OTL - earliest recorded forms

Australia -South Australia/Northern Territory.
The Overland Telegraph Line - earliest recorded usage.

Home, index, site details
Australia 1901-1988
New South Wales
Queensland
- Overview of Qld
  - General developments
  - Reports
- Telegraph lines
- Telegraph offices
  - Listing of TOs
  - GPO & CTO
- Date stamps
- Forms
- Envelopes
  - Ordinary rate
  - Urgent rate
- Rates
- Stamps
South Australia
- Overview of SA
  - General Developments
  - Reports
- Telegraph lines
- Telegraph Offices
- Date stamps
  - Overview
  - Central Office date stamps
- Forms
  - Colonial period
  - Interim period - all
- Envelopes
- Rates
- Stamps
Tasmania
- Overview of Tasmania
  - General developments
  - Admin. responsibility
  - Reports
- Telegraph lines
  - Overview of lines
  - Tas-Vic cable
- Telegraph Offices
  - Listing of TOs
  - GPO & CTO
- Date stamps
- Railway lines
- Forms
  - Colonial forms - all
  - Interim forms - all
- Envelopes
- Rates
- Stamps
Victoria
- Overview of Vic.
  - General developments
  - Reports
- Telegraph lines
- Telegraph offices
  - Listing of TOs
  - GPO & CTO
- Date stamps
- Forms
- Envelopes
  - Colonial period
  - Interim period
- Rates
- Stamps
  - Telegraph stamps
  - Postage stamps
- Ephemera
  - Frank stamps
Western Australia
- Overview of WA
  - General Developments
  - Reports
- Telegraph lines
- Telegraph Offices
  - Listing of TOs
  - GPO & CTO
- Date stamps
- Forms
  - Colonial period - all
  - Interim period - all
- Envelopes
- Rates
- Stamps
  - Telegraph stamps
  - Postage stamps
International
Special aspects

The earliest recorded form sent through the Overland Telegraph Line is shown below.

The message was sent from Sidney (sic - Sydney) to Bordeaux via Malta and Marseilles. It was received on 11 February 1873 - just less than 4 months after the submarine cable had been repaired by Eastern on 21 October 1872 and direct communications between Adelaide and England had commenced.

The formm is marked HURRY which presumably was the accepted alternative for URGENT.

It is an order for various alcohols to be sent to Noumea and

An extraordinary item - earlier by just over 6 months than the second earliest recorded date of 23 August 1873 - and again used by Curçier and Abet to order more drinks :)

A major South Australian delivery form - the earliest recorded as having used the Overland Telegraph Line - is for a message from Melbourne via Glenelg (as a Repeater Station) to Heidelberg, Germany on 4 November 1876.