Several families from Peasmarsh, East Sussex, left England bound for New South Wales in 1838. British government agents had recruited them to bring their agricultural skills to the colony. Among the group was Maria Ann Smith, the descendant of a long line of fruit tree growers. Maria and her husband settled in present-day Eastwood, Australia, where they labored for other farmers. They eventually bought land in the region, which features a warm climate, ideal for fruit growing. One day Maria discovered a seedling in her compost, which may have taken root in a shipping crate she brought home from the local market. Soon, her “Granny Smith” seedling was developed by others and began winning prizes in the cooking apple class. Long after Maria’s 1870 death, Granny Smith apples became a commercial success that accounted for a major share of Australia’s annual exports. Granny Smith apples are crisp and hard with an acidic taste. Firm and resistant to bruising, the variety exports well and became the first truly “international” apple. These traits – and the “apple core” play on words – may explain why the Beatles chose the fruit as their Apple Corps record logo. Ironically, Sir Paul McCartney’s favorite residence is his farmhouse in Maria Smith’s English village, Peasmarsh. Artist John Burgoyne created the apple artwork for this stamp using watercolor with pen and ink before adding finishing touches with computer software.