2021 – Andrew Martin
In recent years it has been very noticeable that the number of volunteers in the hobby has been diminishing due to ageing and the lack of younger members taking their place.
One volunteer, from the Philatelic Society of Rockingham and Kwinana Districts (PSRKD), is a notable exception. Andrew Martin has dedicated many hours of his time in promoting youth philately. Andrew has organised and manned the Youth table at most fairs and shows for many years, encouraging many hundreds of youth to take an interest in the hobby.
As a dedicated club member of PSRKD, Andrew has been a committee member, conducted the monthly auctions and maintained the club’s library.
The Western Australian Philatelic Council is very pleased to award Andrew the first ever Honorary Life Membership of the WAPC for his youth work and dedication to philately.
Keith Michaelson
President, WAPC
2025 – Johanna Stafford
Stamp collecting enjoys widespread enthusiasm, and stamp exhibitions provide collectors with a platform to display their collections and engage with fellow enthusiasts. Behind many successful state exhibitions stands a dedicated individual whose contributions have significantly enriched the Western Australian philatelic community—Johanna Stafford.
Johanna’s involvement with stamp exhibitions began in 2004 when she volunteered at the National Stamp Exhibition in Australia (Swan River Stamp Show 2004). Since then, she has played an integral role in both state and national shows, undertaking responsibilities that include:
- Managing bin rooms and overseeing the mounting and dismounting of exhibits
- Designing and producing certificates, exhibit numbers, and award ribbons
Her tireless service has earned the respect of peers and organizers alike.
Beyond her volunteer duties, Johanna has served as webmaster for the Western Australian Philatelic Council (WAPC) since 2011. She maintains the websites for the WAPC, the Philatelic Society of Western Australia, and the Australian Postcard Society. More recently, she spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive digital archive for the WAPC, locating, cataloguing, and scanning thousands of historical documents and adding a dedicated archive section to the council’s website.
About the WAPC Archive
The online archive houses letterheads, forms, and other documents useful to WAPC committee members, as well as recent meeting records (the past five years) and materials dating back to 1984‑85. Over several years, thousands of records from WAPA, WASPC, and WAPC meetings were collected, sorted, and scanned at 200 dpi. While physically preserving every document proved impractical, historically significant items were bound and stored at the Home for Philately in Perth; the remainder exists solely in digital form.
A curated selection of these scans is publicly accessible via the WAPC website. The complete digitised collection resides on a 2 TB external hard drive, which can be accessed upon request through the WAPC President. Although the archive is not exhaustive—gaps remain—it is hoped that additional materials will surface from private collections and be incorporated into the archive. To safeguard the integrity of the files, the archive section is password‑protected, with passwords known only to current and recent committee members. Most documents are saved as PDFs to prevent inadvertent alteration.
Johanna’s commitment to the Western Australian philatelic community extends far beyond routine volunteering. Her extensive involvement in state and national exhibitions, combined with her technical expertise as a webmaster and archivist, has profoundly benefitted collectors across the region. Her passion for philately and willingness to exceed expectations make her an invaluable asset to any stamp‑related endeavour.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, we proudly nominate Johanna Stafford for the WAPC Honorary Life Member Award.
President WAPC
John DiBiase MAP FRPSL