entry is free.
