New South Wales - Colonial period: 1858-1900.
Ordinary rate delivery form: NC-DO-8.
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: No form number.
NEW SOUTH WALES
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
Message area: Boxes are numbered to 40 on both left and right sides.
Reverse side: Boxes are numbered from 45 to 110 on both left and right sides.
Colours (text & form): Red on yellow.
Size of form overall: 230 × 185 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of the form:

  • wavy heading but shallow - the distance from the top ("Issued Form") to the dividing line is 36 mm;
  • Stock number (637 or 627) on the front is left justified to the start of the line and the number is repeated on the reverse side in the top left corner below the line;
  • the text at the base of the "TELEGRAM from ..." box is in normal font;
  • the main distinctions between varieties are:
    8A: 13 Regulations and a Special Delivery note on the reverse side;
    8B: 12 Regulations and a Special Delivery note on the reverse side.
    •  
    NC-DO-8A NC-DO-8Aa.

    Sydney to Windsor
    15 June 1886.

    Characteristics:

    • the distance from ISSUED to the line ending the heading section is 38 mm;
    • stock number above line at left is St. 637;
    • Regulations on the reverse side are numbered 1 to 13 followed by a SPECIAL DELIVERY note.

     
    rev 8A NC-DO-8Aa (reverse).

    Details of the reverse side of the above form.

    Characteristics:

    • boxes numbered to 110 on both left and right;
    • Stock Number below the line in the top left is St. 637;
    • 13 Regulations and a note on SPECIAL DELIVERY.

     

     

    NC-DO-8Ab - detail.

    Characteristics:

    • Stores number changed to t. 627.
    • has rare RO7-ETO oval date stamp of 6 May 1887.
    		  
    NC-DO-8B NC-DO-8B.

    Sydney to Windsor
    (1 October 1888).

    Characteristics:

    • the distance from ISSUED to the line ending the heading section is 36 mm;
    • Stores number St. 637 on the front and the reverse;
    • Regulations on the reverse side have been revised and reduced in number to 12 (see below).
    NC-DO-8Ba_rev Detail of the reverse side of
    NC-DO-8B above.

    Shows revision of Regulations and reduction in their number to 12 by combining the previous Numbers 2 and 3 concerning prepayment of charges.

     

    Details of use and rarity.

    Form
    sub-number    		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
    DO-8Aa Stores number St. 637 front and reverse. 15 June 1886 at Windsor. RR
    DO-8Ab Stores number St. 627 front and reverse. 6 May 1887 at ETO Sydney. RR
    DO-8B Stores number St. 637 front and reverse. 1 October 1888 at Windsor. RR