The special Mail Despatch service commenced operation on 1st October and is designed to provide a speedy and highly reliable service for urgent mail. Initially the service is confined to air-conveyed mail between the inner business areas of State capital cities and Canberra.

Special Despatch items must be lodged at specified posting points at
the General Post Office in each capital city;
the Mail Exchange in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart;
Canberra City Post Office and Mail Exchange.

Closing times later than those applying to normal mail have been arranged and the Special Despatch articles are processed and prepared for despatch separately from ordinary mail and receive priority treatment.

A purple Despatch label must be affixed or the words "Special Despatch" written or printed close to the top left of the -address panel on all Special Despatch articles. The bags in which Special Despatch articles are despatched are designated with a normal airmail label and a Special Despatch label bear ing bars and routeing details distinctively coloured in purple. Separate documentation is also used.

Special Depatch articles received in overnight despatches will be available for first delivery by postmen;
collection by 7 a.m. in private boxes at General Post Offices and Mail Exchanges;
collection at other city post office private boxes as soon as practicable after receipt of mail;
collection at G.P.O. mail delivery counter by 8 a.m.;
collection at city post office mail delivery counter as soon as the office opens or as soon as practicable after receipt of mail.

Special Despatch articles received in despatches during the morning and afternoon will be included in the first available delivery by postmen and given priority treatment in sorting to private boxes and delivery counters. All Special Despatch articles received before the departure of postmen on the last delivery will be delivered on the day of receipt. Articles for delivery to street addresses received after the postmen depart on the last delivery will be held until next delivery unless the Special Delivery fee has been paid.

(Special Despatch Mail Service would have ceased with the introduction of Priorty Paid Mail.)

Extracted from “Post Age”, December 1967