VPRS 10979 Summary Record of Employees (Ports and Harbours Branch)

Full description

This series appears to have been created within the personnel branch of VA 606 Department of Trade and Customs and after 1900, VA 669 Public Works Department as a summary record of individuals employed within the Ports and Harbour Branch.

These volumes include references to employees such as Departmental staff, lighthouse keepers, Williamstown dockyard staff, Marine Survey boatmen, Mercantile Marine Office staff, harbour pilots, pilot masters and the crew of vessels under the control of the Department such as the pilot vessels Lady Loch and Rip and dredgers such as the Wombat. It is unclear if the series covers all employees for the period.

Specifically, these registers were created to identify the various documents received which pertained to their employment such as their appointment to the Branch (and if applicable, prior employment history within the public service), promotion, (including unsuccessful applications), pay increases, leave entitlements, disciplinary action and transfers to other public service agencies. It would appear that these documents were filed within the recordkeeping systems of the following agencies:

Public Works Department - papers are identified by file references such as 98/3280;

Ports and Harbours Division - papers are identified by file references such as P&H 99/5079; and

Department of Trade and Customs - are identified by file references such as T&C 96/4107.

Please refer to the Summary Guide and List of Holdings to establish whether files from these agencies have been transferred.

Judging from the occasional attachment to particular pages, these volumes were also used by the recording agencies to produce certificates of service in response to request received.

The record for each employee records their name, the correspondence number and a description of the contents of that item. Related information may also be recorded including dates of birth, death and departure (including reasons) from the public service. Occasionally information was recorded regarding matters which occurred after the officers departure.