Function and purpose
This series consists of despatches, letters, minutes, memoranda, circulars and telegrams (some marked 'Secret' or 'Confidential') and copies of the same relating to all aspects of the First World War and to the negotiations and settlements that followed it. Also included is some printed matter such as copies of reports, bulletins, regulations, Parliamentary papers, acts and bills, 'Black lists', and maps that were enclosures to correspondence.

The correspondence consists largely of communications between the Governor General, or his Official Secretary, and the following; the Secretary of State for the Colonies, State Governors, Colonial Administrators, Imperial and Commonwealth Chiefs of Staff, British Diplomatic representatives in Australia and abroad, consular and other agents within Australia, the Prime Minister, various departments, private citizens, business enterprises and institutions within Australia and abroad.

The range of subjects dealt with is very wide but includes; censorship, press control and propaganda, naval and military training, allied, neutral and enemy shipping, prizes and Prize Courts, allied and enemy prisoners of war, restriction and internment of enemy aliens, transport and communications, war supplies, trading with the enemy, expropriation of enemy property, espionage, naval and military intelligence, conscription, military service, Courts Martial, honours, decorations and awards, treaties, war legislation, consular services, repatriation and demobilisation.

Although the 'War' files are treated as a separate series and appear for all practical purposes to have been regarded as such by the Governor Generals Office, they are actually a division of the General Correspondence series, CP78/22. In August 1914, when notification was received of the impending hostilities with the Central Powers it was decided to group all papers relating to the war so as to form a class within the General Correspondence series. This was accomplished by taking the next available number (Viz 89) and employing this as a designate to distinguish, not a single file, but a sequence of files relating to the war. This sequence of files numbers was continued until December 1916, after which a new sequence was commenced in January of each year.

At some later stage this series of files was again split with most prisoner of war files removed and stored separately (and controlled by National Archives of Australia as CP78/24). In 2000, as work was proceeding on the series it was decided to intersort these files back into their original location.

System of arrangement and control
Multiple number series. (1) Year (2) Subject - War (3) Files Number

Finding aids
All items in the custody of the National Archives of Australia as at October 2000 have been entered onto the item level database.

Series history
The contents of this series was transferred to archival custody by CA 1, Governor-General, as CP78/23 and CP78/24. The series CP78/24 consisted of files amalgamated from CP78/23 and CP78/22 for a temporary administrative purpose by the agency. The series A11803 has been created through the conversion of CP78/23 with a portion of CP78/24 being intersorted back into the original sequence.