Queensland Delivery Envelopes

Queensland - Colonial: 1861-1900.
Details of the ordinary rate delivery envelopes.

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	No form numbers. ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH QUEENSLAND below an English Crest used in Colonial times.
Message area:	Blank.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & envelope):	Black on shades from green to blue.
Size of envelope overall:	78 × 138 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of the form:

Unlike other Colonies, Queensland made very little change to the format and design of the telegram delivery envelopes - as was similar to the case for the delivery forms;
Used Colonial delivery envelopes are rare;
the distinguishing features of each of the six formats are:
EO-1: heading under the Crest is in Gothic font;
EO2: IMMEDIATE in the top left corner is not underlined;
EO-3: date in lower left corner is printed as "188 " and the seal on the flap is embossed;
EO-4: printed in blue on white paper with O.H.M.S. below heading;
EO-5: line under TELEGRAPH has four decorative marks;
EO-6: line under TELEGRAPH has a single mark and the animals in the Crest are standing and looking back towards each other;
EO-7: line under TELEGRAPH has ":o:";
EO-8: line under TELEGRAPH has a single mark and the date starts "190 ".;

The remarkable Le Hunte cover sent from Samarai in New Guinea in 1900 is included elsewhere.

The main types of Queensland Colonial ordinary rate delivery envelopes are as follows:

QC-EO-1.
Brisbane to London via Marseilles.
16 April 1867.

Characteristics:

ELECTRIC ... heading is in gothic script;
IMMEDIATE in serif capitals;
BRISBANE precedes dotted line for the date;
year starts 186_.

The envelope is franked with a 1862-67 4d. grey-lilac and 6d. yellow-green
tied by Brisbane duplex. The message was mailed because there was
no telegraphic communication with England at that time -
being 5½ years before the Overland Telegraph was completed.

QC-EO-1 Crest (front).

The two animals are standing very erect and facing one another.
Width: 8 mm.
Very similar to - but clearer than - the Crest on QC-EO-2 below.

QC-EO-1 (reverse side).

Detail of the red printed Crest on the flap at the rear.
There is also an embossed 6-point star over the Crest.
Dimensions: 23 × 28mm.

QC-EO-2.

Used at Townsville
4 December 1872. Characteristics:

light blue colour;
Crest at the top is 13 mm wide;
date begins "18__".

Has the accompanying delivery form (QC-DO-7).

QC-EO-2 (Crest detail).

QC-EO-2 (reverse side).

Characteristics:

embossed crest in red and has very fine detail (width: 30 mm);
flap has very gently curved sides (47 mm high);
printed on laid paper.

QC-EO-3.
Thursday Island to Warronga
29 March 1888.

Characteristics:

blue-green colour;
Crest at the top is 27 mm wide;
date at base begins "188 _".
very thin paper;
flap at rear has curved sides and rounded flap.

Detail of the Crest on the front.

The Animals are facing away but looking back at each other.
Both are thin animals.
They look playful and the Unicorn has grown a horn.

QC-EO-3 (reverse side). Characteristics:

embossed crest in blue and has very fine detail;
(height: 20 mm; width: 24 mm);
Fleur-de-lis at base of scroll around ET MON;
various design differences from reverse crest on DE-1;
printed on laid paper.

QC-EO-4.
Used at Brisbane 17 August 1885.
Has a squared circle Brisbane date stamp.
Has printed O.H.M.S.

The envelope was intended for use on official business.
Used to deliver a telegram to the Commissioner of Police - so contrasts with
the Victorian practice of using the same envelope for all
(see for example VC-EO-8).

Characteristics:

printed on white paper by letterpress;
has O.H.M.S. under heading;
IMMEDIATE is in serif capitals;
has standard information in the lower left corner
with the addition of the Station BRISBANE;
date begins "188_".

QC-EO-4 (reverse).
Detail of the red seal on the flap on the reverse side.
Size: 19 × 23 mm.
The seal is embossed in contrast to the image printed by letterpress on the front.
Crest is of a very different design to that on the front.

QC-EO-5.
Used at Maryborough on 23 June 1894.

Characteristics:

blue-green colour;
Crest at the top is 27 mm wide;
date at base begins "18 __".
very thin paper;
flap at rear has curved sides and rounded flap.

Detail of the Crest on the front.

The Animals are facing away but looking back at each other.
Both are thin animals and they look playful.
The Lion has lost conditioning from his tail and
the Unicorn has a reduced horn but a longer second tail.

Printed seal image on the point of the rounded flap of the above delivery envelope.
Both animals with their chests against the shield.
Size: 20 × 24 mm.

QC-EO-6. Used at Toowong.
Rare ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH OFFICE oval date stamp.

Characteristics:

light-greenish-blue colour;
Crest at the top is 23 mm wide;
date at base begins "18__".

Detail of the Crest on the front.

Animals are facing more towards the front and looking back at each other.
Both are more solid and the Unicorn has a big horn.
The Crest on the flap at the rear is the same design and size as for QC-DE-2.

QC-EO-7. Used at Toowoomba on
29 August 1906.

Characteristics:

blue-green colour;
Crest at the top is 23 mm wide;
date at base begins "190_";
seal of curved flap is the same as that for QC-DE-4.

Detail of the Crest on the front.

The animals are standing upright and holding the Shield.
The Lion is looking out and appears to be puzzled as to why he should be holding the Shield.
Both animals have lost weight and the Unicorn's horn is considerably reduced in size.

QC-EO-8. Used on 19 April 1905.

Characteristics:

blue-green colour;
Crest at the top is 25 mm wide;
date at base begins 190_;
seal of curved flap is the same as that for QC-DE-5.

Detail of the Crest on the front.

The animals are standing upright, facing towards each other
and holding the Shield.

Both animals have continued to lose weight.

The Unicorn's horn is again reduced in size,
he has lost his chin line and both animals have longer tails.

Printed seal image on the point of the rounded flap of the above delivery envelope.

Border is more oval.
Size: 23 × 32 mm.
Both animals standing away from the shield.
Size: 20 × 24 mm.

Little is known of the printing or quantities of Queensland envelopes except that, in September 1907, an order was placed with Sands & McDougall of Melbourne to supply 1 million telegram envelopes at 2s 6d per thousand.

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
EO-1	None	16 April 1867 at Brisbane	RRRR
EO-2	None	4 December 1872 at Townsville.	RRRR
EO-3	None	29 March 1888 at Thursday Island.	RRRR
EO-4	None	17 August 1885 at Brisbane.	RRRR
EO-5	None	23 June 1894 at Maryborough.	RRRR
EO-6	None	Date unknown at Toowong.	RRRR
EO-7	None	29 August 1906 at Toowoomba.	RRRR
EO-8	None	19 April 1905 at ??	RRRR

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Return to the top.
Urgent rate delivery envelopes.
Overview of Queensland Colonial delivery forms.
Types of envelope designs.