Claims of Independence
Residents of Stewart Island/Rakiura have held a number of promotional fundraising mock events regarding a Declaration of Independence for the island and to have it renamed to its original name of "Rakiura".
In the late 1950s or even the early 1960s they had a local printer overprint “INDEPENDENT RAKIURA” on eight values of some earlier New Zealand postage and health stamps. There were also eight different values from one penny to £1 overprinted on these stamps as well as having their original values blotted out with small black circles. These were sold to collectors with the proceeds helping to refurbish the Rakiura Museum.
There was another fundraising effort to raise NZ$6000 for a new swimming pool for the island's school, by selling 50-cent passports for the newly "independent" island. A mock ceremony featured a Declaration of Independence on 31 July 1970 when the new republic's flag was unveiled.
These efforts were not serious attempts for independence, and Stewart Island/Rakiura remains an integral part of New Zealand.
Read more about this topic: Stewart Island / Rakiura
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