South Australia - Colonial period: 1855-1900.
Delivery form: SC-DO-6.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form number "No. 13" in top right corner.
Message area: 20 boxes in five rows.
Reverse side: 68 boxes in 17 lines allowing for a message of up to 88 words.
Colours (text & form): Red on cream.
Size of form overall: 193 × 223 mm (approx).
Size of date stamp box: 33 × 39 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 



Probably printed early 1878.
SC-DO-6Aa.

Port Pirie to Port Augusta
6 May 1878.
Very early usage of a handstamp on a telegram.

Characteristics:

  • no schedule number printed - confirmed by form below;
  • heading spread well clear of Crest;
  • reverse side has boxes numbered to 88;
A very unusual error on a telegram form -
a SPELLING ERROR - "Repvating" in error for "Repeating".

 

CS_DO_6Ab
Probably printed mid-1878.		 SC-DO-6Ab.

?? to Port Augusta
19 December 1878.

Characteristics:

  • no printed Station name;
  • no schedule number printed;
  • spelling error corrected.

This form was used at the same location as that shown here for DO-6Aa but seven months later. Hence it may be presumed that the error was found and rectified soon after printing commenced - perhaps in mid-1878.
SC-DO-6Ac
Printed on 5 December 1881. Other printings were made to 1889.		 SC-DO-6Ac.

Kingston for local delivery
4 February 1884.

Characteristics:

  • no printed Station name;
  • schedule number now printed in lower left corner.

 
SC-DO-6Ba
Printed on 7 November 1887.		 SC-DO-6Ba.

Lucindale to Adelaide
25 July 1889.

Characteristics:

  • has only the name of the receiving station - Adelaide - printed in the top section of the form;

The delivery form has been treated with whiteout to hide the address of the recipient and the message (and so has been excluded from this scan).
Ring
Printed in November 1883. 		SC-DO-6Ba.

Sydney to Adelaide
13 February 1885.

Has the same characteristics as the form above with Adelaide being the receiving station.
SC-DO-6Bb
Printed on 31 January 1888.		 SC-DO-6Bb.

Melbourne to Hindmarsh
3 February 1888.

See accompanying delivery envelope SC-EO-2Aa).

Characteristics:

  • has the name of the receiving station (here Hindmarsh) printed in the top section of the form;
  • has schedule number in lower left corner.

 

The classification 6Bb covers stations other than Adelaide (Hindmarsh is the only other station so far identified).
SC-DO-6Ca
Printed on 7 November 1887.		 SC-DO-6Ca.

Sydney to Adelaide
16 May 1888.

Characteristics:

  • has the names of both the receiving station (here ADELAIDE) and the sending station (SYDNEY) printed in the top section of the form form.
SC-DO-6Cb
Printed on 7 November 1887.		 SC-DO-6Cb.

Sydney to Adelaide
1 November 1890.

Characteristics:

  • as for DO-6Ca, the receiving station is printed as ADELAIDE and the sending station is printed as SYDNEY;
  • Error in printing - the full stop after Australia in the heading is not present.

A second example was sold at Prestige Auctions March 2005 Lot 185.

 
6Cc SC-DO-6Cc.

Sydney to Adelaide
10 April 1893.

Characteristics:

  • as for DO-6Ca, the receiving station is printed as ADELAIDE and the sending station is printed as SYDNEY;
  • change in printing - the date and time after Sydney Station have been removed.

100,000 printed 13 December 1889.		 SC-DO-6D.

Melbourne to Adelaide
30 April 1890.

Characteristics:

  • as for DO-6Ca, the receiving station is printed as ADELAIDE and the sending station is printed as MELBOURNE;
  • no printing for the date and time after MELBOURNE Station.

 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-6Aa Not printed. 6 May 1878 at Port Augusta. RR
DO-6Ab Not printed 28 March 1878 at Port Augusta. R
DO-6Ac 500,000 - 5-12-81 4 February 1884 at Kingston. RR
  450,000 - 13-2-85 16 March 1887 at Glenelg (from The Governor) RR
  500,000 - 7-11-87 29 November 1888 at Largs Bay. RR
  400,000 - 23-12-89 14 October 1890 at Hahndorf. RR
DO-6Ba 350,000 - 5-11-83 13 February 1885 at Telegraph Office, Adelaide. RRR
  200,000 - 31-1-87 11 March 1887 at Telegraph Office, Adelaide. RRR
  400,000 - 7-11-87 25 February 1888 at Telegraph Office, S.A. RRR
  200,000 - 7-11-87 25 July 1889 at Telegraph Office, S.A. RRR
DO-6Bb 5,000 - 31-1-87 3 February 1888 at Hindmarsh. RRR
DO-6Ca 50,000 - 7-11-87. 16 May 1888 at Telegraph Office, S.A. R
DO-6Cb 50,000 - 7-11-87 1 November 1890 at Telegraph Office, S.A. R
DO-6Cc 25,000 - 23-12-89 8 November 1892 at Telegraph Office, SA. RR
  50,000 - 30-9-90 10 April 1893 at Telegraph Office/Adelaide. RR
  50,000 - 20-1-92 1 September 1893 at Telegraph Office Adelaide. RR
DO-6D 100,000 -- 13-12-89 30 April 1890 at Telegraph Branch S.A. RRR