Victoria - Interim period: 1901-1917.
Ordinary rate delivery form: VI-DO-3.


General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form E.T. No. 1.
Standard Interim period heading but no TELEGRAM at top in first three printings.
Message area: 5 or 7 very faint lines.
Reverse side: Blank.
Colours (text & form): Blue on cream.
Size of form overall: 193 × 222 mm.
Size of datestamp box: Various.
Distinctive characteristics of the form:
AI-DO-3A VI-DO-3A.
Hawthorn to Richmond
(18 October 1909).

Characteristics:

  • neither schedule nor stores number;
  • lines of vertical text are aligned at the base;
  • seven faint lines for message;
  • in the message area, S of "Station" is aligned under the "co" of "complaints";
  • T of "This Message .." is aligned under M of POSTMASTER;
  • PMG heading is 14.3 cm;
  • from N of NOTE to line under heading is 10.9 cm;
VI-DO-3Ab VI-DO-3Ba.
Beaufort to Moonee Ponds.
7 April 1910.

Characteristics:

  • has a stores number below the two lines of vertical text.
  • lines of vertical text are aligned at the base;

 

VI-DO-3-Adelaide VI-DO-3Bb.

Adelaide to CETO Melbourne.
21 June 1910.

Characteristics:

  • has a stores number below the two lines of vertical text at left;
  • has printed ADELAIDE at the beginning of the message area;
  • lines of vertical text are aligned at the base;
  • 8 faint lines for message.
VI-DO-3Bc VI-DO-3C.

Magill to CETO Melbourne.
21 June 1910.

Characteristics:

  • has a stores number above the two lines of vertical text at the left;
  • now includes TELEGRAM centered at the top in serif font;
  • lines of vertical text are aligned at the base;
  • 8 faint lines for message.
AB-DO-3B VI-DO-3Da.
Mt. Chalmere, Queensland to Melbourne
(27 March 1911).

Characteristics:

  • stores number is included above the line;
  • the lines of vertical text are not aligned top or bottom;
  • in the vertical text, last letter "y" of the 2nd line is level with the last space.

Although the form itself is rated as "Not common", this example is rare. It has a relatively new and short-lived C.E.T.O date stamp in addition to a scarce boxed "DELAYED BY INTERRUPTION
TO LINES
".

VI-DO-2C VI-DO-3Db.
Mildura to Richmond
(22 January 1914).

Characteristics - same as previously:

  • stores number is included above the line;
  • the lines of vertical text are not aligned top or bottom;
  • from N of NOTE (in vertical text at left) to the line under the heading is reduced to 10 cm by slightly smaller font.
VI-DO-2D
Printed in March 1914.
VI-DO-3Ea.
Sydney to Richmond
(6 May 1915).

Characteristics - same as previously but:

  • both schedule number and stores number are included above the line;
  • the lines of vertical text are not aligned top or bottom;
  • T of "This Message .." is aligned under MA of "POSTMASTER".
  • from N of NOTE to line under heading is 10.4 cm.


Printed in July 1915.
VI-DO-3Eb.
East Melbourne to Bendigo
(Telegraph Office of 11 April 1916).

Characteristics - same as previously but:

  • both schedule number and stores number are included above the line;
  • the lines of vertical text are not aligned top or bottom;
  • T of "This Message .." is aligned under under T of "POSTMASTER".

Delivery form VI-DO-3Eb printed in August 1917 used as an improvised Cable form on 28 October 1918 at Proweyah.
A 10 word message sent by EASTERN from London.
For other Cablegrams and International Delivery forms used during the Interim Period in the various States, see elsewhere.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number
Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-3A None 18 October 1909 at Money Order counter in Richmond. NC
DO-3Ba C. 16547. 7 April 1910 at Moonee Ponds, Vic. NC
DO-3Bb C. 7544. 21 June 1910 at C.E.T.O. Melbourne. RRRR
DO-3C C.5509. 21 June 1910 at C.E.T.O. Melbourne. NC
  C.8039. 7 August 1911 at St. Arnaud. NC
  C. 14645. 28 February 1911 at Trafalgar, Vic. NC
DO-3Da C. 16757. 31 January 1911 at St. Arnaud. NC
  C. 10627. 11 October 1911 at Telegraph Office Ballarat. NC
  C. 6149 16 December 1912 at Telegraph Office Bendigo. NC
DO-3Db C. 6711. 6 December 1911 at Bendigo. NC
  C. 3614. 22 January 1914 at M.O. Richmond. C
  C. 11937. 7 April 1913 at C.E.T.O Melbourne, Vic.. C
DO-3Ea B. 316/3.14 C.3743. 23 February 1915 at St. Arnaud. C
  B. 316/10.14 C.14273. 27 September 1915 at Allansford, Vic. C
DO-3Eb B. 316/7.15 C. 8993. 23 March 1916 at St. Arnaud. C
  B. 316/2.16 -
C.1900.
10 June 1916 at C.E.T.O. Melbourne. C
  B. 316/ 5.16
C. 6068.
1 February 1917 at M.O. Richmond. C
  B. 316/ 11.16 -
C. 15064
3 April 1917 at Telegraph Office Bendigo. NC
  B. 316/ 5.17 C. 6637. 8 January 1918 at M.O. Richmond. C
  B. 316/ 8.17
C. 10485
28 November 1917 at St. Arnaud. C
  B. 316/ 2.18
C. 1365.
?? at St Arnaud. C
  B. 316/5.18 C. 6798. 3 February 1919 at Richmond. C