Inward Correspondence Files

Full description

HOW TO FIND THE RECORDS YOU WANT
BRIEF GUIDE

STEP ONE - Find the file number of the inward correspondence.
The file number will show the year and number of the file eg. 89/1357

===================================================================================
Date Range | Method
===================================================================================
1883 - 1917 | (i) Check the Card Index to Premier's Correspondence located in the Laverton
| search room (c1887 - 1917); or
|
| (ii) Check the indexes at the back of the registers (VPRS 1164) for the years
| 1903 - 1917; or
|
| (iii) Decide who might have written to the Premier about the subject that
| interests you or find out which government department was responsible for
| that function. Check the entries in the appropriate categories in the registers | (VPRS 1164).
|
| (iv) Proceed to STEP TWO.
====================================================================================
1918 - 1971 | (i) Check the Card Index to Premier's Correspondence in the Laverton search
| room. (1918 - c1957); or
|
| (ii) Check VPRS 7611 Subject Index to Inward and Outward Correspondence
| (c1949 - 1971); or
|
| (iii) Check the indexes at the back of the registers (VPRS 10374) for the years
| 1918 to 1923 and 1939 to 1946; or
|
| (iv) Decide who might have written to the Premier about the subject that
| interests you or find out which government department was responsible for
| that function. Check the entries in the appropriate categories in the registers
| (VPRS 10374).
|
| (v) Proceed to STEP TWO.
====================================================================================
STEP TWO - FINDING THE FILE
====================================================================================
OPTION 1 |
| (i) Check the records description lists for VPRS 1163 Correspondence Files.
If you found | Check the lists for the year you want. If the file is not listed, check
the file number | the lists for consignments P1, P3, P4 and P6.
in one of the |
card indexes | (ii) If the file is not listed in VPRS 1163, check the records description list for
| VPRS 1170 Special Files.
|
| (iii) If you cannot see the file listed, go to OPTION 2.
====================================================================================
OPTION 2 |
| (i) To find the location of a file, you must know the final number given to that
If you found | file.
the file number | To find the final number of a file you must search the chain of registration
| numbers in the registers until you come to an entry which has no
register or if | subsequent reference.
you cannot | Please ask the Reference Archivist for help if you are not familiar
find a file | with the registers.
that is listed |
in the card |
index. |
FINDING THE FILE
====================================================================================
OPTION 2 |
Cont. | (ii) Once you have the final or "top" number of the file, check the records
| description lists for VPRS 1163. Check the lists for the year you want. If
| the file is not listed, check the lists for consignments P, P1, P3, P4 and P6.
|
| (iii) If you cannot find the file listed in VPRS 1163, check the records description
| list for VPRS 1170 Special Files.
|
| (iv) If you cannot see the file listed ask the Reference Archivist for assistance.
|
====================================================================================
"Missing" Files

There are many reasons why the file you want may not be listed in VPRS 1163. The file may not be listed under the registration number you have, because:

* The file has not survived.

* The file was referred to another department and not returned to the Premier's Office.

* Either the index card or the register was not updated when a later piece of correspondence was added to the file which will have been listed under that later number.

* The top piece of correspondence became detached from the file and the file is listed under the number of an earlier letter.

* The file is listed in VPRS 1170.

* The file was incorporated into the new system introduced in 1972.

Some of these problems may be solved by consulting the registers. Please ask the Reference Archivist for some assistance.

SERIES REGISTRATION

This series consists of general correspondence files. VPRS 1163 represents only a portion of the correspondence files created within the Premier's Office from the time of its establishment in 1883 until 1971 when the recordkeeping system was radically changed, other correspondence registered in this recordkeeping system may be located in VPRS 1170 Special Files.

Indexes

Card Index to Premier's Correspondence c1887 - c1957
(Unregistered; located in Laverton search room)

VPRS 7611 Subject Index to Inward and Outward
Correspondence c1949 - 1971

Registers

VPRS 1164 Registers of Inward Correspondence 1883 - 1917

VPRS 10374 Registers of Inward and Outward
Correspondence 1918 - 1971

Outward Correspondence

VPRS 1161 Outward Registered Correspondence 1883 - ?1974


RETRIEVAL OF FILES

Finding the Correspondence File Number

Researchers may obtain relevant file numbers by

(i) consulting the card index in the Laverton Search Room or VPRS 7611 - Subject Index to Inward and Outward Correspondence

(ii) using the indexes in the registers (VPRS 1164 and VPRS 10374) for the years 1903 to 1923 and 1939 to 1946

(iii) scanning the registration entries in a likely category within either the inward or outward registers (VPRS 1162 Registers of Outward Correspondence) or a likely category in outward letter books.

