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 ;)).
allegedly it had been used at
the Omeo Telegraph Office in Victoria during the 1940s.
Size: 31 × 45 mm (e - 0.72). Almost certainly the same design as that used at Bairnsdale (see below).
See also a different 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:
- handwritten annotations;
- 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).
For more examples of the annotations on forms see NSW Interrupted.
Used on NI-DO-1.20 March 1926 at Wagga Wagga.
Handwriting spans 10 cm.
Used on AE-DO-2A at C.E.T.O. Sydney.28 February 1924.
Size: 4.5 × 77 mm.
Used on AB-DU-3A at Wagga Wagga.26 September 1924.
Size: 61 mm wide.
Used on NI-DO-5 at Newcastle.5 November 1906.
1 mm separating arcs.
Size: 29 × 56 mm (e = 0.86).
Used on NC-DO- 9A at Electric Telegraph Office Sydney.16 April 1890.
2 mm separating arcs.
Size: 34 × 56 mm (e = 0.79).
Used on NI-DO-6Ab.5 April 1911.
No separating arcs.
Size: 42 × 69 mm (e = 0.79).
For more examples of the handstamps on forms see Queensland Interrupted.
Used in 1874.
Size: 13 × 53 mm.
For more examples of the annotations on forms see SA Interrupted.
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.
For more examples of the handstamps on forms see Tasmania Interrupted.
Used on TC-DO-5D13 October 1903.
Size: 13 × 61 mm.
Used on AW-DO-9Bb.31 October 1945.
Size: 9 × 57 mm.
For more examples of the annotations on forms see Victoria Interrupted.
Used on VC-DO-9.28 October 1879.
Width: 117 mm.
Used on VI-DO-3Da at C.E.T.O. Melbourne.27 March 1911.
DELAYED BY
INTERRUPTION
TO LINES.
Size: 16 × 39 mm.
Used from 27 February 1909 to 27 March 1911.
Used on VI-DO-1C at C.E.T.O. Melbourne.21 August 1909.
DELAYED/ LINES INTERRUPTED.
Diameter: 25 mm.
Used on AW-DU-11C.Bellbird to Bairnsdale.
16 February 1948.
Only recorded example of its use (see above).
Provenance: Brian Sampson.
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