Summary heading

  Descriptive Note

Function and purpose

This series is a comprehensive  Nominal 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 the whole period of the Fraser Government, from November 1975 to February 1983.

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 Nominal Index which was begun at this time.  Entries in this index provide a comprehensive access by proper names (that is names of Persons, States, Organisation, etc) to Submissions, Decisions and the LC files. 

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 Nominal 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.)  For example in the case of a file on appointment to an Executive Position with a Commonwealth Authority, not only the organisation is indexed in this index but also the names of persons who are listed in the file as nominated appointees, and details (Numbers and titles) of any Submissions and Decisions.   In effect this is an meticulously detailed 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 Nominal index therefore provides a record – referenced by Proper names and complementing the Subject indexes A12936 and A13158 -  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.

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.

Related legislation

Using the series

This Nominal Index identifies files in series A10756 on a particular person, business or organisation, as well as individual entries for Submissions and Decisions documented on those files .  This index covers these records for the whole period of the Fraser government.  

The Nominal Index (CRS A12939) is a separate index dedicated to access by name of Commonwealth Departments, Organisations, etc) for the period to July 1981 only. 

Language of material

Physical characteristics

This index consists of three boxes of small Index cards (5” x 3”) , yellow in colour, pre-ruled in a standardised format allowing for a Heading at the top of the card then ruled in three columns allowing for entry of  Date (of registration) , Description, and File Number

Entries are by handwriting.  The description includes numbers and title of submissions and decisions

There are dividers in the index with raised tabs bearing the letters of the alphabet

System of arrangement and control

  Each card has a heading which is the name of a person, state, city, organisation, etc.   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.

Relationships with other records

  This series control files of series A10756 both by the file title and by the contents (Submissions and Decisions) by detailed indexing of occurrences of proper names.  It complements the Subject indexes A12936 and A13158

Finding aids

Access conditions

Series history

Provenance

  The records of this series were created in Cabinet Office between November 1975 and February 1983

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