(iv) using the cross-references on the correspondence (inward and outward) or in the registers.

(v) scanning the item lists for VPRS 1170 and VPRS 1163 P1, P3, P4 and P6 - all of which provide file titles.

Finding the file

If method (i) is used, researchers should be advised to consult the item lists for VPRS 1163 (remember to check the chronological sequences and the other consignments).

If the file is not listed, they should then check the list for VPRS 1170.

If they cannot locate the file, or if they have obtained the file number via alternatives (ii), (iii) or (iv) they will need assistance to use the registers to follow the chain of previous and subsequent papers until they find the top number under which the file was put away. Though not infallible, the registers do seem pretty reliable at least from 1883 to the 1950's. The reliability of the registers for the last twenty years is still to be investigated.

The registers will usually indicate if an "old" file has been closed and put away, in which case the earlier papers on the file should be listed under that number in the item list. The registers will also indicate whether an item of correspondence was referred to another department for action and not returned, and registers from 1920 (and perhaps earlier) to 1922 and from 1930 to 1938 indicate that some items have been destroyed.

The item lists for the period c1900 to c1940's suggest that many files are no longer extant.

"Missing" files

In summary, researchers may not find the file they want listed in VPRS 1163 because:

(i) it is not extant (perhaps as a result of deliberate culling)

(ii) the file has not been transferred to the PRO

(iii) the correspondence was referred to another department and not returned

(iv) either the index card or the register was not updated and hence they have the number of an earlier paper rather than the one under which the file was eventually put away

(v) an "old" file was put away and a "new" file was commenced

(vi) the top piece of correspondence became detached from the file and the file is listed under the number of a previous paper

(vii) the file is listed in VPRS 1170

(viii) the file was top numbered into the subsequent multiple number system introduced in 1972

(ix) the researcher has not checked the list for the right consignment.

NB If the reason is (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) or (viii), the problem can sometimes be solved by a second look at the registers.

DOCUMENT LEVEL CONTROL AND "TOP NUMBERING"

A characteristic feature of the recordkeeping practice of the central registry of the Premier's Office is the maintenance of document level control from 1883 to at least 1976. Items of inward correspondence were individually registered within an annual single number system from 1883 to 1971. With some exceptions in later years, files in VPRS 1163 consist of individually registered items, the files being identified and controlled by the number of the top (most recent) piece of correspondence to which earlier papers on the subject were attached. The registration numbers of both previous and subsequent papers were noted in the registers and on the correspondence itself. It is not uncommon to find files consisting of correspondence items registered over many years.

FILING AND CROSS-REFERENCING OF INWARD AND OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE

As the current title of VPRS 1163 indicates, the correspondence files initially only included letters received. Separate registers were maintained until 1918 when a combined register was introduced. (See VPRS 1164, VPRS 1162 and VPRS 10374). A separate series of copies of outward correspondence (VPRS 1161) was created in 1883 and continued at least until 1974.

Although the exact date is still to be established, it is apparent that from at least 1918, the registry began to file copies of some outward letters with the inward correspondence. By 1925, when the use of a separate numbering sequence for the identification of outward correspondence was abandoned, the practice of filing copies of outward correspondence with letters received was common and in later years it was a matter of routine.

From 1883 the system provided for the cross-referencing of inward and outward correspondence. Initially, either the docket containing the inward correspondence or the correspondence itself was annotated with the date and outward letter number and sometimes an indication of the substance of the reply. The cross-references were frequently recorded on the upper left hand side of the correspondence and usually took one of two forms: 13.6.83 or 111
51 16/1/17
From 1885 copies of outward correspondence in VPRS 1161 include a reference to the registration number of the inward correspondence. These cross-references ceased in 1925 when, as indicated above, separate registration sequences were discontinued and the filing of copies of outward letters with inward correspondence became an increasingly common practice.

CHANGES IN FILE FORMAT, ANNOTATIONS AND CROSS-REFERENCES

1883 - 1884

In 1883 and 1884 the files consist of individually registered items, previous papers being attached to subsequent correspondence and the file being identified by, and put away under, the registration number of the most recent p... truncated