Record series
General Correspondence Files
VPRS 14831
1978 - 1986
Not set
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Health Commission of Victoria ( VA652 ): 1978 - 1985
Agencies responsible for this record series: Department of Human Services ( VA 3970 ): 1996 - present
Date Range
Series date range: 1978 - 1986
Series in custody:
1978 - 1986
Contents in custody:
1978 - 1986
Function / Content
This series comprises general administrative and correspondence files of the Health Commission (VA 652) and the Department of Health 11 (VA 2695). Files date from the establishment of the Commission in 1978 and were created by a central registry which operated within the Commission's Central Administration Division. Files usually pertain to issues which were the responsibility of the various operational divisions of the Commission and general administrative issues arising between these Divisions and Central Administration.A separate series was created for files relating to policy and other issues handled by the Commission's Head Executive Committee (VPRS 14832).
How to use the records
To locate a file within this series, first identify a file number and then, using Consignments below, establish the unit (or box) number containing that file.To obtain a file number consult VPRS 14835. This index which has been printed from a computerised records management system, is structured from keywords taken from the file titles. There may be a number of separate entries for a file in the index depending on the number of keywords identified. For example, a file titled `Alternative Medicines' is indexed under the keywords `Alternative' and `Medicine'.
Please note that this index also provides file numbers for:
- files in VPRS 14832 and an unaccessioned sequence of Freedom of Information Request files as well as this series. File numbers for this series are those which are in the form of an annual single number (for example 82/123), and
- files from this series which have been transferred to PRO custody as part of VPRS 6345/P. These files are generally identified in this index by the notation -A or -AF which have been placed at the end of the file title.
Recordkeeping system
The files in this series are arranged in annual single number order commencing at number 100 (i.e files are allocated a number from 100, regardless of subject and is prefixed by the year of creation). The file number reverts to 100 at the start of each calendar year. (It is not known why the number begins at 100 rather than 1 each year.) When a file became too large to be easily handled, a new part file retaining the original file number was created.No file numbers were allocated for the number range 86/929 - 86/1059 inclusive.
A handful of files within this series were allocated modified file numbers. A sequence of files created to deal with the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act were identified by the placement of the letter F between the year and number reference. Some files relating to regionalisation where likewise identified by the similar placement of the letter R.
File numbers for all files in this series were allocated from a card register (VPRS 14833). A subject card index was also created for all of the files in this series (VPRS 14834). This index also refers users to files on the subject which exist within the Executive series (VPRS 14832).
A computerised control system was also introduced during the life of the series. Not a lot is known about the operation of this system although it is apparent that it also included files from the Executive series (VPRS 14832) and an unaccessioned sequence of Freedom of Information request files. It is thought that the system was introduced to operate solely as an index and not to allocate file numbers or track file movements as the card register (VPRS 14833) performs these functions for the entire series. An output in the form of a keyword index (VPRS 14835) has been produced from this system. It is also possible that the computerised system was introduced towards the end of the life of the series because the keyword index does not index files which were incorporated into the subsequent series.
Some files from this series created between 1978 and 1981 are found within the contents of VPRS 6345 General Correspondence Files (refer in particular to units 560 - 625 of the 6345/P consignment). VPRS 6345 contains a mixture of files from a number of recordkeeping systems created by either the Health Commission or the previous Department of Health 1 (VA 695). Unfortunately these files were boxed in what appears to be a random order within the 6345/P consignment. As the transferring Department prepared a records description list to this consignment which lists the files in alphabetical order, it was decided not to separate the relevant files from within VPRS 6345 for placement in this series.
Fortunately, entries within the keyword index (VPRS 14835) can be used to identify many of the files which have been transferred to PROV as part of VPRS 6345. Such files are generally identified by the notation -A (for archival) or -AF (for Archival and Closed) which have been placed at the end of the file title.
The Health Commission ceased to exist during August 1985 when the Department of Health II (VA 2695) was established. This series was maintained by the new Department into 1986 when a new filing sequence was established which combined the central administration files files of this series, the Executive files of VPRS 14832 and the general correspondence files of the General Health Division (VPRS 14836) . The new series was controlled by a computerised record management system utilising the `RMS' software package. Under this package files were allocated a sequential number with a numeric/alpha prefix which identified a broad subject area. During the process of the establishment of this new system, the Health Department selected a number of files from within this series which were considered to be required for future reference/action. These files were accordingly `top numbered' into (i.e allocated new file numbers from) the new filing system. The relevant entries in the card register in VPRS 14833 were annotated with the new file number.
