WC-EO-4

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	No form number. Heading is TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGE BY POST.
Message area:	Blank.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & envelope):	Black on cream.
Size of envelope overall:	98 × 148 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of the form:

opaque delivery envelope;
unusual heading.

WC-EO-4.

Fremantle to London
31 January 1911.

Has a rare oval TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp in violet
on reverse side (RO-5).

Has 4d. yellow Swan with mss Fremantle and
tied with "COLOMBO" transit datestamp of 9 February 1911.
Referenced in "Black Swan" Sept 1986.

WC-EO-4 (reverse).

Reverse side of the above delivery envelope
showing the rare oval date stamp (RO4-TO).

An earlier example is also known - also sent to London from Fremantle.
It is a cover franked with a 4d yellow Swan with a Fremantle oval date stamp (RO7 - TO) of 10 December 1909 in blue. The cover has a London arrival date stamp of 7 January 1910.
It was originally described in Sydney Views (February 1986, p.13) and nothing had been heard of it since.
However Abacus Auctionsoffered the cover in the December 2023 Sale (no. 254) as Lot 3393. Images can be found there.

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
EO-4	None	31 January 1911 at Telegraph Office Fremantle.	RRR