VPRS 1675 Circulars and Memoranda

Full description

This series consists of bound volumes and folders containing copies of circulars and internal memoranda, statements, press releases etc. issued by The Department of Education and successor agencies. Individual items document a range of activities including the development of policies, procedures and programs relating to schools, Departmental staffing vacancies and classifications and legislative changes.

Almost all volumes and folders from this series were accumulated in the Education History Unit of the Department of Education and Training. They are grouped into the following consignments according to the type of volume -

Consignment P0 - Circular Book: This volume has pasted into it copies of circulars issued by the Department of Education between 1873 and 1890. It contains also a handful of printed legislation and other documents which mostly pre-date the start of the Department such as Regulations for the Civil Service of Victoria 1866, the Education Act 1872 and Regulations under the Education Act 1872. The spine of the volume indicates that it was compiled by Mr R, Burke who was a clerk in the Department. (It may be that Mr Burke was responsible for compiling a reference set of the circulars issued during this time.)

Consignment P1 - Inspection of School Book: This volume contains circulars related to school inspections created between at least 1914 and 1940. It is unclear why this volume was created but it may be that it was compiled by the Department's Chief Inspector.

Consignment P2 - Trypographs Copies of Memoranda: These volumes, which were created from at least 1912 to at least 1975, appear to have been compiled as a master reference set of Departmental memoranda. (A trypograph is a form of printed by which these copies were created for distribution.) It is probable that the circular book in the P0 consignment was the first volume created in this sequence.

Consignment P3 - Memoranda and Press Releases: This consignment consists of folders (which have been reprocessed by PROV) and some volumes from 1976. The completeness of the memoranda for each year varies dramatically; it would appear that these folders were brought together following the cessation of the trypograh volumes. Some of the volumes contain memoranda referred to from 1985 as Executive Memoranda, issued by the Chief Executive of the agency. This consignment also contains folders containing press releases between 1987 and 1992. These have been retained in the consignment because other folders in this series which predate and post date this period contain press releases.