Outward Letter Books : Tram and Bus Division

Full description

System of Arrangement/Control

Series in Custody : Volumes are arranged chronologically by date of letters within. Each volume is also marked with a sequential volume number, date range of letters within and range of outward registration numbers.

Contents in Custody : Letters are arranged in an annual single number sequence with an alphabetical prefix indicating section sending letter. All letters have been physically placed in reverse order (ie earliest correspondence at back) and are annotated with folio numbers of previous and subsequent letters sent on same subject and found in same volume.

Indexes : All volumes contain alphabetical recipient indexes, which refer users to folio numbers.

Range of Control Symbols

Series : Vol 1 - Vol 23

Series in Custody : E.83/1 - C.86/730

Indexes : A - Z

This series consists of volumes containing copies of letters sent by the Tram and Bus Division of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (VA 1044). The Division inherited the functions of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (VA 2694) in 1983 and maintained these books in an identical manner to those created by the previous agency (see VPRS 7763 Outward Letter Books). Volumes are in the form of soft cover folders.

The letters in this series were usually signed by the managers of the respective agency sections and relate to matters such as:

- employment, including appointments, apprenticeships and retirements.

- staff rosters, conditions of employment, health and safety matters, salaries and uniform.

- finance and accounting, war bonds, fares and eligibility for free passes.

- tramway works and services, planning of new tramway routes, tenders and contracts.

- purchase of land, equipment and buildings.

- internal administration matters and requisition of stores.

- complaints and lost property.

- Board meetings, reports, local Councils and Union issues.

Volumes are arranged chronologically by dates of letters within. The spine of each volume is also annotated with a sequential volume number, the date range of letters contained within and their outward registration numbers.

All outward letters were registered through an annual single number sequence with an alphabetical prefix indicating the section within the Division which sent the letter, see list below. All letters were registered through VPRS 7779 Outward Letters Registers : Tram and Bus Division, although registers in custody currently extend only to November 1984.

Letters within those books are arranged in registration number order although letters were physically placed in reverse order (ie earliest at back). Each letter is also annotated with the folio numbers of previous and subsequent letters sent on the same subject and found within the same volume. This is generally expressed as a fraction with the denominator, identifying previous and the numerator subsequent letters. Each volume also contains an alphabetical index identifying the recipient of each letter and the folio number.

Some letters are also annotated with a multiple number in the top right hand corner indicating a correspondence file containing all papers on the subject. Those files have been registered in VPRS 7783 Registered Correspondence Files and Dividers : Multiple Number Sequence (2).

It is not known if further volumes were created after 1986.

Alphabetical Prefix Code:


A = Treasurer/Accountant

C = Claims

E = Engineering

G = General

I = Investigation

P = Personnel

R = Employment

S = Staff Department

T = Traffic

Y = Chairman

Z = Secretary

SD = Supply Department

WC = Workers Compensation

MS = Marketing/Sales

MP = Marketing & Planning

P/L = Librarian

T&B = Tram & Bus Operations

T&B Eng. = Tram & Bus Operations, Engineering

Fin. & Corp. Serv. = Finance & Corporate Services