General characteristics:
| Heading and notes: | Form number No. 13. Has ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH with crest between words. The Lion and the Unicorn face away from each other in forms A and B. |
| Message area: | 20 boxes in four lines. |
| Reverse side: | Blank. |
| Colours (text & form): | Red on cream. |
| Size of form overall: | 194 × 223 mm. |
| Size of date stamp box: | 40 × 34 mm. |
Distinctive characteristics of the form:
- two sections above the message boxes;
- the Crest is 33 mm wide and the supporters are lying down and looking away;
- 20 message boxes arranged in 4 rows of 5 (unusual);
- date to the right begins "187_";
- has a box for the Office Stamp in the centre right
(very early inclusion compared to other Colonies); - reverse side is blank;
- no printing date.
Wagga Wagga, NSW to Adelaide Station 20 April 1876.Provenance: Corinphila Sale 320 Dubois Collection Part 3, November 2023 Lot 30194.
Johnstone Collection.
Characteristics:
- has ADELAIDE Station in the heading for the receiving Station;
- has lines after Station for date and time;
- has space for a 187__ date after TELEGRAM FROM ... STATION;
- ADDRESSED TO has two lines;
- reverse side is blank.
The date stamp for TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Type 1) has no date
but ADELAIDE across the centre. It is very rare.
This form was enclosed in the
S.A. Colonial delivery envelope SC-EO-3 sent to London.
Another SC-DO-4A form is known with identical formatting on the front but,
on the reverse side, there are 68 boxes in 17 rows of 4.
There is also an inscription at the base of the reverse side for
"From ..." with two rows for that information.
The 27 word message was written on the front.
It was printed in orange ink.
Sent from from Blinman to Port Augusta on 28 March 1878.
Melbourne to Heidelberg, Germany repeated at Glenelg.4 November 1876.
Characteristics:
- no heading for the name of the receiving Station;
- no lines after Station in the top section for date or time.
- ADDRESSED TO has two lines.
- the message area has four rows of five boxes.
- reverse side is blank.
A MAJOR FORM IN AUSTRALIA'S TELEGRAPHIC HISTORY.
The earliest recorded example of an Australian telegram
crossing the Overland Telegraph line (4 years after opening).
Three of five early forms with messages transiting the Australian Colonies
from Sydney to Marseilles, France using the Overland Telegraph Line
are included elsewhere.
The form at the left is also a very early usage of a hand stamp
on a telegram form in an Australian Colony.
Adelaide to Port Augusta.22 April 1892.
Very rare T.O date stamp.
Characteristics:
- no heading for the name of the Receiving Station -
so here a SL hand stamp was used. - ADDRESSED TO has three lines.
- the message area has been altered to provide five rows of four boxes.
- NOTE at the bottom has "unless" at the end of line 1 and
PLEASE TURNOVER in the lower right corner.
- reverse side has 17 rows of 4 boxes for continuation of the message.
- At the base of the reverse side are two lines
"SIGNATURE AND FULL/ ADDRESS OF SENDER".
unfortunately common with so many South Australian telegrams.
Details of use and rarity.
| Form sub-number |
Schedule number | Earliest recorded date | Rarity rating |
| DO-4A | None | 20 April 1876 at Adelaide Station. | RRRR |
| DO-4B | None. | 4 November 1876 at Glenelg. | RRRR |
| DO-4C | None. | 22 April 1892 at Port Augusta. | RRRR |