Victoria - Interim period: 1901-1917.
Ordinary rate delivery form: VI-DO-2.

 
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: E.T. No. 1.
Usual Interim period heading.
Message area: 6 lines of 5 boxes or blank.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Red on cream.
Size of form overall: 146 × 212 mm.
Size of datestamp box: 33 × 34 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:
 
VI-DO-2Aa VI-DO-2Aa.

Ballarat to Richmond
(23 November 1907).

Characteristics:

  • has no schedule number but four dots below the line in the lower left corner;
  • comma after "Station"at the end of TELEGRAM FROM line.
IV-DO-3A VI-DO-2Ab.

Wahgunya to Wangaratta, Vic
8 August 1907.

Characteristics:

  • has a comma after "Station" at the end of TELEGRAM FROM line;
  • schedule number in lower left corner;

 

VI-DO-2Ac
Late use of the Barred Numeral "48" allocated to Hawthorn. The date stamp would simply have been put aside and used for special purposes - especially at one of the counters in the Telegraph Department at Hawthorn.
VI-DO-2Ac.

Stock Exchange to Glenferrie
(Hawthorn Barred Numeral of 17 July 1907).

Characteristics:

  • no comma after "Station"at the end of TELEGRAM FROM line;
  • schedule number in lower left corner.
VI-DO-3B VI-DO-2B.

Sydney to Rushworth, Vic
(6 August 1908).

Characteristics:

  • no "Station" at the end of TELEGRAM FROM line;
VI-DO-2E
Has faint, rare and boxed DELAYED BY INTERUPTION TO LINES hand stamp.

VI-DO-2C.
Adelaide to Melbourne
(Telegraph Branch G.P.O.
27 February 1909).

Characteristics:

  • changed format for heading with date stamp box raised above horizontal dividing line and is 25 × 31 mm.
  • no boxes for message;
  • "This message ..." is in much smaller font;
  • two lines of text at right "NOTE - The figures ...".

Another VI-DO-2C form is known used at Wangaratta on the same date as a VI-DO-2Ab
(8 August 1907). So clearly both formats were on issue at the same time. Hence, type DO-2C must have been printed for use in teletype machines.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number
Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-2Aa None. 17 July 1907 at Hawthorn. NC
DO-2Ab C. 1855 8 August 1907 at Wangaratta. NC
DO-2Ac C. 5140 7 November 1906 at Richmond. R
  C. 13133 11 February 1907 at St. Arnaud. R
DO-2B C. 2059 6 August 1908 at Rushworth. R
  C. 9961 26 January 1909 at St Arnaud. R
DO-2C C. 8237 27 February 1909 at Telegraph Branch, G.P.O. NC
  C. 8530 8 August 1907 at Wangaratta. NC