Australia Post welcomes Year of the Tiger with new stamps

To that end, the tigers on the three stamps are holding in their upraised paws an array of traditional festive objects such as plum blossoms, firecrackers, lucky endless knots and a string of mandarins.

"There are quite playful elements in the design, but if you know about Asian culture, you'll understand there are deeper meanings," Lau said.

The plum blossom, for example, can survive harsh coldness so it has come to represent perseverance throughout harsh times.

Ultimately, Lau hopes the eye-catching designs could inspire people to seek out the meaning behind the Asian iconography, such as the firecrackers which ward off evil spirits.

"If people see these designs, they don't need to be Asian or Chinese to understand them, they just need to enjoy a nice picture and then they can find out more about the meaning," she said.

"I hope the stamps make people smile and give them a sense of fun," she said.

Tiger is the third zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The Chinese zodiac cycle contains 12 animals that record years and reflect people's attributes: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.