Some of the world’s biggest, longest and heaviest machinery are showcased in micro in Australia Post’s latest stamp series, Heavy Haulers, released today. 

According to Mr. Noel Leahy, Group Manager Philatelic, Australia Post, Heavy Haulers is an opportunity to highlight some of Australia’s heaviest machinery which operate largely in the country’s remote mining areas.

Heavy haulers play a vital role in Australia’s mineral industry, which reportedly represents 66 per cent of our total commodity trade. Yet despite their significance they remain largely out of sight and out of reach for most Australians.  This series is a chance to take these machines out of the more remote areas of Australia where they are generally used so that the general public can acknowledge just how awe-inspiring these machines are” said Mr. Leahy.

Designed by Jamie Tufry, responsible for two other stamp series ‘Down on the Farm’ and ‘Blast Off! 50 Years in Space,’ the heavy haulers featured include:

• Face Shovel: Weighing some 700 tonnes with an enormous 60-tonne capacity bucket, this machine is used for excavation as well as road making and drain digging.
• Haul Truck: The reigning beast in terms of size, this 200-tonne capacity truck is 23-feet high and wide with the cab sitting some 18-feet from the ground.  The fuel tank holds around 4,500 litres.
• Road Train: Linking more than two trailers behind a powerful cab, this machine was devised in Australia, apparently by a Dutch immigrant in the postwar period. While road trains often consist of between three and six trailers, some trucks are known to haul nine trailers and are only allowed to be driven on specific roads in Australia’s more remote areas.
• Ore Train: Commonly 2km long and containing three diesel engines with 200 cars, each of which carries 100 tonnes of ore.
• MS Berge Stahl: Ships are the world’s largest moving machines and the iron ore carrier, the MS Berge Stahl, is the largest bulk carrier in the world.  The carrier is a massive 364,767 deadweight metric tonnes; only two ports in the world (Rotterdam and Brazil) are capable of handling such a giant vessel. The Berge Stahl visited Port Dampier in WA in November 2006.

The 2008 Heavy Haulers stamps are available from participating Australia Post outlets and via mail order on 1800 331 794. Stamps are available in several collectible formats including First Day Covers, Stamp Pack, Stamp Booklet, Maxi Cards and rolls of stamps.

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