The Reply-Paid facility.
There were three possible interpretations of the phrase "Reply paid" or "Pre-Paid":
Provision was made from the Colonial days to pay for the transmission of a telegram without attending a Telegraph Office during Office hours. Sometimes people might be a long distance from the nearest office or the need to send a telegram arose when the offices were closed. In such circumstances, a telegram message could be written either on a transmission form or on a plain piece of paper and posted to the nearest Telegraph Office in a sealed envelope together with sufficient money to pay the cost
The 1922 Post and Telegraph Guide described the procedure to be followed as follows:
It is the third interpretation of the term "Reply paid" which is described below. This interpretation is very different from the use of the word COLLECT which intended that the original message was not paid for by the sender but the cost had to be paid for by the recipient of the telegram.
The following information is provided:
1. The Colonial period to 1901 - the regulations and forms:
Colony Details and regulations. Overview of the Issued forms. New South Wales. Overview Colonial forms Interim forms Queensland. Overview Colonial forms Interim forms. South Australia Overview SA forms. Tasmania Overview Tasmanian forms. Colonial Victoria Overview Victorian forms. Western Australia Overview WA forms.
2. Access to the forms printed by each State during the Interim period.
For all forms, see Interim Period Reply Paid forms.
3. Commonwealth period