Record series
Central Administration Correspondence Files
VPRS 10163
1911 - 1965
Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Department of Agriculture ( VA618 ): 1911 - 1965
Agencies responsible for this record series: Date Range
Series date range: 1911 - 1965
Series in custody:
1911 - 1964
Contents in custody:
1888 - 1964
Function / Content
This series consists of the Department of Agriculture Central Administration inward and outward correspondence. The Central Administration registry held all correspondence relating to Departmental policy and all other material dealt with at Ministerial and executive level. Throughout the period covered by this series the Department was organised into various divisions and branches, each with its own separate registry and record-keeping systems dealing with its own activities and administration. Duplication of material between this series and the other registry systems often occurred as inwards and outwards correspondence endorsed or signed at an executive level but actioned by a division or branch would often be registered in both systems.This record-keeping system facilitated the conduct of business relating to the functions of the Department of Agriculture.
Fisheries and Game 1910 to 1913
the Government Botanist/Herbarium 1903 to 1913
maintenance and improvement of agricultural productivity
agricultural education
animal welfare
control, treatment and eradication of diseases in animals, animal products and plants and pest control
regulating and monitoring production and distribution of agricultural products such as milk, fruit, eggs, vegetables, wine, grain, poultry and livestock.
chemical research and analysis
advisory services to agricultural community and the general public
research and development through regional research institutes and experimental farms.
How to use the records
To locate specific or general correspondence within this system you will need to follow a search process derived from, and similar to the correspondence Registry procedures used by the officials who maintained the system.In a typical 20th century registry incoming and copies of out-going correspondence are placed on registered files. The related control records, in this case a Card Register, a Nominal Index and Lists of Departmental Files were used to control the creation of files, the classification of correspondence and thus the retrieval of information through the registration and indexing processes.
Method A Appropriate for general/specific topic research.
Consult unit 3 of VPRS 8215/P1 Lists of Current Departmental Files between 1954 and 1964.
Choose from this List the file title(s) most relevant to your topic/research area.
Consult the Consignment Details for VPRS 10163 Central Administration Correspondence Files P1, P2, P3 and P4 to identify the unit containing the file(s) you require.
Method B Appropriate when researching an individual or organisation by name.
Consult VPRS 8213 Nominal Index to Central Administration Correspondence Files. Note the numbers of files of interest.
Consult the records description lists for VPRS 10163 Central Administration Correspondence Files P1, P2, P3
Points to Note When Using This System
Correspondence from the previous system.
When this system was begun circa 1911 a lot of correspondence from the late 19th century and early 20th century was "top-numbered", that is taken from the previous system of arrangement and incorporated into these new files because it was considered an active file. Consequently the contents date range of this series is much earlier than 1911. The earliest papers located date from 1888.
If you cant find a file you want it may be because:
It was culled and destroyed by the Department during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Attachment A contains a list of file categories culled and destroyed in 1962. Attachment B contains a list of files culled and destroyed in 1964. These lists can be obtained from the Reference Archivist.
To ascertain information about correspondence placed in files which no longer exist, refer to VPRS 8214 Card Register of Central Administration Correspondence. As each card pertains to a file raised this series, VPRS 8214 provides summary information about correspondence received and despatched.
When this system ceased in 1964, any correspondence considered significant and/or in active use at the time was "top-numbered" into the new series VPRS 8089 Central Administration Annual Single Number Correspondence. The control records for VPRS 10163 do not indicate whether correspondence was removed and top-numbered.
Recordkeeping system
Files in this series are arranged alphabetically by file classification. Within this subject classification system file titles were composed from a list of "fixed" main-headings (Sections) devised to reflect the main functions of the Department, and "free" sub-headings (Subjects) reflecting the more specific nature of the file. Tertiary sub-headings were also often used to identify specific instance/case /location.eg.
