Function and purpose

This series consists of despatches from overseas posts by charge d’affairs- Australian Legations, Embassies and High Commissions – including:

South East Asia: Bangkok, Djakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Rangoon, Saigon, Singapore, Manila, Phnom Penh and Vientiane;  South Asia and East Asia: Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, New Delhi, Seoul, Taipai, and Tokyo;  North Asia: Nanking, Peking;  Americas and the South Pacific: Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Lima, Santiago, Mexico City, Nauru, Noumea, Ottawa, Suva, Washington, New York, Wellington;  Europe: Bonn, Brussels, Dublin, Madrid, European Economic Community, Geneva, The Hague, Moscow, Paris, Ankara and Rome, Athens, Belgrade; Africa: Pretoria, Dar-Es-Salaam, Nairobi, Accra, Lagos, Cairo; Middle East: Tel Aviv, Tehran.

The subjects of the despatches range from administrative functions such as lease of Legation’s premises, requests for passports and financial transactions to the country’s political situation, general conditions, trade, visits from dignitaries and military operations in some cases, and any important events of the year, for example death of a political leader and reactions and so on.  Interspersed between pages can be found newspaper clippings to better illustrate the despatches.

The despatches are mostly the signed originals.  Occasionally duplicated or carbon copies are included, presumably where the original is missing. Most have been bound into red coloured volumes.  The post, year and despatch numbers are embossed on the covers.

Related legislation

Using the series

Generally each volume contains the year’s despatches for each post.  Occasionally more than one year is bound into a volume.  The despatches are numbered (usually an annual single number sequence) and filed separately for each post.  Each volume contains a list at the front detailing the despatches contained therein.  The range of despatch numbers is usually listed on the spine of each volume. Some irregularities occur, eg the despatches from Chunking are in volumes labelled ‘Nanking’.

The earliest despatches are from Ottawa, one of the first overseas posts established after London.  The London despatches were then held by the Prime Minister’s Department.

Language of material

Physical characteristics

System of arrangement and control

Relationships with other records

Finding aids

Itemised consignment lists exist for this series.  As at September 17 2002, 306 items were registered into RecordSearch. 

Access conditions

Series history

Provenance

Immediate source of acquisition

Custodial history

Quantity in agency custody

Disposal history

Publication note

Additional information

End notes

Sources