Telegrams in Australia: 1927-1988
Labels - overview page.


Forms were printed for specific purposes although, in some cases, they were infrequently used or there were supply problems.

To avoid both problems, a decision was made that some telegrams could be marked as being special with a simple label affixed to the top of the form. Such a strategy formalised the common practice of simply writing a relevant word such as URGENT or ... on the top of an ordinary rate delivery form.

The first labels produced were for URGENT telegrams. These are claimed to have been printed in 1909 although none has been recorded. Later, when it was considered unnecessary to have special forms for international telegrams, labels were produced for these - probably during the early 1930s. The earliest recorded dates for the various types of labels printed together with hyperlinks to all known types are:

There is also a very special type of label printed in Victoria. It has the message "URGENT LETTERS/ FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY..."