Section
Subject
Entomology
African White Wax Scale
File Title
A two-part control mechanism was used to aid in the control and retrieval of information in this series. While correspondence was physically arranged in files, a document level control mechanism was employed. All incoming and outgoing correspondence was recorded in a card register system. A separate card was created for each file raised and a precis of each letter placed on the file was recorded on the card. See VPRS 8214 Card Register of Central Administration Correspondence.
Correspondence in this series was also indexed by VPRS 8213 Nominal Index to Central Administration Correspondence Files. The cards were arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent. The nominal index gives the name of correspondent, the date received, a precis of the letter and the title of the file on which the letter was placed.
From 1954 until 1964, VPRS 8215 Lists of Current Departmental Files, was created. It comprised a list of all files in current use. (See note below on the provenance of the series for explanation of "current use"). These lists were created to document those files which were extant; to provide a quick entry point to the possible files in existence on a subject and indicate the physical location of a file.
Classified Headings used by Department of Agriculture Central Administration Registry:
Accommodation
Accounts
Agreements General
Agricultural Education
Appliances
Beet Industry
Buildings
Commonwealth Agriculture Extension Grant
Conferences
Cool Storage
Dairy Products
Entomology
Estimates
Federal Science
Films
Flax Industry
Fruit
Fruit Citrus
Fruit Pathology
Fruit Miscellaneous
Interstate Transit
Lectures
Legal Opinions
Legislation
Manures
Meat
Overseas Transit
Potatoes
Poultry
Primary Products
Prosecutions
Publications
Regulations
Show
Statistics
Stock Ailments
Stock Breeding
Tobacco
Transport
Vegetables
Veterinary
Viticulture
Miscellaneous
Previous Series
The bulk of the central correspondence of the Department of Agriculture prior to c.1911 was presumed not extant at the time of registration of this series in 1990. However active pre 1911 correspondence was top-numbered into this series, which accounts for the 1888 contents date range. The control records for this series do not give an indication when correspondence was top-numbered" into the new system.
This earlier correspondence was registered by annual single number. Extant docket covers reveal that correspondence was "attached up" to subsequent correspondence on the same subject. No pre-1911 control records ie. registers and indexes, were extant at the time of registration of this series.
Subsequent Series
This series formally ceased at the end of 1964. In 1965 a new annual single number correspondence system was begun. See VPRS 8089 Central Administration Annual Single Number Correspondence. Pre-1965 correspondence considered significant and/or in active use at the time was top-numbered into the new system. Therefore many of the files raised in 1965 contain material from the late 1950's to the early 1960's. The control records for VPRS 10163 do not indicate that correspondence has been removed and "top-numbered" into the new system.
File Note
PROVENANCE
Prior to 1962 correspondence from c.1900 onwards was held by the Department in various storage areas. There is evidence to suggest that early files were examined and either destroyed or culled in the 1940's and 1950's.
In 1962 due to the lack of storage space the records were examined and a second culling process was instituted. Most files which had been inactive for over 30 years were destroyed. (see Attachment A). Certain files which were considered to contain material of "historical importance" were stripped of "extraneous material" and kept. These files and others were transferred to the Archives Division, State Library in 1962. Approximately 7.62 linear metres covering the period 1910 to 1940 was transferred. These files can now be located in VPRS 10163/P2.
In 1966 a further 12 linear metres of records from this series was transferred covering the period c.1910-1960. Attachment B shows a list of the files from this series which were destroyed prior to this transfer. The files transferred in 1966 were inter-sorted with the previous transfer and can also be located in VPRS 10163/P2.
In 1976 approximately 58.5 linear metres of these files covering the period c.1900 to 1964 were transferred to the Public Record Office. These can be located in VPRS 10163/P3. In 1977 a number of files (2 boxes) were inter-sorted into this consignment.
The P1 consignment of this series comprising 1 box of records covering the period 1924 to 1930 was transferred in 1987.
This record series was re-boxed and re-listed in 1990.
Date Range
The end date for the series date range and period recorded has been artificially extended from 1964 to 1965 to allow the relationship with the subsequent series, VPRS 8092, to be entered. Consignment date ranges and period controlled have been left as 1964.
