Victoria - Interim period: 1901-1917.
Ordinary rate delivery form: VI-DO-3.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form E.T. No. 1.
Standard Interim period heading but no TELEGRAM at top in first three printings.
Message area: 5 or 7 very faint lines.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Blue on cream.
Size of form overall: 193 × 222 mm.
Size of datestamp box: Various.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:
 
AI-DO-3A VI-DO-3A.
Hawthorn to Richmond
(18 October 1909).

Characteristics:

  • no printing date or schedule number;
  • in vertical text, "NOTE:" and "Sending" are aligned;
  • seven faint lines for message;
  • in the message area, S of "Station" is aligned under the "co" of "complaints";
  • T of "This Message .." is aligned under M of POSTMASTER;
  • PMG heading is 14.3 cm;
  • from N of NOTE to line under heading is 10.9 cm;
VI-DO-3Ab VI-DO-3Ba.
Beaufort to Moonee Ponds.
7 April 1910.

Characteristics:

  • in vertical text, "NOTE:" and "Sending" are aligned;
  • has a schedule number below the two lines of vertical text.

 
VI-DO-3-Adelaide VI-DO-3Bb.

Adelaide to CETO Melbourne.
21 June 1910.

Characteristics:

  • has printed ADELAIDE at the beginning of the message area;
  • in vertical text, "NOTE:" and "Sending" are aligned;
  • has a schedule number below the two lines of vertical text;
  • 8 faint lines for message.
VI-DO-3Bc VI-DO-3C.

Magill to CETO Melbourne.
21 June 1910.

Characteristics:

  • now includes TELEGRAM centered at the top in serif font;
  • in vertical text, "NOTE:" and "Sending" are aligned;
  • has a schedule number above the two lines of vertical text in the heading;
  • 8 faint lines for message.
AB-DO-3B VI-DO-3Da.
Mt. Chalmere, Queensland to Melbourne
(27 March 1911).

Characteristics:

  • schedule number is included in the heading area;
  • in the vertical text, "NOTE:" and "Sending" are not aligned;
  • in the vertical text, last letter "y" of the 2nd line is level with the last space.

Although the form itself is rated as "Not common", this example is rare. It has a relatively new and short-lived C.E.T.O date stamp in addition to a scarce boxed "DELAYED BY INTERRUPTION
TO LINES".
VI-DO-2C VI-DO-3Db.
Mildura to Richmond
(22 January 1914).

Characteristics - same as previously:

  • schedule number is included;
  • in the vertical text, last letter "y" of the 2nd line is level with the "d" of "lodged";
  • from N of NOTE (in vertical text at left) to the line under the heading is reduced to 10 cm by slightly smaller font.
VI-DO-2D
Printed in March 1914.		 VI-DO-3Ea.
Sydney to Richmond
(6 May 1915).

Characteristics - same as previously but:

  • both printing date and schedule number are now included;
  • T of "This Message .." is aligned just under M of "POSTMASTER".
  • from N of NOTE to line under heading is 10.4 cm.

Printed in July 1915.		 VI-DO-3Eb.
East Melbourne to Bendigo
(Telegraph Office of 11 April 1916).

Characteristics - same as previously but:

  • T of "This Message .." is aligned under under T of "POSTMASTER".

 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-3A None 18 October 1909 at Money Order counter in Richmond. NC
DO-3Ba C. 16547. 7 April 1910 at Moonee Ponds, Vic. NC
DO-3Bb C. 7544. 21 June 1910 at C.E.T.O. Melbourne. R
DO-3C C.5509. 21 June 1910 at C.E.T.O. Melbourne. NC
  C.8039. 7 August 1911 at St. Arnaud. NC
  C. 14645. 28 February 1911 at Trafalgar, Vic. NC
DO-3Da C. 16757. 31 January 1911 at St. Arnaud. NC
  C. 10627. 11 October 1911 at Telegraph Office Ballarat. NC
  C. 6149 16 December 1912 at Telegraph Office Bendigo. NC
DO-3Db C. 6711. 6 December 1911 at Bendigo. NC
  C. 3614. 22 January 1914 at M.O. Richmond. C
  C. 11937. 7 April 1913 at C.E.T.O Melbourne, Vic.. C
DO-3Ea B. 316/3.14 C.3743. 23 February 1915 at St. Arnaud. C
  B. 316/10.14 C.14273. 27 September 1915 at Allansford, Vic. C
DO-3Eb B. 316/7.15 C. 8993. 23 March 1916 at St. Arnaud. C
  B. 316/2.16 -
C.1900.		 10 June 1916 at C.E.T.O. Melbourne. C
  B. 316/ 5.16
C. 6068.		 1 February 1917 at M.O. Richmond. C
  B. 316/ 11.16 -
C. 15064		 3 April 1917 at Telegraph Office Bendigo. NC
  B. 316/ 5.17 C. 6637. 8 January 1918 at M.O. Richmond. C
  B. 316/ 8.17
C. 10485		 28 November 1917 at St. Arnaud. C
  B. 316/ 2.18
C. 1365.		 ?? at St Arnaud. C
  B. 316/5.18 C. 6798. 3 February 1919 at Richmond. C