QC-DU-1

Queensland - Colonial: 1861-1900.
Urgent rate delivery form: QC-DU-1.

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Special aspects

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	URGENT above Crest which is above ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, QUEENSLAND.
Message area:	60 boxes in 12 rows numbered at left.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & form):	Orange on cream paper.
Size of form overall:	215 × 235 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of this form:

the Crest shows the lion standing rampant and facing the shield;
the Crest is of the same design as that used for other contemporaneous delivery forms.

In the January 1880 Postal Guide, it is noted that "Urgent telegrams for stations within the colony will in future be forwarded, if desired, taking precedence of ordinary messages, on payment of double the fee for an ordinary message".

On 13 March 1880, the Brisbane Courier reported a Government decision as follows: "It is notified for general information that the system of urgent telegraphic messages has been extended to the transmission of telegraphic money-orders. Orders advised by urgent telegram will therefore obtain precedence over all other money orders sent by wire, double rates being charged".

In the proceedings of the Intercolonial Postal Conference held in Adelaide in May 1890, there is the following statement:

"In Queensland, the system (of urgent rate telegrams) was adopted as far back as 1880 and it worked very well. The Post Office authorities would no more think of abolishing the urgent telegram system than they would think of raising the rates of telegrams. No complaint had ever been made against the system, which has really worked admirably from the time it had been started".

So perhaps January or February 1880 can be taken as the approximate date on which Queensland introduced the Urgent Rate telegraphic system although no exact date can so far be identified. It was at least 10 years later that Victoria introduced such a system - but no Victorian forms were printed.

Provenance: Dave Elsmore.

QC-DU-1.

Townsville to Herberton.
7 October 1882 (confirmed on reverse).

Has an early Electric Telegraph Office (BO7-ETO) date stamp.

Characteristics:

has URGENT marked at top;
heading is in large gothic font with rounded and enclosed E;
heading starts to the right of the dotted line for "Wds.";
date begins "188__";
boxes numbered 1 to 60 on left only in 12 rows of 5.

Top half of another DU-1 form showing the Crest and another Herberton Electric Telegraph Office date stamp.

Used 21 November 1882.

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
DU-1	None.	7 October 1882 at Herberton.	RRRR