Australia - Establishment period: 1917-1923.
Urgent rate delivery form AE-DU-1
.

 
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form E.T. No. 2a.
Combined form and envelope design.
Five distinct sections.
Heading is URGENT TELEGRAM.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Black on pink to salmon (various shades).
Size of form overall: 1194 × 201 mm (excluding flaps).
Distinctive characteristics of this form:
 
AE-DU-1A
Printed in February 1917.
AE-DU-1A.

Bridgetown to Perth
(C.E.T.O. datestamp of
30 January 1918).
28 words costing 1/9.

Top section only shown.

Characteristics:

  • no form number;
  • URGENT TELEGRAM in two lines;
  • has box for date stamp at right;
  • plain at base of "TO" box on left;
  • has entry "Time Lodged and Received".
AE-DU-1B salPrinted in April 1918. AE-DU-1B.

Cowra to Windsor (3 August 1920).

Characteristics:

  • has been printed on salmon paper not pink;
  • has form number E.T. No. 2a;
  • has date stamp at right but no box;
  • URGENT TELEGRAM in two lines;
  • has ornate scroll at base of "TO" box at left;
  • has entry "Time Lodged".
DU-1Ab
Printed in April 1918.
AE-DU-1B.

Launceston to Storey Creek (10 June 1924).
14 words costing 2/- (intra-state basic rate of 1/- doubled for Urgent rate).

Top section only shown.

Characteristics:

  • has been printed on dark pink paper - but has same schedule number as the above form;
  • has form number E.T. No. 2a;
  • has date stamp at right but no box;
  • URGENT TELEGRAM in two lines;
  • has ornate scroll at base of "TO" box at left;
  • has entry "Time Lodged".
DU-1C
Printed in July1919.
AE-DU-1C.

Stock Exchange, Melbourne to Maryborough (14 October 1922).
19 words costing 4/6 as Reply paid (intra-state rate of 1/- plus 3 words @ 1d then total doubled for urgent rate. The reply paid component is 1/- for 16 words doubled for the urgent rate).

Characteristics:

  • has form number E.T. No. 2a;;
  • has date stamp at left but no box;
  • URGENT TELEGRAM in one line;
  • has ornate scroll at base of "TO" box at left;
  • has entry "Time lodged".
DU-1C folded

AE-DU-1C (folded).

The above delivery form folded showing the address on the reverse side and the flaps used to seal the telegram.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number
Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DU-1A B.774/2.17.--C.1823. 21 December 1917 at CETO Sydney. R
  B.774/2.17.--C.9910.   R
DU-1B B.774/4.18 --C.4697. 10 July 1920 at Oatlands, Tasmania. RR
DU-1C B.1024/7.19--C.2252. 18 January 1921 at Windsor. R