Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 10
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Introduction
The archives of the State of New South Wales are a unique and irreplaceable part of our
community's collective memory and cultural heritage. They document the business of
government in New South Wales, and its interaction with individuals and groups in our
society, from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 until today.
About this Guide
The State of New South Wales will be celebrating the Sesqui-Centenary of Responsible
Government in 2006. This guide aims to make the New South Wales Government's
records of the movement to, and development of, responsible government in the State
more accessible to all those interested in this area of historical research.
The guide lists the main record series or individual items in State Records' collection
relating to responsible government such as those from the Colonial Secretary, Executive
Council, the Governor, and the Premier's Department. It also includes some record series
or record items from other agencies that may be useful in studying responsible
government. Brief descriptions of the main agencies have been included (see `Principal
Archival Sources' below); full descriptions of these and other agencies appearing in this
guide may be found in Archives Investigator, our on-line archives information and access
system.
The guide highlights the records of some of the key events and movements that have
played their part in making the State of New South Wales and its Parliament what they
are today. The records covered in this guide date from the 1820s when the first
Legislative Council was established through to the 1978 referendum at which New South
Wales electors overwhelmingly voted in favour of direct election by the people of the
Members of the Legislative Council.
The guide also includes records relating to celebrating the Jubilee in 1906 and the
Centenary in 1956. In addition, a `Timeline' listing the significant events in New South
Wales Parliamentary history from 1823 is included, as well as a number of other
appendices such as those listing the Members of various Legislative Councils and
Assemblies, Colonial Prime Ministers, Premiers and Colonial Secretaries. The guide
finishes with a short select list of sources, both printed and electronic.
However, the listing of records in the guide is not definitive and researchers wishing to
undertake in-depth research should consult the correspondence systems and other
records of the agencies that are listed in The Concise Guide to the State Archives of New
South Wales. Where additional records are received or come to light they will be listed in
Archives Investigator. Archives Investigator and the Concise Guide are available on our
website at
.
Please note that the guide does not list the various government publications that are
held by State Records and that may be of interest of those researching responsible
government. Available in printed format in both our reading rooms as well as in
electronic format on our Web site, Archives in Brief 90 Government Publications provides
a brief overview of the major government publications held by State Records in its
reading room at Western Sydney and in copied format in its reading room at the Sydney
Records Centre. Statutes of the New South Wales Parliament, Votes and Proceedings,
Parliamentary Papers and New South Wales Government Gazettes are only a few of the
sources mentioned in this publication.
State Records Authority of New South Wales
9