Telegrams in Australia:
Delayed/Detained message markings.


Perhaps the most important instructional marking used on telegrams was that to indicate a message had been delayed due to an interruption of the telegraph lines. At first this message was simply hand written but later the message was handstamped on a delivery form and/or on a delivery envelope.

Each Colony had its own design and wording and that tended to vary sometimes significantly over time. Nevertheless there was a large degree of communality amongst the Colonies (one can only convey that message in a limited number of ways ;)).

Date stamp
A DELAYED ... handstamp made from brass -
allegedly it had been used at
the Omeo Telegraph Office in Victoria during the 1940s.
Omeo handstamp
Details of the instruction at the base of the brass handstamp.
See also a steel date stamp used at Maryborough Railway Station.

Standardisation became greater during the post-Federation period although it was still common to hand-write the message. There were still a number of formats for the handstamps used.

Examples of the ways the Delayed or Detained message was indicated are provided for:

    1. handwritten annotations;

    2. Handstamps - examples or on complete forms.
      New South Wales See examples See complete forms
      Queensland See examples See complete forms
      South Australia See examples See complete forms
      Tasmania See examples See complete forms
      Victoria See examples See complete forms
      Western Australia See example. See completed form.
      International   See Reuters form
      (Sydney to London).

 

New South Wales.

For more examples of the annotations on forms see NSW Interrupted.

DELAYED INTERRUPTION LINES manuscript MSS Detained
Used on NI-DO-1.
20 March 1926 at Wagga Wagga.
Handwriting spans 10 cm.
One line
DELAYED BY INTERRUPTION
Syd 1928
Used on AE-DO-2A at C.E.T.O. Sydney.
28 February 1924.
Size: 4.5 × 77 mm.
One line
DETAINED BY INTERRUPTION OF ?IG.

Used on AB-DU-3A at Wagga Wagga.
26 September 1924.
Size: 61 mm wide.
RO7 - DETAINED BY
INTERRUPTION OF LINE.

1 mm separating arcs.

Detained NIDO5
Used on NI-DO-5 at Newcastle.
5 November 1906.
Size: 29 × 56 mm (e = 0.86).
RO7 - DETAINED
BY INTERRUPTION OF LINE.

2 mm separating arcs.

 

Syd 1886
Used on NC-DO- 9A at Electric Telegraph Office Sydney.
16 April 1890.
Size: 34 × 56 mm (e = 0.79).
RO7 - DELAYED BY
INTERRUPTION TO LINE.

No separating arcs.

DEl inte
Used on NI-DO-6Ab.
5 April 1911.
Size: 42 × 69 mm (e = 0.79).

 

Queensland.

For more examples of the handstamps on forms see Queensland Interrupted.

Two line - DETAINED ... Qld 1874
Used in 1874.
Size: 13 × 53 mm.

 

South Australia.

For more examples of the annotations on forms see SA Interrupted.

DELAYED ... manuscript

But with a reason! The telegraphic message was sent from Redhill via Snowtown, Bute and Kadina to be delivered at Wallaroo. The problem is identified as being a "Hot Box" at Bute. A very informative annotation.

SIDO5a

 

Tasmania.

For more examples of the handstamps on forms see Tasmania Interrupted.

Two line - DELAYED .... Tas Delayed
Used on TC-DO-5D.
13 October 1903.
Size: 13 × 61 mm.
Two line - DELAYED .... Red 1945
Used on AW-DO-9Bb.
31 October 1945.
Size: 9 × 57 mm.

 

Victoria.

For more examples of the annotations on forms see Victoria Interrupted.

Manuscript.

DELAYED BY INTERRUPTION TO LINE

VC-DO-9
Used on VC-DO-9.
28 October 1879.

Width: 117 mm.

Three line

DELAYED BY
INTERRUPTION
TO LINES.

Used from 27 February 1909 to 27 March 1911.

VI-DO-2C
Used on VI-DO-3Da at C.E.T.O. Melbourne.
27 March 1911.

Size: 16 × 39 mm.

Circular.

DELAYED
LINES INTERRUPTED.

Vic 1909
Used on VI-DO-1C at C.E.T.O. Melbourne.
21 August 1909.

Diameter: 25 mm.

Oval.

DELAYED BY
INTERRUPTION
TO LINES

oVAL
Provenance: Brian Sampson.
AW-DU-11C.
Bellbird to Bairnsdale.
16 February 1948.

Size: ??? mm.

Only recorded example of its use.

 

Western Australia.


DELAYED BY INTERRUPTION TO LINE.

Used on WI-DO-3 on 10 December 1910 at Perth ETO.