Australia - Brown years: 1923-1939.
1934 Birthday Greetings: AB-GB-34.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form number T.G. 42H for both the 1934 (chromo-lithography) and 1935 (photo-lithography) Birthday Greetings issues.
Words on a background showing a stylised scroll.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Multicolour on cream.
Size of form overall: 152 × 204 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 

 

 

In 1933, the decision was taken to extend the range of ornamental Greetings forms to Mother's Day messages, Birthday Greetings, Congratulations messages and special events (in the first instance Anzac Day greetings). This decision was based on the success of the Christmas Greetings and the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

In May 1934, the following announcement was included in the Post Office Monthly Circular:

"19. "Birthday Greetings" Telegrams: - Arrangements are being made to obtain supplies of special coloured telegram forms and envelopes for use in connection with Birthday Greetings messages. It is anticipated that deliveries will commence shortly and further advice in this connection will be communicated to Postmasters.

A publicity leaflet briefly outlining the facility will also be issued for distribution at public counters, to private box holders and by enclosure in telegrams. It is desired that a full measure of publicity be accorded the new facility when the forms, envelopes and leaflets are available.

The following conditions will apply to the use of the Birthday Greetings telegram form:-

(a) To ensure that a telegram or lettergram will be issued on the special form, the sender should write before the address the instruction "Birthday Greeting" which will not be counted or charged for. In any case, however, where a message is lodged without the instruction "Birthday Greeting" and it appears from the text that the special form may be desired, the Counter Officer shall inquire at the time of acceptance whether the sender desires the message to be issued on the special form;

(b) The usual low telegraph rates will apply, there being no additional charge for the special forms;

(c) The facility will be available throughout the year."

The forms were very popular and the first printing of 500,000 forms was exhausted within six months.

Although no date is officially provided for the issue of the Birthday Greetings forms, it had been thought they were introduced on 5 November 1934. The first form below shows they were in use on 23 September 1934 so this date is probably the Date of Issue.

The first forms were printed using chromo-lithography but, when the demand for the forms was recognised, photo-lithography was used to print the forms from about the middle of 1935. From that date, it was not unusual to have a form printed with one method delivered in an envelope printed with the other method.

The chromo-lithography printing.

GBF-34A AB-GBF-34A.

Bendigo to Hobart with a very rare Chief Telegraph Office rubber rectangular handstamp of 23 September 1934 in violet (RRH-CTO).

It must be assumed that this was the first day of issue of the forms printed by chromo-lithography.

Characteristics:

  • Has "Station" under the heading;
  • the surrounding light blue frame is well aligned.
GBF-34Aa AB-GBF-34A.

Terang to Richmond
(23 May 1935).

A second example with accompanying delivery envelope.

Characteristics:

  • "Station" under the heading;
  • dark brown background inside the boxed decoration;
  • COMMONWEALTH ... is very faint;
  • alignment of red colour in pattern and letters B and G is excellent;
  • the surrounding light blue frame is well aligned.
GBE-34A AB-GBE-34A.

Form number: none.

Opaque delivery envelope used at Richmond 23 May 1935 for the above Cole telegram.

Characteristics:

  • has dark brown background inside the boxed border;
  • TELEGRAM is printed in red.
GBF-34B AB-GBF-34B.

Form number: T.G. 42H.

Mildura to Hawthorn
(22 May 1937).

Characteristics:

  • "Station" changed to "Office of Origin" under the heading;
  • no outside frame;
  • background is a very dark blue;
  • sub-heading is in smaller type and "Office ..." is indented;
  • fewer patterns coloured red and less well aligned - also the red for the B of "Birthday".
GBE-34B AB-GBE-34B.

Form number: none.

Opaque delivery envelope used at Hawthorn 22 May 1937 for the above Cole telegram.

Characteristics:

  • has dark blue background inside the boxed border;
  • TELEGRAM is printed in orange although in thinner letters.

Note the above pair are fully tied with address, date stamp and telegram number at Hawthorn (129) on both the form and the envelope.

Known with SPECIMEN COPY hand stamp in the centre.
The photo-lithography printing.  
GBF-34Ca AB-GBF-34Ca.

Form number: T.G. 42H.

Melbourne to Malvern
(11 June 1936).

Characteristics:

  • outside blue frame well aligned;
  • background shading is mid-blue;
  • red shading in pattern is well aligned and prominent.
GBF-34Cb AB-GBF-34Cb.

Form number: T.G. 42H.

Hamilton to Geelong West
(15 March 1939).

Characteristics:

  • outside blue frame is shifted to the right;
  • background shading is light blue;
  • shading in the pattern is less well aligned.
GBF-34D AB-GBF-34D.

Top portion of a form with changed Form number -
to T.G. 87.

No date for the release of this form is recorded.
GBE-34Cb AB-GBE-34Ca.

Used on 23 May 1935 at Richmond.

Characteristics:

  • opaque delivery envelope;
  • no Form number.

Earliest recorded date for use of the photo-lithography printing. Used on the same day as GCE-34A above.
Caulfield AB-GBE-34Cb.

Used 24 March 1939 at Caulfield.

Has a very rare rubber oval TELEGRAM OFFICE date stamp in violet (RO5-TO).

Characteristics:

  • opaque delivery envelope;
  • Form number: T.G. 65H
    (in top left corner);
  • has light blue background inside the boxed border;
  • only the "T" of TELEGRAM is printed in red.
Cc34 AB-GBE-34Cb.

Used on 11 August 1937 at Fortitude Valley, Qld.

Characteristics:

  • opaque delivery envelope;
  • Form number: T.G. 87 (in the top left corner).

 
GBE-34D AB-GBE-34D.

Unused window delivery envelope.

Characteristics:

  • Form number: T.G. 65P.
  • no border around the window;
  • has light blue background inside the boxed border;
  • only the "T" of TELEGRAM is printed in red.
GBF-34B spec AB-GBF-34 (Specimen).

Overprinted with SPECIMEN in sans serif capitals.

The second chromo-lithographic printing of the Delivery Form with "Office of Origin".

Very rare - no other example recorded.
GBE-34 Spec AB-GBE-34 (Specimen).

Overprinted with SPECIMEN in sans serif capitals.

The second chromo-lithographic printing of the delivery envelope

Very rare - no other example with the overprint is recorded.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
GBF-34A None. 23 May 1935 at Richmond, Vic. Rated
C as unused
but
R if used forms or envelopes.
RR if a form and envelope which are demonstrably tied together.
GBF-34B None. 22 May 1937 at Hawthorn, Vic.
GBF-34Ca None. 11 June 1936 at Malvern, Vic.
GBF-34Cb None. 15 March 1939 at Geelong West, Vic.
GBF-34D None.  
GBE-34A None 23 May 1935 at Richmond, Vic.
GBE-34B None. 22 May 1937 at Hawthorn, Vic.
GBE-34Ca None. 23 May 1935 at Richmond, Vic.
GBE-34Cb None. 15 March 1939 at Geelong West, Vic
GBE-34Cc None. 11 August 1937 at Fortitude Valley, Qld.
GBE-34D None.