Summary heading

War Cabinet Minutes (carbon copies), chronological series 

Function and purpose

This series consists of sixteen volumes of carbon copies of War Cabinet minutes, including decisions (referred to as Minutes, with a capital). The records detail the issues discussed and decisions made by the War Cabinet from 1939 to 1946. Minute papers were submitted to the War Cabinet and discussed at these meetings. The number of the Minute subsequently also referred to a decision that was reached. Topics covered include: pay rates for Australian defence personnel, the deployment of forces, allocation of budgets, purchase of equipment and monitoring of information to the public. These minutes are not a verbatim record of the discussions but a statement of the decisions reached. The original minutes can be found in series A5954, items 803/1 to 811/2 (the “Shedden” collection).

Draft minutes were written up in the War Cabinet Secretariat immediately after a meeting from the rough notes taken at the meetings (usually by H L Port or V W Quealy). The draft minutes were then approved by the Secretary to the War Cabinet (Sir F G Shedden), and then typed up formally. The War Cabinet minutes were regarded as vital records. They travelled constantly with the War Cabinet Secretariat, under close guard, between Melbourne and Canberra and occasionally, Sydney. The carbon copies were apparently used for reference purposes, as there are minor handwritten annotations on the records in this series, which do not appear on the originals.

Prime Minister Menzies announced the formation of the War Cabinet on 5 September 1939, two days after the outbreak of war with Germany. The Cabinet consisted of Menzies (as Prime Minister and Treasurer), R G Casey (as Minister for Supply), G A Street (as Minister for Defence), Senator G McLeay (as Minister for Commerce), H S Gullett (as Minister for Information) and W M Hughes (as Attorney-General). Membership of the Cabinet was to change over time. The Cabinet was to deal with all matters other than major matters of general policy, however, the War Cabinet increased in authority and stature as the war progressed and became the major decision-making body on the conduct of the war. The meetings were held at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne and in the Cabinet Room at Parliament House, Canberra.

The Advisory War Council was formed on 28 October 1940, following the general election of September of that year, in which Menzies retained power only with the support of two independents. Menzies asked John Curtin, the Labor Opposition Leader, to join a national government. Curtin declined but suggested an Australian War Council, which became the Advisory War Council. The Council constituted members of all parties. The Council’s function was to advise the Government on matters of the defence of the Commonwealth or the execution of the war as were referred to it by the Prime Minister, as well as other related matters.

The War Cabinet Secretariat was formed to provide administrative support to both the War Cabinet and Advisory War Council. This group of public servants included secretaries, stenographers and messengers, and maintained a vast filing system of minutes and agendas. The Secretariat was housed at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.

Related legislation

Using the series

Records in this series may be used to determine what decisions were made at which War Cabinet meetings. The volumes are arranged chronologically, as are the meeting minutes within each volume. The specific decisions (Minutes) appear in number order within each set of meeting minutes. Most volumes also include a table of contents, with a list of Minute numbers and the subject they dealt with. Also included in many volumes are decisions that were determined by the full Cabinet, rather than the War Cabinet alone. Information about specific decisions may be found by using the year and/or the Minute number, within the appropriate volume.

Most volumes include a table of contents and a frontispiece with the title printed on it. The decisions are usually underlined to draw attention. Full Cabinet Minutes appear in green ink. At the bottom of each meeting, a space has been provided for the Secretary and the Prime Minister to sign off. As these minutes are copies, they have not been signed.

Language of material

 English

Physical characteristics

Each volume has a black, hard cover, 24 x 33.5 cm. The covers are bound together with screws that fit through holes down the left side of the volume. Most volumes have only two screws, usually in the centre, though some have three or the complete four. The binding on most volumes is beginning to fray and tear. A small piece of paper is pasted to the top of the spine on some volumes; the title is written on this paper in black and red ink. Other volumes have the title printed at the top of the spine in white ink; this printing is often faded and difficult to read.

System of arrangement and control

The volumes are arranged chronologically, with Volume 1 beginning in 1939 and Volume 16 concluding in 1946. Within each volume, the minutes are arranged chronologically according to the date of the meeting. Decisions (Minutes) appear within these meeting minutes in number order, 1 to 4626, across all volumes. Full Cabinet Minutes also appear amongst the sequence of War Cabinet Minutes, using a separate numbering system, 1 to 51, with an FC prefix. Each meeting is headed with the date and place of the meeting, and the names and offices of the persons attending. There are some annotations written on some pages in either pencil or pen (usually these are Minute numbers to be referred to).

The pages of the volumes are numbered in one continuing sequence. The carbon copies in this series contain the same range of page numbers as the originals in series A5954. However, this series (A2673) contains the records in only 16 volumes, whereas A5954 contains 18 volumes of original records. The volumes correspond one for one, except that

One volume of originals in A5954, item 806/2, is separated into two volumes in A2673 (Volumes 7A and 8)

The last six volumes of the originals in A5954, items 809/1 to 811/2, are compressed into four volumes in A2673 (Volumes 13 to 16)

This set of copies of the minutes is annotated

Relationships with other records

The records in this series are carbon copies of meeting minutes of the War Cabinet. Series A5954 contains the original minutes of the War Cabinet, signed by the Secretary and the Prime Minister. Agenda that were addressed in these meeting minutes, along with decisions (Minutes) and extracts of the minutes in this series, can be found in series A2670. Further papers concerning the agenda for these meetings, as well as copies of the agenda themselves, can be found in series A2671. 

The carbon copies were apparently used for reference purposes, as there are minor handwritten annotations on the records in this series, which do not appear on the originals.

Finding aids

All items in this series can be found on RecordSearch as at January 2006. Further information concerning the War Cabinet Secretariat can be found in the agency note for CA 1468. 

Access conditions

Series history

These records were transferred to the National Archives of Australia in 1988. All items were entered onto RecordSearch at different times since then, however uniform titles and control symbols were not applied until 2005, as part of an arrangement and description project. Preservation staff have created special packaging to protect these records. 

Provenance

Immediate source of acquisition

Custodial history

Quantity in agency custody

Disposal history

These records have been designated permanent, under records disposal authority CA46/2, class B.1.4. 

Publication note

Additional information

End notes

Sources

Encel, S  1974  Cabinet Government in Australia  Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press

Horner, David  1996  Inside the War Cabinet: Directing Australia’s war effort, 1939-45  St Leonard’s, NSW: Allen & Unwin

Horner, David  2000  Defence Supremo: Sir Frederick Shedden and the making of Australian defence policy  St Leonard’s, NSW: Allen & Unwin

The War Cabinet & Advisory War Council  http://john.curtin.edu.au/behindthescenes/cabinet/

Accessed 6 September 2005

The War Cabinet Secretariat  http://john.curtin.edu.au/behindthescenes/secretariat/index.html

Accessed 6 September 2005

Previous series note for series A2673