Transmission Form AE-TO-1

Telegrams in Australia - 1912-1988.
Australia - Transmission form - AE-TO-1.

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	Form number E.T. No. 2 which soon after was changed to E.T. No. 1. Heading is TELEGRAM. Has two boxes in heading.
Message area:	30 boxes in 6 lines.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & form):	Black on white paper.
Size of form overall:	126 × 203 mm.
Size of datestamp box:	22 × 31 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of the form:

has serrations on left side in February 1918 printing showing there must have been a tab (cut off example below as TO-1C);
has Telegraph Charges in the Cash Register box;
has three sentences under TELEGRAM;
the main distinctions amongst the four formats are
1A: Form Number E.T.2;
1B: Form Number E.T.1, straight left edge and rate for inter-State telegrams is 1s;
1Ca: Form Number E.T.1, serrated edge at left and Inter-state rate is 1s;
1Cb: Form Number E.T.1, straight left edge and rate for inter-State telegrams is 1s 4d.
1D: Form Number E.T.1, serrated edge at left and rate for inter-State telegrams is 1s 4d.

AE-TO-1A.

Characteristics:

Form number E.T.2;
top heading is sans-serif font;
has a stores number in lower left corner.

The use of the E.T.2 form number is unusual.
That number was used by all former Colonies except Queensland during the interim period for transmission forms.

Hence its use on this form was probably a carry over until consistency could be achieved.

AE-TO-1B.

Characteristics:

Form number E.T.1;
top heading is serif font;
has a stores number in lower left corner using a different format to that on the previous form.

Used for a copy of a telegram sent to Perth from Cue - 4 October 1919.

Has a black oval Commonwealth Savings Bank datestamp - the Bank having a branch at the Post & Telegraph Office.

AE-TO-1Ca.

Characteristics:

Form number E.T.1;
top heading is serif font;
rate for interstate telegrams is 1s.
has a stores number in lower left corner using the same format to that on the previous form;
has serrations down the left side indicating this form would have been bound into a pad/book of forms with a stub at the left.

AE-TO-1Cb.

Characteristics:

Form number E.T. No. 1;
top heading is serif font;
no schedule number;
the rate for inter-state telegrams had been increased to 1s 4d - hence the printing must have been in late 1923 or later.

AE-TO-1D.

Characteristics:

Form number E.T. No. 1;
top heading is smaller than for TO-1D and is
in sans-serif font;
no schedule number;
rate for inter-state telegrams is 1s 4d;

Confirmation — Copy of a telegram made for and by Cameron, Sutherland and Seward Pty Ltd - 3 January 1924.
Provenance: Gundersen, Johnstone.

Forms of this type (which many businesses had specially printed) would be placed under the original PMG form with carbon paper between and a Secretary in the business would type the message on the PMG form which would be retained by the Telegraph Office.

The format was designed (considering size and form layout) to be used for making copies from the first Australian transmission forms issued in 1918 (shown above) as these forms were slightly bigger than those issued later - the date fitted on these forms better than the small, later forms.

Very rare - only one other such form (for the same firm) is recorded.

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
TO-1A	B86092 .. 25 - St. 64 (37)		RRRR
TO-1B	B. 873/12.17. - C.16602. - 200M.	21 November 1923 at ??.	RR
	B.873/6.18. - C.9319. - 240M.	4 October 1919 at Cue, WA	RR
TO-1C	B. 873/2.18. - C.16602. - 200M.		RR
TO-1D	None	Probably available in 1923	RRR
TO-1E	None	25 May 1937 (probably at Gladstone).	RRR