Advertising telephones

Telephones were introduced into Australia with the opening of the Sydney Telephone Exchange in 1882. The service expanded rapidly and, by 1900, 30,000 exchanges were operating across the country. These exchanges were the foundation of the service until about the 1950s when rotatry dial phones became more common and allowed subscribers to dial directly.

To encourage use of the telephones, many types of telegraph stationery carried advertisements aimed at recommending ways to the use of the telephone service. The themes can be grouped as follows:

Using a Telephone saves time and money.
Telephones have low costs.
Telephones are a sound investment.
Extension telephones.

1. Telephones are economical and save time.
	A TELEPHONE SAVES TIME, MONEY ... Printed on the rear flap of urgent delivery envelope AB-EU-3 which was used on 4 April 1931 to deliver AB-DU-6A at Glen Iris, Victoria. Also used on AB-EO-3A (reverse side).
2. Telephones have low costs.
	A TELEPHONE COSTS ... Used as the second advertisement on the reverse side of AB-DU-6A. Printed June 1929 and used 4 April 1931. The advertisement is the second of three advertisements printed on the reverse side of the urgent rate delivery form. Also used on: AB-TO-5A; AB-DO-6A and DO-6B;
	A TELEPHONE COSTS ... Used as the central advertisement on the reverse side of AB-DO-7A. Printed June 1929 and used 4 January 1933. Also used on: the August 1933 printing;
	Reverse side of form AB-TO-8A printed in October 1935 with the advertisement for "A TELEPHONE COSTS YOU ...". See a review of advertisements on telegrams included elsewhere.
	CHANGE TO THE MODERN HANDSET TELEPHONE ... Used on the lower part of the reverse side on ordinary rate delivery envelope AB-EO-8B on 9 February 1939. Also used on AW-EO-7A.
	INSTALL THE MODERN HANDSET. Used on delivery form AB-DO-8H.

3. A Telephone is a sound investment.

4. Extension telephones.
	EXTENSION TELEPHONES. Used as the second of three advertisements on the reverse of form AB-DU-6A. printed in October 1929 and used 15 May 1930.
	EXTENSION TELEPHONES. Used as the second of three advertisements on the reverse of form AB-DU-7A printed in March 1930 and used 24 March 1931.
	EXTENSION TELEPHONES. Used as the second of three advertisements on the reverse of form AB-DO-8B printed in March 1931 and used 5 September 1931.
	Reverse side of a November FormAB-TO-8A with SCH. C. 1958 - 11/1937 and 7063 in the lower right corner showing the advertisement for installing extension telephones.