Tasmania - Colonial period: 1857-1900.
Ordinary rate delivery form: TC-DO-1.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: No form number.
Heading is BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH under the Crest.
No Postal Authority indicated.
Message area: Blank (in 1A and 1B) or boxed (in 1B)..
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Black on blue.
Size of form overall: 214 × 171 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 

The main distinctions amongst the four formats can be summarised as follows:

Format number Date starts with: Message area Space for CLERK. Location of Signature
1A 185_ Blank Yes- below Check. Above WORDS
1B 186_ Blank No Above WORDS
1C 186_ Blank No Above Check
1D 18__ Blank No Above Check
1E 187_ Boxed No Level with Check

 

TC-DO-1A TC-DO-1A.

Sydney to Launceston
24 February 1860.

Characteristics:

  • beautifully detailed, clear and very large crest;
  • in crest, lion's head is upright and the unicorn has a thick neck and the tail points horizontally;
  • date starts "185_ " confirming this to be the format first used in Tasmania;
  • has a space for "Time" after the Date line;
  • has a signature (i.e. name) of the sender plus a space for the Clerk's signature.

This is a very special form and is the earliest recorded date for a Tasmanian telegraph form.

As the telegram came from Sydney, it would have been transmitted through the cable which began operation about six months before.

The "4/-" at the base is a problem to interpret. Although it looks like a cost, the form noted below as being the 2nd ERD has a ms inscription which is not a monetary amount.
A second telegram very similar to that above is known for 2 March 1860. Again the "5" of the date has been over-written. It has the same sender and recipient (and Clerk) and contained 22 words at a cost of 15/6.  
TC-DO-1B
Provenance: Dingle Smith.		 TC-DO-1B.

Hobart to Launceston
4 June 1963.

Characteristics:

  • Crest is 63 mm wide;
  • Crest has been changed with lion's head leaning back and unicorn having a slender neck and a tail pointing up;
  • date starts "186_ ";
  • has a signature (i.e. name) of the sender but no space for the Clerk's signature.
DO-1C
Provenance: Clemente, Johnstone.		 TC-DO-1C.

Hobarton to Launceston.
12 December 1867.

Characterstics:

  • date starts "186_ ";
  • has a signature (i.e. name) of the sender which is nearly level with the CHECK line.
CT_DO_1 TC-DO-1D.

Campbell Town to Launceston 20 July 1870.

Characteristics:

  • beautifully detailed, clear and very large crest - which is the same as for DO-1B;
  • date starts "18 " (so perhaps printed in the late 1860s);
  • no lines except for date;
  • no space for Clerk's initials and "Signature" has been moved to the base of the form.
TC-DO-1E.

To Launceston.
12 August 1871.

Characteristics:

  • date starts with "187_ ";
  • single line after "Message for";
  • 28 boxes in seven lines.

 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-1A None. 24 February 1860. RRRR
DO-1B None. 4 June 1863 at Hobart. RRR
DO-1C None. 20 July 1870 at Launceston. RR (used)
DO-1D None. 12 August 1871 at Hobarton. RRR