Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 14
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Premier's Department
The Premier's Department was established in 1907 in connection with the Department of
the Attorney General and Justice, the ministerial office held by the then Premier. From
1907 until 1914, the Under Secretary of the ministerial department in which the Premier
was located also acted as Under Secretary of the Premier's Department. The Under
Secretary of the Department of the Attorney General and Justice was appointed to this
position on 2 October 1907, succeeded by the Under Secretary for Finance and Trade in
the Colonial Treasurer's Department on 22 October 1910 and the Under Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Office on 1 December 1911.
From 1 March 1914 the Premier's Department was reconstituted as a separate
department with a Secretary as Permanent Head. It was charged with departmental
business connected with the State Governor's Office and the two Houses of Parliament,
and correspondence with the Commonwealth, State and Colonial Governments, and with
the President of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. It
also had under its control the Immigration and Tourist Bureau (disbanded 1919) and the
Agent General's Office in London.
The most relevant records include the main series of correspondence, the Letters
received (CGS 12060), and the Letters received - Special bundles (CGS 12061), with the
Indexes and registers of letters received (CGS 12062) providing the means for finding
particular correspondence. Researchers may also be interested in the various Cabinet
records held as State archives (listed on-line in the Concise Guide). Some examples of
correspondence files not listed in this guide are: File 65/1343 Petition to the Court of
Disputed Returns ... 1965, in [13/10848]; and, File 66/998 Irregularities in voting in
Bligh electorate at the 1965 general election, 1965-66, in [13/10946].
Access to the records
The State Records Act 1998 establishes a general entitlement to access to State records
that are at least 30 years old. The records listed in this guide that are more than
30 years old are all open to public access.
Access to original (uncopied) State archives is by reader's ticket. Anyone over the age of
15 years may apply for a ticket. Applicants under 18 years must have the application
countersigned by a parent or legal guardian. A reader's ticket is valid indefinitely and
may be used at both State Records' reading rooms and at any of the six regional
repositories.
Citing State archives
When you reproduce or refer to State archives in a publication or paper, you should cite
them accurately. Archives in Brief No. 10 Citing State archives, which is .available in the
reading rooms and on our website, provides full details.
Publishing State archives
If you are considering publishing State archives, either entire documents or extracts from
them, you must apply in writing to State Records to obtain written permission and you
must acknowledge State Records as the source of any documents, extracts or quotations.
Archives in Brief No. 11 Guidelines for publishing State archives, which is available in the
reading rooms and on the website, provides full details.
State Records Authority of New South Wales
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