Summary heading

  Descriptive Note

Function and purpose

This series is a comprehensive  Subject Index covering Submissions (CRS A12908 and A12909), Decisions (CRS A13050 and A13075) and files of the main series of correspondence files (CRS A10756) maintained in the Cabinet Office for the administration of Cabinet business during period of the Fraser Government, up to December 1982.

For reasons related to the conventions regarding access to records of a previous administration, it is the practice in Cabinet Office when a new government accedes to office to close off the current main correspondence file series documenting cabinet business and begin a new series for the business of the incoming government.  Accordingly in November 1975 a new series of Submission, Decisions and correspondence file series for Cabinet business of the Fraser government (CRS A10756)   were begun by the Cabinet office, together with the standard suite of control systems – Subject and Nominal indexes.    This series is the Subject Index which was begun at this time.  Entries in this index provide a comprehensive access by Subject keyword to Submissions, Decisions and the LC files up to the end of 1982. 

The correspondence file series A10756 covers the full range of Cabinet-related activities including the Submissions and Decisions of Cabinet and the various Cabinet Committees in the course of the Fraser government.   When a new file is raised entries are made in this index to allow subsequent retrieval of the file by subject keyword (usually – but not always – a term in the file title.)   In addition the contents of the files are progressively indexed as they accumulate, making reference in particular to Submissions, Decisions and any other significant papers (documents such as Reports of Working groups or Inquiries.)   In effect this is an index not only to the files in A10756 but also to the Submissions registered in series A12908 (First Ministry) and A12909 (all subsequent ministries) and to the  Decisions (A13050 and A13075) including Decisions without Submission.    The Submission are indexed by reference to the Number and title only.  However in the case of the Decisions, in addition to the Decision number a detailed précis of the Decision itself is also entered on the cards – often virtually the whole text of the Decision.

This subject index therefore provides a succinct record – accessible by subject keyword -  of the development of policy in relation to a very wide range of functions administered by the Commonwealth government in these years – a condensed summary of the contents of the various LC files relevant to each subject.

This Subject index was complemented by a Nominal index (CRS A13156) which provided the same facility in relation to access to these records by proper name – names of persons and institutions.  In addition there was a separate Nominal index dedicated to Commonwealth Departments and instrumentalities (CRS A12939) – though this seems not to have been maintained beyond mid 1981.

This series was discontinued at the end of 1982 when a new scheme of indexable Headings for indexing of the these records was introduced by the Cabinet Office registry.    It was succeeded by a new Subject Index that was begun from January 1983 employing the new scheme of approved terms (CRS A13158). 

This series therefore indexes only those Submissions, Decisions and  files of A10756 which were raised between November  1975 and December 1982.  The range of file numbers used in this time is LC 1 to LC3797

Related legislation

 

Using the series

This Subject Index identifies files in series A10756 on a particular subject, as well as individual entries for Submissions and Decisions documented on those files .  This index covers these records in the period to the end of December 1982, when a  new scheme of indexable headings was introduced and a new Subject index (CRS A13158) based on these headings was begun.  

The Nominal Index (CRS A12939) allows access by name of Person, Organisation, etc.

In addition, there is a separate Nominal Index for Commonwealth Departments and Authorities (CRS A12939) for the period to July 1981 only. 

Language of material

 

Physical characteristics

This index consists of one box of 8 X 5 inch Index cards, yellow in colour, pre-printed in a standardised format allowing for a Heading at the top of the card then in three columns: Date (of registration) File Title and File Number

Entires are by handwriting

There are dividers in the index with raised tabs bearing the keyword

The first card after the divider is often an index to relevant LC files only – showing file number and title.  On many cards the date of registration is not recorded and the file number is entered in the first (‘Date’) column.

After this card is a sequence of cards with entries in chronological sequence which allow for indexing of Submissions received and Decisions made.  In the case of the Decisions, there is normally a précis of the text of the Decision itself – sometime quite lengthy.  Both front and back of the card is used and there are frequently multiple cards for each subject heading - the cards are numbered in a discrete sequence for each heading (front and back) in top right hand corner.

System of arrangement and control

  Each card has a heading which is an approved term under the Scheme of Indexable headings.   The cards are arranged in lexicographical sequence by this heading.   Entries on the card are chronological as a new file is registered in the series or a Submission or Decision recorded which relates to the particular subject.     The files themselves are controlled in a simple number sequence with an LC prefix.

The Headings are accompanied, to the left hand side, by numbers representing the primary and secondary headings structure of the approved scheme  For example Primary number 279 represents ‘Education-Australia’ and there are cards headed 279/2 (= Education-Australia/Finance)

Relationships with other records

  This series control files of series A10756 both by the file title and by the contents (Submissions and Decisions).  It is the previous series to A13158

Finding aids

 

Access conditions

 

Series history

 

Provenance

  The records of this series were created in Cabinet Office between November 1975 and December 1982.  .

Immediate source of acquisition

 

Custodial history

This series were transferred to the custody of NAA by the Cabinet Office on 12 July 2005

Quantity in agency custody

 

Disposal history

 

Publication note

 

Additional information

 

End notes

 

Sources