The Society was established in 1947 by Donald Castle with an initial membership of 15 Sarawak collectors, operating under the name ‘The Sarawak Specialists’ Club of Great Britain’. In June of that year, the inaugural issue of a quarterly magazine, The Sarawak News Sheet, was published.
By September 1947, membership had increased to 39 individuals.
However, within a year of its inception, Mr. Castle emigrated to South Africa, resulting in a period of inactivity for the club.
A gathering took place at the headquarters of the Royal Philatelic Society, London (RPSL) on September 25th, 1948, attended by ten members. At this meeting, officers were elected, and the organization was renamed The Sarawak Specialists Society (SSS), with The Sarawak News Sheet being rebranded as the Sarawak Journal. The primary objective remained unchanged from its inception: the advancement of the study of the Stamps and Postal History of Sarawak.
The first president was Major C.A. Pogson, assisted by Mr. Geoff E. Hansford as secretary and Mr. L.H. Shipman as Librarian and Editor of the newly named ‘Sarawak Journal’. The Sarawak Journal has been published quarterly since 1947.
In 1956, it was decided to expand the Society’s scope to include Brunei for a trial period of one year. This expansion was deemed successful, leading to the inclusion of North Borneo and Labuan in 1958.
Despite the inclusion of additional territories, the Society retained its original name, the Sarawak Specialists’ Society (SSS), for a significant period due to sentimental attachment among old members.
However, on its 75th anniversary, the Society opted to change its name to better reflect its broader scope of interests. Hence, effective from January 1st, 2023, the Society was renamed the ‘Borneo Philatelic Society (BPS)’ following extensive consultation with its members between 2021 and 2022. The journal, however, retained its original name, the Sarawak Journal.
