TELEGRAM FORMS USED IN AUSTRALIA By Ron McMullen Former Telegraphist, Telegraph Supervisor, Senior Postal Clerk, Instructor and Postmaster in the Australian P.M.G. Department. Colonial forms Pre Federation 1901 Each Colony produced their own forms for all telegraph business. They did not have an Urgent classification. Some of these forms were used for short periods post Federation, after which Commonwealth forms were used. New South Wales: N.S.W. Colonial terminating 1875. N.S.W. Colonial terminating 1882. N.S.W. Colonial originating (note prepaid stamp). Subtle differences N.S.W. Colonial originating (note prepaid stamp).
Electric Telegraph Dept. envelope. Reverse of Colonial originating form. E. T. telegram envelope. An unusual issue was of two Christmas greetings in 1891-1892. They were made by Officers of Post and Telegraph Departments (not named) as a greetings souvenir of Australasia 1891 1892. It is not known exactly how they were used. The text read: Where dashes and dots never tarry, O er wires that let none of them fall The fastest of flashes now carry Our best Christmas greeting to all. N.S.W. seals.
Terminating international 1800s. N.S.W. originating 1906 (post Federation). N.S.W. originating 1902. N.S.W. Urgent terminating. N.S.W. terminating 1916. Telegram envelope 1878. Back of envelope.
N.S.W.G.R. terminating 1890. N.S.W.G.R. 1891.. N.S.W.G.R. public message 1901. NSW Government Railways forms
Victoria: Victoria terminating 1858. Victoria prepaid 1/- c1873. Victorian originating prepaid 1/- c1870. Victorian originating 1870s. Victorian receipt for international telegram 1888.
Victoria terminating 1879 (delayed interruption to line). Victoria terminating 1877. Victorian terminating 1900. (Jenvey was the author Practical Telegraphy ). Victorian repeated telegram 1885. Victorian terminating 1907. Victorian originating 1908.
Victorian terminating at Albury NSW 1910. Urgent terminating 1919. Border towns often used the neighbouring state s forms. Victoria telegram envelope 1912. Victoria terminating 1913. Vic. E.T.O. (Electric Telegraph Office) 1903. Unusual to be used on what appears to be a registered letter. Victoria post Federation (No Victoria on top)
Victoria Cablegram 1916. Victorian urgent terminating 1916 (Ordinary similar). Victoria originating 1880s. Victorian terminating 1890. Victorian Railways inwards. Victorian Railways outwards.
Victoria Railways (Later known as V/Line). Queensland: 1880 Postal Note with telegram on reverse. 1880 Postal Note telegram printed on back. Queensland originating 1/- 1880. Queensland envelope 1880. Qld logo.
Queensland urgent terminating 1911. Queensland terminating collect 1892. Qld terminating 1906. Queensland Urgent terminating early 1900s. Railway telegram form. Early Queensland envelqueensland
South Australia: S.A. terminating 1862. S.A. originating from Todd 1877. S.A. originating 1878. S.A. terminating 1878.
S.A. originating 1890. S.A. Little to Todd 1894. S.A. originating 1894. S.A. terminating 1895. S.A. receipt for telegraph money order 1882. S.A. envelope 1890s.
S.A. originating 1905. S.A. terminating 1913. S.A. terminating 1918. S.A. terminating 1918. S.A. E.F.M. terminating 1918.
Western Australia: W.A. Prepaid originating c1870. Sold in books o f 20. W.A. one shilling stamp for attachment to originating telegram. W.A. terminating 1890s. W.A. Memorandum 1897. W.A. Memorandum 1906.
W.A. originating 1910. W.A. terminating 1912. W.A. terminating 1913. W.A. originating 1915. W.A. envelope1900. W.A. card to collect telegram from Post Office.
Tasmania: Tas. L & W Railway terminating 1873. Tas. L & W Railway originating 1873. Tas. terminating 1860. Tas. terminating 1863.
Tas. charges printed on back of some originating forms. Tas. originating 1870. Tas. originating 1871.
Tas. originating 1871. Tas. immediate originating 1871. Tas. originating 1874. Tas. memorandum 1875. Tas. repeated 1884. Tas. telegram envelope 1888.
Tas. telegram envelope. Tas. originating 1884. Tas. terminating 1887. Tas. originating 1895. Tas. envelopes.
Tas. terminating 1900. Tas. repeated collect terminating 1904. Tas. terminating early 1900s. Tas. originating 1900. Tas. railways early 1900s. Urgent terminating 1916.
Commonwealth: For many years after Federation in 1901 each State continued to use their own style of form before the general use of a standard form occurred. (See individual States above). This applied to many types of Post Office forms where for many years forms differed between states. Back of terminating telegram envelope 1912. Combined terminating telegram form and envelope. Wartime cost saving measure 1918. Note top left corner. Originating 1919. Originating 1928. Urgent terminating 1920. Terminating 1925. Terminating 1929.
Ordinary envelope. Telegram envelope c1924. Terminating c1930s. Terminating 1930. Originating 1934. Terminating and envelope 1936. Terminating c1930s
Terminating 1943. Terminating and reverse 1936 Terminating 1949. Urgent originating 1945. Terminating and envelope c1944. Used 1946. Ordinary envelopes. Ordinary originating 1947.
Urgent terminating 1946. Stamped 1949. Originating overseas 1943 above. 1951 below - Subtle differences. Guarantee for collect telegram. Terminating TG42Y and envelope below introduced in 1942 exclusively for fatal servicemen war casualties. Purple print.
Sales pitches used on back of telegram forms. Urgent originating 1964. Ordinary originating 1964. Urgent envelopes. Ordinary envelopes. Originating Press telegram.
