NRS-15810 | Minute books of general council [Municipality of Balmain]

Full description

This series contains minutes of the general and special meetings of the Municipality of Balmain. The Minutes were created at least monthly and recorded chronologically. A majority of the minutes in this consignment contain an index bound into the front of the volume. Although Indexes were maintained separately during the period 22 February 1887 until 9 August 1927 and can be located in NRS 15811.

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.

Four standing committees reported to the General Council including Works and Finance. For records of the Works and Finance committees from 1925 – 1948, see NRS 15831 and 15832 respectively.

The first volume in this series contains the following: a list of councillors attending meetings for 1860 – 1862, a proclamation of the establishment of council (as published in the Government Gazette), an outline of the first election, and a description of the boundaries of each ward. In the second volume the first page of the index contains a newspaper clipping regarding the condition of the Glebe Island Abattoirs, for 1866. From 1893 onwards supporting documents were pasted into the minutes including; approximate estimates of expenditure/receipts for the following year, lists of works passed by council but not commenced in the year, Officers reports, Mayoral Minutes, and election results. Volume 15 contains a souvenir programme from presentation to public libraries upon the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Council. Loose correspondence and newspaper clippings are contained in Volumes 14, 16 and 18. In Volume 19 the minutes are set out in the following format, hand (or typewritten) proceedings, followed by a type written agenda. The last page of this volume contains correspondence relating to the minutes.

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.