Related series unregistered

Subject to further investigation but possibly including MP1144/6, Central Reconstruction Training Committee agenda and minutes of meeting, 1943-1959.

Summary heading

William Cornelius Maher's writings, papers and documents on the history of the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme

Function and purpose

This series consists of a collection of papers, documents written notes, information files and publications relating to the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme. The scheme was established in 1944 to retrain Service personnel after discharge and operated until 1964. The Act was administered by the Department of Post-War Reconstruction and after its abolition, the Repatriation Department. However. Under the scheme, the Department of Labour and National Service became responsible for arranging professional training at technical colleges and approved industrial institutions.

The bulk of the series relates to decisions of the Central Reconstruction Training Committee on matters administered by the Department of Labour and National Service, Industrial Training Division. They cover subjects including the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme, the building trade, technical colleges, disabled members and widows training schemes, training through private educational institutions and miscellaneous reports. 

Using the series

There are no indexes or other control records for this series. 

System of arrangement and control

After these records came to the National Archives they were given control symbols based on the box they came in and their position in the box. This did not help National Archives staff or researchers identify the records they were seeking so a single number system of arrangement and control was imposed in the records in 2005.

Many of the item titles, or parts of item titles, have been imposed on the items by National Archives staff. These are based on the item contents and have been imposed wither because there was no existing item title or to make existing item titles more useful.

Relationships with other records

 Subject to further investigation but possibly including MP1144/6, Central Reconstruction Training Committee agenda and minutes of meeting, 1943-1959

Series history

 The series was collected by an officer of the Division, Mr W. Maher, in the course of his official duties. On his retirement he commenced writing a history of the Scheme, using the series as reference material. On his death his widow forwarded the material to the Repatriation Department from where it was transferred into archival custody.

The records were repackaged at both container and item level and placed on RecordSearch in 2005.

Custodial history

 William Maher worked as a senior officer in the Department of Labour and National Service, Industrial Training Division from about 1940 until his retirement by 1968. He was mainly involved in the administration of the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme industrial training programmes. On his retirement he commenced
writing a history of that scheme. The records held by the Australian Archives were used by Mr Maher for this work. On his death, his widow forwarded them to the Repatriation Department from where they were eventually transferred into archival custody.