This issue features the art of acclaimed British-born artist Eileen Mayo (1906–1994). The talented Mayo was a painter, printmaker, book and natural history illustrator, calligrapher, muralist, and a designer of tapestries, posters and stamps. A striking woman in her youth, Mayo also modelled for some of the best known artists of the era.

Mayo emigrated to Australia in 1952. During her 10 years in Sydney she continued her art practice and was awarded several prizes for printmaking. She also contributed stamp designs for the Postmaster-General’s Department (now Australia Post), including six featuring Australian animals and four depicting marine life for the new decimal currency. Her animal stamps gained worldwide attention: in 1960 the British Stamp Collector’s Annual awarded equal first place to the 1/- (one shilling) green platypus stamp. In 1961 her 11d (eleven pence) rabbit bandicoot (bilby) stamp was named among the world’s top 10 stamp designs while the 8d (eight pence) tiger cat (quoll) was noted for excellence.

In 1956 and 1957 Mayo also designed six remarkable travel posters for the Australian National Travel Association (ANTA), three of which are featured in this stamp issue. In 1962 Eileen Mayo moved to New Zealand, where she lived for the rest of her life. Here she continued making prints and also designed numerous postage stamp issues for her adopted country.