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Story: French

Commemorating New Zealand’s discovery

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Commemorating New Zealand’s discovery

In 1997 a series of stamps was issued to mark New Zealand’s discovery by individual explorers from Kupe and Māui to James Cook. Honouring Jean François de Surville, this stamp features the anchor of his ship St Jean Baptiste, and the site at Tokerau near where his ship anchored. The French explorer Dumont d’Urville was also recognised in this series.

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New Zealand Post

Reference: 1997 Discoverers of New Zealand stamp issue

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How to cite this page

Tessa Copland, French – Explorers and missionaries, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/postage-stamp/1584/commemorating-new-zealands-discovery (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Tessa Copland, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.