Australia Post has celebrated the centenary of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research with the release of a stamp issue, inviting everyone across Australia to celebrate 100 years of discoveries that have improved the lives of tens of millions of people worldwide.

The stamp issue products include a first day cover, sheetlet pack, maxicard and a prestige booklet. Institute researcher Dr Tracy Putoczki is featured on the 70 cent stamp, alongside images relating to current institute research. Melbourne–based graphic designer Nicholas Girling has designed the centenary stamp issue.

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute director Professor Doug Hilton said the centenary was an opportunity to reflect on the institute’s significant past, and look ahead to the next 100 years of discoveries.

“I am thrilled that Australia Post has honoured the institute with the release of this stamp issue,” Professor Hilton said. “As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the body and disease, we hope to benefit the lives of many more people.”

Australia Post Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute was an icon of Australian innovation, knowledge and service to the community. “This stamp issue highlights a centenary of achievements which we trust will resonate with all Australians,” he said.

The institute’s significant contributions to humanity include developing snake antivenoms, pioneering the method for growing flu vaccines, and treating autoimmune diseases with drugs that suppress the body’s immune system. Perhaps the most significant achievement to date has been the discovery of blood hormones that boost infection-fighting white blood cell numbers after chemotherapy, already benefitting more than 20 million cancer patients.

Historic Australia Post stamps have featured some of the institute’s, and Australia’s, most influential researchers, including Nobel Prize winner Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, Professor Donald Metcalf and Sir Gustav Nossal.

The institute’s centenary celebrations were officially launched in February by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Tony Abbott, who unveiled an LED curtain that illuminates the Parkville campus, paying homage to the discoveries made within the institute.

The coming months bring many opportunities for the wider community to learn more about the institute’s discoveries. Public talks, discovery tours and a series of events at Melbourne’s Federation Square during August are part of a lively calendar of festivities designed to delight those of all ages and interests through art, comedy and music.

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research is a charity focused on understanding, preventing and treating cancers, immune disorders and infectious diseases. The institute is committed to translating scientific discoveries made at the lab bench into new treatments for patients.

The Centenary of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research stamp issue is available from 30 June 2015 at participating post offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at Auspost while stocks last.

Follow the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Facebook and Twitter pages for updates on centenary events, and follow the hashtag #WEHI100. 

Further information:

Liz Williams
Media and Publications Manager
M: +61 428 034 089
P: +61 3 9345 2928
E: williams@wehi.edu.au