Australia - Brown years: 1923-1939.
1929 Christmas and New Year Greetings: AB-GX-29.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: No form number.
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR GREETINGS TELEGRAM.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Blue, green and orange on pale yellow paper.
Size of form overall: 166 × 208 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:
 The first Christmas and New Year ornamental greetings telegram form and envelope were issued on Monday 16 December 1929 and they were in use for about one month to 18 January 1930.

The greetings telegrams were immediately popular with 144,102 Christmas greetings telegrams being sent in that one month period in 1929/1930. The same design was used again in the following year but with a slightly shorter availability period - 16 December 1930 to 7 January 1931. Sales during this second period were 157,705.

The Post Office Monthly Circular for December 1930 noted:

Christmas Greeting 'Telegram Forms and Envelopes'. - Postmasters and others are informed that it has been decided to again issue the coloured telegraph forms and envelope for Christmas Greetings. The special service will be available at all Telegraph Offices in the Commonwealth from 16th December 1930 to 18th January 1931, both dates inclusive, and will apply only to telegrams within the Commonwealth.

The ensure that Greetings Telegrams will be prepared for delivery on the special form enclosed in the special envelope, it will be necessary for the sender of the telegram to clearly indicate at the time of lodgement that the special service is required. The sender will also be required to write the word "Greeting" plainly on the top of the message forwarded.

No extra change will be made by the Department for the facility.

A supply of the special forms and envelopes will be forwarded to the postmasters at all offices at which telegraph facilities are in operation". (G.B. 30/2225).

No special transmission form was therefore required by the sender.

GXF-29 AB-GXF-29.

Perth to Malvern, Vic.
(28 December 1932).

 
GXE-29 AB-GXE-29.

Used at Cohuna, Vic.
( 26 December 1930 - a year after first issue).

Opaque delivery envelope.
GXF-29 spec AB-GXF-29 (Specimen).

Unused delivery form from a Specimen pack prepared by the Post Office for publicity purposes especially as counter-displays at Post Offices.

The "358" handstamp indicates it came from a Specimen pack.

The message advertises the December 1930 to January 1931 issue period.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
GXF-29 None 26 December 1929 at Rockdale, NSW. (H)

RR if used within the
period of issue.

NC unused.
GXE-29 None 26 December 1930 at Cohuna, Vic.