Australia - Brown years: 1923-1939.
Ordinary rate delivery form: AB-DO-8.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form number T.G. 42.
RECEIVED TELEGRAM.
Heading occupies about 60% of the total area.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Blue on cream.
Size of form overall: 127 × 203 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 

Form 8A is distinctive as it contains "Station from" under the box while the other forms have "Office of Origin".
Form 8A also has 7 lines of text in the REMARKS box with the others only having 5 lines.

The first 6 formats had the top left boxed advertisement as "For Quick Service ...".

The other main distinctions amongst the varieties are summarised in the following table:

Format
number		 Outline for box. Location of
Form number.		 Words at end of
3rd & 4th lines		 Advertisement
8A Single line, thick Top right n.a. - 7 lines not 5

3 ads (first is either
Is the Telegraph Service ...
OR Telegraph Phonogram Facility).
8B Single line, thick Top right Form - recep- 3 ads (first is Phonogram)
8C Double line Top right Form - unless 3 ads (first is Use the Telegraph)
8D Double line Top left Form - unless 3 ads (first is Congratulations)
8E Double line Top left message - reception 3 ads (first is Congratulations)
8F Double line Top left message - reception 1 ad - blue - Hermes in unfilled circle
8G Double line
("Funds may be ...")		 Top right message - reception 1 ad - orange - Hermes in oval
8H Single line, thin
("Funds may be ...")		 Top right message - reception 1 ad - orange - Hermes in oval

DO-8APrinted in March 1930. AB-DO-8A.

Sydney to Launceston
(5 May 1931).

Characteristics:

  • solid frame with rounded corners for the advertisement in the top left corner;
  • "Station From" under boxed advertisement;
  • second sentence in advertisement is "THE INFORMATION ON ...".
  • has schedule number under seven lines of text in the Remarks box and it is left justified;
  • form number is in the top right corner.
DO-8A rev Reverse side of the above telegram used at Launceston.

Shows the three advertisements boxed together. The same advertisements were used on all forms in the 1930 printing.
AB-DO-8BPrinted March 1931. AB-DO-8B.

Melbourne to Balranald
(5 September 1931).

Characteristics:

  • as for type A but there are now only five lines of text in the Remarks box;
  • change to "Office of Origin" under boxed advertisement;
  • the schedule number is under the text in the "Remarks" box but not left justified.
DO-8B rev Reverse side of the above delivery form used at Balranald.

Shows the three advertisements within the single box which are different from those used on form 8Aa. The division line is also a different format.

For details on Phonograms, see elsewhere.
Cole 10 Cole rev
Delivery envelope (front and reverse sides) for the above delivery form used at Balranald.
AB-DO-8C
Printed in February 1932.		 AB-DO-8Ca.

Melbourne to Terang
(19 May 1933).

Characteristics:

  • double lined advertising box in top left corner;
  • schedule number moved to top right of "Remarks" box (and it remains there in the following formats).;
  • in the Remarks box, the third line ends with "... at the foot of the Form." while the fourth line ends with "unless";
  • advertisements on reverse (see below) of a different format to the previous sets of three.
AB-DO-8C rev
Reverse side also has a printing date of February 1932.		 AB-DO-8Ca. - reverse side of the above delivery form used at Terang.

Very different format to those printed previously and has a heading noting time differences throughout Australia.
Printed in November 1932. AB-DO-8Cb.

Camberwell to Arncliffe.
9 December 1933.

The format of the rubber date stamp is very scarce - and outer circle with an inner scalloped ring
(see Date stamp classification) and Arncliffe, NSW.

Characteristics:

  • The front of this form is identical to type 8Ca.
  • The form appears to have been printed in very dark green.

Only one example of this form is recorded.

Reverse side also printed in November 1932		 AB-DO-8Cb (reverse).

This reverse side has the same three advertisements as for AB-DO-8Ca but as the fonts are different, the format has had to be altered also.

The reverse side has the schedule
AB-DO-8DPrinted in February 1933. AB-DO-8D.

Sydney to Terang
(5 December 1933).

Characteristics:

  • The front of this form is the almost the same as the previous DO-8C;
  • form number has been moved to the top left corner;
DO-8D rev AB-DO-8D (reverse side).

 

  • the reverse side has three advertisements which are different from those on the 1932 form.
EO-8D
Delivery envelope for the above telegram.		 AB-EO-3.

Delivery envelope used for the above delivery form at Terang on 5 December 1933.
8E
Printed in December 1933.		 AB-DO-8E.

St. Kilda South to Terang
6 October 1934.

Characteristics:

  • in the Remarks box, the message has been changed so that the 3rd line now finishes with"... of the message" and the 4th line finishes with ".. of reception".
AB-DO-8E Terang rev
Reverse side printed in February 1934 - shown in the lower left corner.		 AB-DO-8E (reverse).

