Australia - PMG period: 1900-1955.
Telegram delivery dockets.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form number E.T. 18 changed to T.G. 56.
Heading is POSTMASTER-GENERAL's DEPARTMENT (changed in the late 1950s).
Message area: Printed essential aspects of a basic message.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Black on various shades - see below.
Size of form overall: Various - see below.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 The 1922 Regulations indicating the need to use these dockets are included elsewhere. These regulations also applied to telegrams from outside the Commonwealth. There was little change in the nature of the regulations over time.

The cards shown below had no direct means for the Telegraph Messenger to record the information about the card having been left for the recipient. One alternative, implemented at an unrecorded date, was to use a small gummed docket which could be affixed to a delivery envelope (see AB-AD-4A).

Interim period.

AI-AD-3
Printed in July 1914.		 AI-AD-3.

15 April 1916 at Melbourne Telegraph Office to advise the Chief of Police of a telegram waiting at the Telegraph Office.

Reverse side is blank.

Signature for TELEGRAPH MESSENGER is underneath the dotted line;

Size is 78 × 116 mm.

 

Commonwealth period to 1955.

AD-4Aa
Printed in November 1934.		 AB-AD-4Aa.

Unused telegram advice docket.

Characteristics:

  • heading is underlined and indented from the left side;
  • date begins 193...;
  • Signature for TELEGRAPH MESSENGER is underneath the dotted line;
  • has an advertisement at the base for REGISTER VALUABLE MAIL;
  • size is 77 × 104 mm.
AD-4Ab
Printed in October 1935.		 AB-AD-4Ab.

Unused telegram advice docket.

Same format as for the above docket but with the advertisement
INSTALL A TELEPHONE;

Size is 79 × 107 mm.
AD-4Ac
Printed in November 1936.		 AB-AD-4Ac.

Telegram advice docket used on 2 July 1941 at South Brisbane.

Characteristics:

  • heading is underlined and indented from the left side;
  • same message as previously;
  • same advertisement as for AD-4Ab;
  • printed on different coloured card;
  • size is 75 × 108 mm.

 

The 1938 printing has the same advertisement but the date is "19..." not "193..".
AB-AD-5 rev
Printed in November 1938.

AB-AD-5.

Used Telegram advice docket at Hobart.
27 September 1968.

Form number T.G. 61.
AB-AD-5

AB-AD-5.

Front of the above docket.
AD-6A
Printed in July 1947.

AW-AD-6A.

Telegram advice docket used on 21 January 1952 (see AW-DO-10A (48)).

Characteristics:

  • heading is not underlined and is aligned left;
  • Form number T.G. 56;
  • signature for TELEGRAPH MESSENGER is now at the same level as the text;
  • same message as previously;
  • no advertisement;
  • size is 75 × 108 mm.
AD-6B
Printed in August 1952.		 AW-AD-6B.

Unused telegram advice docket.

Characteristics:

  • heading is not underlined and is aligned left in large letters;
  • same message as previously;
  • signature for TELEGRAPH MESSENGER is at the same level as the text;
  • no advertisement;
  • size is 77 × 127 mm - much larger than the previous dimensions.
AD-7
Printed in August 1958.

AW-AD-7.

Unused telegram advice docket.

Characteristics:

  • form number T.G. 61;
  • signature is by Issuing Officer.
 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
AI-AD-3 B.424 / 7.14. - C.7769. 15 April 1916 at Melbourne RRR (used)
AB-AD-4Aa Sch. C 1237 - 11/1934.   RR (used)
AB-DA-4Ab Sch. C1449 - 10/1935   RR (used)
AB-AD-4Ac Sch. C.1672 - 11/36 2 July 1941 at South Brisbane. RR (used)
  Sch. C.2233 - 11/38 31 December 1940. RR (used)
AB-DA-5 Sch. C1449-10/1935.   RR (used)
  Sch. C2233-11/1938. - 6693 19 February 1946 at Hobart. RR (used)
AW-AD-6A Sch. C.5398 -7/1947-D1600 21 January 1952. RR (used)
AW-AD-6B Sch. C.6815 - 8/52   RR (used)
AW-AD-7 Sch. 7969-8/58   RR (used)