Summary heading

Function and purpose

This series consists of four folders containing an accumulation  of attendance sheets, which record attendance of ministers at meetings of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees, from the beginning of the Fraser government in November 1975 to the end of 1979.

There is one sheet for each meeting. Each sheet shows the type of meeting, i.e. Cabinet, Committee or Ministry, the date and place of the meeting, time of commencement and time of conclusion. The ministers’ names are listed down the page (pre-printed)  and a tick confirms attendance – or an ‘A’ for absent. There is also provision for recording attendance of co-opted ministers (i.e. not members of the cabinet or of the committee) and of the members of the Cabinet Secretariat who attended as note takers for the meeting. The sheets are maintained and signed by the Secretary to the Cabinet, or the Committee secretary.

The first folder contains sheets for the period 12 November 1975 to 17 December 1976

The second folder contains sheets for the period 14 January 1977 (Cabinet) to 20 December 1977 (Ministry).

The third folder contains sheets for the period 17 January 1978 (Cabinet) to 29 December 1978 (Ad hoc Committee).

The fourth folder contains sheets for the period 8 January 1979 (Ad hoc Committee) to 19 December 1979 (Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee).

There are no further volumes in this series and it is not known at this point how attendance was recorded after the end of 1979

Note that the first folder, in addition to the Attendance sheets, also contains an accumulation of statistics sheets  headed ‘Statistics of Cabinet Activities: Monthly’ – showing number of Submissions / Memoranda lodged; number of Decisions, number and duration of meetings of each type.   There is a sheet for each month of 1976.  None of the other volumes contain such sheets.

Related legislation

Using the series

  The items of this series are in chronological sequence of yearly accumulations  - item 1 (1975/76) item 2 ( 1977)  item 3 ( 1978)  and item four ( 1979) and the entries in each volume are in chronological sequence by the date of the meeting.

Language of material

Physical characteristics

  This series consists of four Visidex folders containing printed sheets (A4 size)  with handwritten annotations

System of arrangement and control

  This series consists of four items, originally without formal control.  A simple numeric control has been imposed by the National Archives.  Item 1 was begun  on 12 November 1975 (first meeting of first Fraser ministry) and the last item in the series was begun on 8 January 1979

Relationships with other records

Finding aids

Access conditions

Series history

Provenance

  This series was created by the Cabinet Office (CA 1472) between November 1975 and January 1979.  Entries were made in the items of the series between November 1975 and December 1979.

Immediate source of acquisition

Custodial history

  Items 2, 3 and 4 of this series were transferred to the custody of the National Archives on 10 January  2003 and item 1 on 31 March 2003

Quantity in agency custody

Disposal history

Publication note

Additional information

End notes

Sources