Australia - 1918-1980.
Suggestions on telegrams showing uses of telephones.

Telephones were introduced into Australia with the opening of the Sydney Telephone Exchange in 1882. The service expanded rapidly and, by 1900, 30,000 exchanges were operating across the country. These exchanges were the foundation of the service until about the 1950s when rotary dial phones became more common and allowed subscribers to dial directly.

To encourage use of the telephones, many types of telegraph stationery carried advertisements aimed at recommending ways to the use of the telephone service. The themes can be grouped as follows:

  1. Using a Telephone to send telegrams.
  2. Using the Phonogram facility.
  3. Using a Telephone number to receive telegrams.
  4. Finding the Time - by Telephone.

1. Using a telephone to send telegrams.
USE THE TELEPHONE TO SEND YOUR TELEGRAMS.

Used on the front of form AB-DU-6A. printed in June 1929 and used 4 April 1931.

Has the advertising slogan at the top of the urgent rate delivery form.
LIFT A TELEPHONE RECEIVER TO SEND A TELEGRAM.

Used as the first advertisement of three on the reverse side of
AB-DU-6A.
Printed June 1929 and used 4 April 1931.Used on AB-DU-6A.
4 April 1931.

YOUR TELEPHONE IS YOUR TELEGRAPH OFFICE ...

Used as the lower advertisement of two on the reverse side of
AB-DU-9A.

Printed in early 1942 and that shown was used on 23 September 1942 at Elizabeth St TO, Melbourne.

CALL "TELEGRAMS".

Used as the lower advertisement of two on the reverse side of AB-EU-4C.

Probably printed in the early years following WW2.

See the delivery form AB-DO-8H for a very rare handstamp confirming that a telegram had been "TRANSMITTED BY TELEPHONE".

2. Using the Phonogram facility.

TELEGRAPH PHONOGRAM FACILITY.

Used as the first of three advertisements on the reverse of form AB-DO-8B printed in March 1931 and used 5 September 1931.

For details of the phonogram service - which used the telephone to send telegrams - see elsewhere.

3. Using a telephone number to receive telegrams.
USE THE TELEPHONE TO SEND YOUR TELEGRAMS.

Used on the front of form AB-DU-6A. printed in June 1929 and used 4 April 1931.

Has the advertising slogan at the top of the urgent rate delivery form.
See notification of the use of a telephone for a message on AB-GX-38


4. Time - by telephone.
TIME - BY TELEPHONE.

Used on the reverse of form AB-DO-8H.

Printed in October 1939 and
used 25 June 1943.
OBTAIN THE CORRECT TIME - BY TELEPHONE.

Used on the reverse of form AW-EO-10.

Printed in early 1940s and
used in early 1942.