Mauritius 1950 Pictorial Definitives

1 cent  - Sugar Factory
Since its introduction, the manufacture of sugar has been the main industry on the island. The sugar cane was brought over from Batavia (Java) in 1650. The first factory, in Villebague, was set up in 1744 by La Bourdonnais using slave labour. By 1810 a total of some 10,000 acres were under cultivation with sugar cane.

2 cent - Grand Port
The scene on this stamp depicts Mahebourg Bay in the District of Grand Port. People and goods were transported to and from settlements in the north of the bay using a barge such as that depicted on this stamp.

3 cent - Aloe Plant
The variety is fourcroya gigantea (Mauritius Hemp plant) which grows wild on Mauritius. The leaves are used to produce a hemp fibre. The plant flowers annually at the top of a single stem; the stem can be anything between 5 and 7 metres high. These stems were used by the local population in the making of their huts.


4 cent - Tamarind Falls
The Tamarind river has a series of seven waterfalls known as the Tamarind Falls, which are considered a wonderful scenic sight. The stamp does not depict the true beauty of the scene. The water from these waterfalls is harnessed to produce electricity by  hydroelectric power.

5 cent - Rempart Mountain
Rempart Mountain is one of the many spectacular views to be found on Mauritius. It's located on the east part of the island and rises to a height of 545 metres. The mountains of Mauritius are the remnants of volcanos which have exploded millions of years ago. The mountain is mention in the story Paul and Virginia.

10 cent - Transporting Cane
Sugar cane is grown on 90% of cultivated land in Mauritius. At one time sugar accounted for 95% of exports, today 25% of export earnings come from sugar. Mauritius was, in the past, described as a land of "canes and hurricanes".

12 cent - Dodo and Map
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct bird which was at one time to be found on the island. The dodo became extinct sometime before 1700. The island is 39 miles long and 29 miles across and has an area of 720 square miles. The issued stamp shows the latitude incorrectly as 21° 10´ (instead of 20° 10´). When the same design stamp with the head of Queen Elizabeth was issued in 1954 this error was corrected.


20 cent - Legend of Paul and Virginia
The author, Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, visited the island of Mauritius in 1768. His novel was first published in 1787 and is based around an actual incident of the wreck of the ship Saint Géran in 1744 off Île d'Ambre, near the north east of Mauritius The story has been translated into many languages.

25 cent - La Bourdonnais Statue
Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais was born in France in 1699. In 1718 he entered the service of the French East India Company. In 1835 we was appointed  as Governor of the Île de France (Mauritius) and the Île de Bourbon (Réunion). He remained

La Bourdonnais died, in Paris France, in 1753. Several places were named after him, including Mahé in Seychelles and  Mahébourg  in Mauritius.

35 cent - Government House-Le R

duit was originally built in 1748 by Pierre Félix Barthélemy David, who was Governor of Mauritius from 6 October 1746 to 10 February 1753. It was used as the country residence of the Governor of Mauritius. When originally built it was also intended to be a place of safety for the women of the island in the event of a British attack.

50 cent - Pieter Both Mountain
At 820 metres

Pieter Both Mountain is the second highest mountain in Mauritius. The most notable feature is a 10 metre diameter rock which is balanced at the top of the mountain. It is named after Pieter Both, the first Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies, who was wrecked and drowned near Mauritius in 1615. The first person known to have climbed the mountain was Claude Peuthe, a Frenchman, in 1790. This claim was disputed by the next known successful expedition of 1848 led by Arthur Taylor.

1 rupee - Mauritius Deer
Deer were first introduced on Mauritius in 1639 by Adrien van der Stel. The original stock, a species known as Cervus Timorensis,

came from Batavia Java, on board the Dutch ship Cappel. In 1950 there were some 20,000 deer on the island.

2 rupees 50 cents - Port Louis
Port Louis is the capital of the island. In 1950 the population was about 58,000, and today the population is about 150,000. Port Louis was founded by the French around 1735 and was named in honour of King Louis XV. It is located on a mile long inlet, thus creating an excellent natural harbour. Port Louis is home of the Mauritius Stamp Museum.

5 rupees - Beach Scene
Mauritius possesses some of the most wonderful beaches in the world. The white sandy beaches, skirted by green palm trees, attract tourist from all over the world.

10 rupees - Arms of Mauritius
The coat of arms of Mauritius were granted in 1906 by King Edward VII. The College of Arms record describes the dodo and the deer as "each supporting a sugar cane erect proper". It was designed by the Lord Mayor of Johannesburg, Johann Van Der Puf.