NRS-15793 | Minute books [Bourke Municipal Council and Shire]

Full description

This series contains minutes of the general and special meetings of the Bourke Municipal Council and Shire. The Minutes were created at least monthly and recorded chronologically.

The general meetings record inward and outward correspondence received by the Council, motions put to the Council, report of committees and other relevant items of business. The minutes document the variety of activities for which the Council was responsible including financial management, enforcement of regulations, assessment and collection of rates, valuation of properties, building and maintenance of council property, community services and town planning.

The first Volume contains council by laws dating from 1879, pasted into the front of the volume. The Volume also contains an index, and the first entry in the volume is a handwritten copy of the proclamation of the council incorporation (as published in the Government Gazette). The first volume also contains an annotated copy of Government Gazette from 22 April to 15 July 1904. The front of Volume two contains a handwritten document dated from 1906 which authorised the appointment of the Council Clerk.

Special Meetings were called to record a specific issue. Reports were generally also tabled at these Meetings relating to the subject.

These minute books were initially created under s 102 and S. 107 of the Municipalities Act 1867 (31 Victoria Act No. 12), and subsequent legislation. These sections specified that the council meet once a month for a general meeting, and required that the minutes of the proceedings be taken and maintained by the council clerk.

Custody History
This series was in the custody of Mitchell Library from 1965 until December 2001 when it was transferred to State Records NSW under section 29 of the State Records Act, 1998.