This series contains all the secret/top secret correspondence files for the Washington post from 1949 to 1951.
 
Files previously accessioned by Archives as AA1984/25 were transferred into A5460 in August 2003 after research indicated that they in fact formed part of the records in this series.  

When a piece of correspondence arrived in the post that had a security classification of secret or higher, a new file on that subject was raised even if there was an unclassified file in existence.
 
The secret/top secret files used the same primary headings from the standardized file system for overseas posts as the unclassified files but the allocation of secondary numbers was different. This resulted in there sometimes being two files (one classified, one unclassified) in the post with the same number but different titles or the same title and different numbers.
 
The secret/top secret files were regarded as a different file series from the unclassified files and were stored in a different area of the post because of the need for security.
 
Amongst the subject areas covered by the files are: 

. political intelligence; 
. international organization (eg United Nations); 
. procurement of military equipment; and 
. international treaties.
 
The files have a year(s) stamped on the cover and some of them have a prefix (S, SG, TS) denoting security classification. These were most probably added after the files were raised. The year stamp(s) give the date range of the file and with the prefix may have been added to assist staff in distinguishing between files with the same number or title but from different series.

Transfer of records from AA1984/25 to A5460: Files previously accessioned by Archives as AA1984/25 were transferred into A5460 in August 2003 after research indicated that they in fact formed part of the records in this series. Files in AA1984/25 were created by officials at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC, and relate to the Treaty of Peace signed at San Francisco in 1951 between various Allied nations (including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) and Japan. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was not a signatory to the treaty. There is also material on the files relating to broader post-war security arrangements between the United States and Japan, and the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Research into the origins and providence of these records indicates that they were initially created and maintained separately from the Embassy's then main correspondence file series (now known as A3094). Within the Embassy, the files appear to have been known as 'Mr McNicol's files' (D. W. McNicol being firstly Second Secretary, then First Secretary at the Embassy), and they originally had control symbols outside of the range normally allocated to files in A3094. These files were initially transferred from the Embassy to the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of a consignment of records, dating mostly from the 1940s and 1950s.1 In turn, the Department of Foreign Affairs transferred the records to the Archives on 23 January 1984. The Archives accessioned the records as AA1984/25. Control symbols ranging from 1950 to 1951B were imposed on the records at the time. In August 2003, the files in AA1984/25 were positively identified as belonging to the record series now known as CRS A5460. A5460 contains secret and top secret files created by the Australian Embassy in Washington from 1949 to 1951. Evidence from items 1950 to 1951 Part 5 in AA1984/25 clearly indicates that they are subsequent parts to the file 901 Part 1 in A5460, and were originally controlled by the Embassy under the control symbol 901. It is not clear under which control symbol the Embassy controlled the files that later became known as AA1984/25 items 1951A and 1951B, although they also relate to the Japanese Peace Treaty. Reflecting this, the Archives has incorporated the files from AA1984/25 into CRS A5460 and imposed the following control symbols: 1950 in AA1984/25 is now 901 [PART 2] in A5460. 1951 Part 1 in AA1984/25 is now 901 [PART 3] in A5460. 1951 Part 2 in AA1984/25 is now 901 [PART 4] in A5460. 1951 Part 3 in AA1984/25 is now 901 [PART 5] in A5460. 1951 Part 4 in AA1984/25 is now 901 [PART 6] in A5460. 1951 Part 5 in AA1984/25 is now 901 [PART 7] in A5460. 1951 A in AA1984/25 is now [901/2] in A5460. 1951 B in AA1984/25 is now [901/3] in A5460. 1 List of Washington Files forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Canberra (CRS A3091)