SC-DO-5

South Australia - Colonial period: 1855-1900.
Delivery form: SC-DO-5.

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	Form number No. 13. Has ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH with crest between words and the Lion and the Unicorn are facing away from each other. Has printed name of receiving station.
Message area:	Five boxes in each line numbered at the left.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & form):	Red on cream.
Size of form overall:	288 × 213 mm or 194 × 223 mm.
Size of datestamp box:	41 × 40 mm or 40 × 33 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of this form:

two sections above the message boxes;
date to the right begins "187_";
a box for the Office Stamp in the centre right (very early inclusion compared to other Colonies);
reverse side is blank;
no printing date;
stations named are ADELAIDE and PORT ADELAIDE. No other stations known.
main difference between the forms:
5A: has 60 boxes in 12 rows of 5.;
5B: has 20 boxes in 4 rows of 5.

SC-DO-5A.

Napier (UK) to Adelaide via Brindisi.
28 November 1877.

Early use of a handstamp on a telegram. Also early example of a telegram crossing the Overland Telegraph line (5 years after opening).

Characteristics:

size: 288 × 213 mm;
12 rows of 5 boxes
(total 60);
heading for the name of the receiving Station is ADELAIDE;
has a line between "from" and "Station" in the 2nd section and then an entry staring with the word DATED.

SC-DO-5B.

Adelaide to Port Adelaide
25 March 1878.
Very early usage of a handstamp on a telegram.

Note a possible correction to the written message has been added in the lower right corner (box 20).

Characteristics:

size: 195 × 223 mm;
4 rows of 5 boxes
(total 20);
heading for the name of the receiving Station is ADELAIDE.
no line between "from" and "Station" in the 2nd section and no words following "Station";

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
DO-5A	None.	28 November 1877 at Telegraph Office, Adelaide.	RRRR
DO-5B	None.	25 March 1878 at Port Adelaide.	RRRR