Delayed/Detained markings

Telegrams in Australia:
Delayed/Detained message markings.

Perhaps the most important instructional marking used on telegrams was that to indicate a message had been delayed due to an interruption of the telegraph lines. At first this message was simply hand written but later the message was handstamped on a delivery form and/or on a delivery envelope.

Each Colony had its own design and wording and that tended to vary sometimes significantly over time. Nevertheless there was a large degree of communality amongst the Colonies (one can only convey that message in a limited number of ways ;)).

A DELAYED ... handstamp made from brass -
allegedly it had been used at
the Omeo Telegraph Office in Victoria during the 1940s.

Details of the instruction at the base of the brass handstamp.
See also a steel date stamp used at Maryborough Railway Station.

Standardisation became greater during the post-Federation period although it was still common to hand-write the message. There were still a number of formats for the handstamps used.

Examples of the ways the Delayed or Detained message was indicated are provided for:

handwritten annotations;

Handstamps - examples or on complete forms.

New South Wales	See examples	See complete forms
Queensland	See examples	See complete forms
South Australia	See examples	See complete forms
Tasmania	See examples	See complete forms
Victoria	See examples	See complete forms
Western Australia	See example.	See completed form.
International		See Reuters form (Sydney to London).

New South Wales.

For more examples of the annotations on forms see NSW Interrupted.

DELAYED INTERRUPTION LINES manuscript	Used on NI-DO-1. 20 March 1926 at Wagga Wagga. Handwriting spans 10 cm.
One line DELAYED BY INTERRUPTION	Used on AE-DO-2A at C.E.T.O. Sydney. 28 February 1924. Size: 4.5 × 77 mm.
One line DETAINED BY INTERRUPTION OF ?IG.	Used on AB-DU-3A at Wagga Wagga. 26 September 1924. Size: 61 mm wide.

RO7 - DETAINED BY
INTERRUPTION OF LINE.

1 mm separating arcs.

Used on NI-DO-5 at Newcastle.
5 November 1906.
Size: 29 × 56 mm (e = 0.86).

RO7 - DETAINED
BY INTERRUPTION OF LINE.

2 mm separating arcs.

Used on NC-DO- 9A at Electric Telegraph Office Sydney.
16 April 1890.
Size: 34 × 56 mm (e = 0.79).

RO7 - DELAYED BY
INTERRUPTION TO LINE.

No separating arcs.

Used on NI-DO-6Ab.
5 April 1911.
Size: 42 × 69 mm (e = 0.79).

Queensland.

For more examples of the handstamps on forms see Queensland Interrupted.

Two line - DETAINED ...

Used in 1874.
Size: 13 × 53 mm.

South Australia.

For more examples of the annotations on forms see SA Interrupted.

DELAYED ... manuscript

But with a reason! The telegraphic message was sent from Redhill via Snowtown, Bute and Kadina to be delivered at Wallaroo. The problem is identified as being a "Hot Box" at Bute. A very informative annotation.

Tasmania.

For more examples of the handstamps on forms see Tasmania Interrupted.

Two line - DELAYED ....	Used on TC-DO-5D. 13 October 1903. Size: 13 × 61 mm.
Two line - DELAYED ....	Used on AW-DO-9Bb. 31 October 1945. Size: 9 × 57 mm.