Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 12
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Colonial Secretary, later Chief Secretary
The Colonial Secretary's Office was the most important administrative unit in New South
Wales during the nineteenth century and it had dealings with other public offices on
nearly all major developments and activities, as well as having responsibility for a wide
and varied range of functions. As a result, the records of the Colonial Secretary form not
only one of the largest record groups (both in the number of separate series and in the
physical quantity of the records), but also one of the most complex.
The Colonial Secretary, later Chief Secretary, retained responsibility for the main
legislation governing voting and electoral matters as well as the State Electoral Office
until the 1970s. However, with the establishment of the Premier's Office/Department in
the early twentieth century, matters relating to the Parliament tended to be dealt with by
this new department.
When searching for a particular letter or correspondence on a particular topic, the
researcher should consult the Indexes and Registers (CGS 922) to correspondence and
the Main series of letters received (CGS 905). Papers on many important matters were
extracted from the Main series of letters received (CGS 905) to form Special bundles
(CGS 906). While the majority include registered letters some non -registered material is
also included. In particular, in-letter bundles labelled in the item list as Despatches,
Councils - Executive and Legislative, Legislative Council, Legislative Assembly,
Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, Electoral Office, and Referendum may
contain material that may be of interest.
The Governor's and Colonial Secretary's Minutes and Memoranda (CGS 909) which are
often filed in the Main series of letters received may also be relevant. The Registers of
Minutes and Memoranda (CGS 910) can be consulted to find particular minutes.
These are examples of the some of the documents/papers which can be located in the
main correspondence series:
• CSIL 43/4851 in [4/4563.3]: letter of 26 June 1843 from James Walker, the Returning
Officer for the United Midland Counties of Cook and Westmoreland, respecting voters
whose names were not included on the Electoral Roll for Cook and Westmoreland
• CSIL 51/8594 in [4/2946]: memorial of electors of Ipswich re polling
• CSIL 66/5818 in [4/585]: papers relating to the preparation and collection of Electoral
Lists and Rolls
• LA 74/144 in [1/2277]: Address to the Governor of 29 May 1874 detailing resolutions
concerning the appointment of Members of the Legislative Council
An interim finding aid to the Colonial Secretary's papers based on the original guide to
Colonial Secretary: Correspondence records published 1972 and its 1980 Supplement is
available in the reading rooms and contains a full list of titles. Special bundles of
relevance to this guide have been listed in the relevant Parts.
Executive Council
The authority for the establishment of an Executive Council to assist the Governor in the
execution of his duties was included in Governor Darling's Instructions of 17 July 1825.
The Executive Council was to consist of the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Chief
Justice, the Archdeacon, and the Colonial Secretary, all of who were to take prescribed
oaths.
In the period before responsible government the Executive Council considered draft
estimates of revenue and expenditure prior to their submission to the Legislative Council,
examined draft bills prepared according to the Governor's instructions, sanctioned
State Records Authority of New South Wales
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