The reverse side on the above 1933 delivery form with three advertisements tied together in a single box.

This reverse side has its own print schedule number - showing that the reverse side was printed two months after the front.
AB-EO-3 Terang  
DO-8F
Printed in November 1934.
AB-DO-8F.

Melbourne to Cottesloe
(2 January 1936).

Has a rare oval RO7-P&TO date stamp in blue.

Characteristics:

  • the printing had exactly the same format for the front as for DO-8E but there was a radical change for the advertisement on the reverse side. Now there was a single advertisement, printed in blue (for this printing), with a Hermes symbol within a large non-shaded circle.
DO-8F Hermes AB-DO-8F (reverse).

Totally revised new format for the reverse side used on the above form.

Advertisement for TELEGRAM FORMS.

 

 
8F 1934

AB-DO-8F (reverse).

An advertisement on the reverse side of the 1934 printing for DELIVERY OF CORRESPONDENCE.

This advertisement was printed with some minor formatting variations - for example as well as the squares on the line towards the base, it was also printed with small decorations instead of the squares.

 

 
DO-8GPrinted in October 1935 (1st of 2 printings). AB-DO-8G.

Finlay NSW to Sale Vic.
(24 December 1936).

Characteristics:

  • advertisement (still boxed double lined with round corners) is changed to "Funds may be ... MONEY ORDER TELEGRAM";
  • has singe advertisement printed in orange on reverse;
  • form number T.G. 42 has been moved back to the top right corner.

The November 1936 printing is the same except for the COMMONWEALTH heading being 75 mm wide not 83 mm as in the telegram shown here.
DO-8G rev AB-DO-8G (reverse side).

The reverse side of the above 1935 delivery form showing the single advertisement printed in orange.

There was a variety of advertisements printed on the 1935 and 1936 printings including:

  • Extension Telephones;
  • Advantages of a Telephone;
  • Birthday Greetings ...
    (see AB-LI-1);
  • The Prompt Delivery of Your Correspondence ...

It was during the printing in 1935 that the change in advertisement from blue to orange occurred. It is known with both colours.
DO-8H
Printed in November 1938 (2nd of 3 printings).		 AB-DO-8H.

Mount Gambier to Kaniva, Vic
(21 October 1939).

Characteristics:

  • rectangular box with single line border in top left corner;
  • form number in top right corner.

Advertisements in orange on reverse of DO-8H were:

  • 1937: Postal Precepts and Birthday Greetings, Install the Modern Handset ..;
  • 1938: Postal Precepts, Appreciation, Install the Modern Handset ..;
  • 1939: Time by Telephone, PO Express Messenger; Security at Small Cost and Birthday Greetings.
Collingwood
Printed in October 1939.

AB-DO-8H.

Military Post Office # 3 Darwin to Collingwood, Vic.
23 April 1941.

Delivery envelope AB-EO-8C was used to deliver this form - and it has the same problematic date stamp.

Has an oval rubber date stamp (RO6-PO) which has started to break apart but has been temporarily repaired by the local postal officials with twine!!!!

Three loops of the twine across the face of the date stamp can be clearly seen (see also the Collingwood entry).

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-8A Sch. C. 542 3/1930. 3 May 1931 at (T.O.) Launceston. NC
DO-8B Sch. C687. 3/1931. 5 September 1931 at Balranald, NSW. C
DO-8C Sch C.775 - 2/1932.
P.153 / 3.32. - 621.		 19 May 1933 at Terang, Vic. NC
  Sch. C.879 - 11/1932.
P. 217 / 11.32 - 369.		 9 December 1933 at Arncliffe, NSW. RRR
DO-8D Sch. C917 - 2/1933.
P.277 / 4.33. - 374 (reverse side).		 23 November 1933 at Windsor, NSW. C
DO-8E Sch. C.1054. - 12/1933.
P.277 / 2.34. - 81 (reverse side).		 7 August 1934 at Wagga Wagga, NSW.
 NC
DO-8F Sch. C.1054. - 12/1933
(same schedule number as for DO-8E).		 28 August 1936 at Sale, Vic. NC
DO-8F  Sch. C. 1237. - 11/1934. 2 January 1936 at Cottesloe, WA. C
DO-8G Sch. C.1449 - 10/1935. - 5177 26 September 1936 at Walkerville, SA. C
  Sch. C.1672 - 11/1936. 19 November 1937 at Terang, Vic. C
DO-8H Sch. C.1958 - 11/1937 - 7067.... 22 February 1939 at Rockdale, NSW. C
  Sch. C.2233. 11/38. - 6685.... 21 October 1939 at Kaniva, Vic. C
  Sch. C.2556. - 10/1939. 6365.... 22 September 1940 at C.T.O. Brisbane. C