Terminating 1972, used 1976. Confirmation delivery telegram envelope 1972. Phonogram counterfoil. Tear off strip attached to originating Phonogram forms and details completed by carbon process. This section used for accounting purposes to debit subscribers account. Phonogram form c 1951. The counterfoil was the top section of the form. Phonogram form c1961. Originating Money Order telegram 1974. Envelope 1946.
Last Morse message sent in New South Wales. It would have been sent from operating position No. 270 in the Chief Telegraph Office, Sydney. Not on line No. 270. Originating 1960. Originating press telegram. No attendance advice 1940. Received picturegram.
International: Overseas originating 1954. Overseas originating 1974. Sticker attached to terminating form. O.T.C. telegram envelope. Terminating radiogram 1945. Urgent originating 1960. Note different heading.
Reply Paid terminating c1920s. Reply paid originating 1947. International greetings. Lettergram: These were lodged on an ordinary telegram form with a paid instruction LETTERGRAM. Delivered by post in ordinary envelope stamped LETTERGRAM. Instructions for delivery of lettergrams and envelope 1924.
1938
Christmas & New Year: First issue 1929-1930. Same design for second 1930-1931 issue. First envelope used. Third issue 1931-1932. First envelope used. Fourth issue 1932-1933. First envelope used. Fifth issue 1935 1939. First envelope used. Sixth issue 1935-1936. Same, but new envelope; also issued as window face.
Seventh issue 1939-1942 and envelope. Size of stationery in this series was reduced and then discontinued due to war. Envelope also issued in window face version. 1940s. 1950s. Unknown if the above window faced envelope was ever issued or if so when. May have been used with 3rd or 4th issue.
Commemorative: Terminating Sydney Harbour Bridge N E Pylon 1932. Terminating Sydney Harbour Bridge S E Pylon 1932. Envelope Sydney Harbour Bridge 1932. Anzac. 1934-1940 when discontinued due to war.
Victorian centenary 1934. Australia 150th anniversary 1938. Antarctic commemoration 2012. Centenary of Overland Telegraph and envelope 1972.
Mothers Day: Mothers Day 1934-1936. Mothers Day 1937 Envelopes both window face and opaque. Mothers Day 1939-1942. Size reduce in 1941 and discontinued in 1942 due to war.
Congratulations: Congratulations 1934 first issue of first series. TG42G. Note Station From and 34 squares at top. (A prior advertisement for this series showed the form with 35 squares at the top). Congratulations second issue of first series. TG42. Note Office of Origin and 36 squares at top. Congratulations third issue of first series. TG86. 36 squares at top.
Congratulations. 4th issue of first series. TG42G. 36 squares at top. Envelope No. TG65G. 1939 envelope. TG65G. Congratulations 1939-1940. TG42G. 1940 envelope. TG65G. Congratulations 1950s.
Birthday: Series 1 first birthday greetings form 1934. Note Station. Series 1 second issue. Note Office of Origin. Series 1 third issue. Change of colour and envelope TG65H
Series 1 fourth issue. Form and envelope TG65H. Series 2 1939 first issue TG42H. Envelope TG65H. Series 2 1940 TG42H. Footnote moved to under heading. Size of form and envelope reduced and ceased in 1942 due to war.
Social: Terminating and envelopes 1936-1940. Easter Greetings: Easter Greetings 1936-1941 and opaque envelope.
Greetings: Multi language.
Various greetings telegram envelopes used post WW2. Dates of issue not known. Telecom (post 1975) Successor to P.M.G. Dept.: Originating. Terminating Bulk lodgement of telegrams charged to telephone account.
Cable: Originating 1913. Terminating 1906. Terminating 1916. Beam terminating 1941. Terminating 1931.
Eastern terminating 1941. Beam terminating 1943. Beam (A.W.A.) receipt for radiogram charge 1942. Beam (A.W.A.) terminating 1942. Beam envelope. Eastern envelope. Receipt for cable.
Cable & Wireless Imperial originating. Cable & Wireless Imperial terminating 1945. Imperial (C & W) envelope. O.T.C. Overseas Telecommunications Commission. Terminating. O.T.C. envelopes.
Cable from Sir Douglas Mawson March 1913.
Wartime: Army terminating 1917. Army originating 1918. Advice of outbreak of war 1914.
Army urgent terminating 1917. Army confirmation of cable 1918. Army originating 1913. Army originating 1919. Army (may be USA - MacArthur) Urgent terminating 1942. E.F.M. terminating in London.
Urgent terminating 1944. (Office of origin deleted for security reasons). Terminating 1943. During wartime, advice of a casualty was sent to the Advice of delivery of casualty telegram 1945. Postmaster who was required to personally deliver the message to the next of kin. This was later extended to include Police Officers and Ministers of Religion. An advice of delivery was then transmitted to the sender of the first telegram stating the time and date of delivery. E.F.M. terminating 1940. E.F.M. terminating 1940 (Back). C & W envelope. U.K. E.F.M. codes.
Envelopes: During wartime, 1939-1945, telegram envelopes bore many slogans and other advertisements.
W.W. 2 envelopes. War cable terminating 1941.
Machine: (Wheatstone, Murray Multiplex, Teleprinter and Teletype all terminating. Wheatstone 1924 before transcript. Wheatstone transcribed message. (not the one at left). Murray Multiplex. Murray Multiplex 1944. Teleprinter 1947. Teletype 1963 Menzies.
Teletype 11 May 1967 opening Curtin A.C.T. Post Office. Blank teletype roll. 2017