The series consists of one proclamation and four commissions (Letters Patent), all associated with the Rt Hon Sir Robert Gordon Menzies and signed by the Governor-General in office at the time. The documents are:

1) Letters Patent appointing Menzies a member of the Advisory War Council (29 October 1940), signed by Lord Gowrie (Register of Patents No 94, p53, dated 12 December 1941)

2) Letters Patent appointing Menzies as Minister of Defence Co-ordination in the Fadden Government (29 August 1941), signed by Lord Gowrie (Register of Patents No 94, p74, dated 7 January 1942)

3) Letters Patent appointing Menzies as Prime Minister (19 December 1949), signed by Sir William McKell (Register of Patents No 195, p262, dated 11 January 1950)

4) Letters Patent appointing Menzies as Prime Minister (11 May 1951), signed by Sir William McKell (Register of Patents No 195, p477, dated 31 January 1952)

5) Proclamation by Sir William McKell concerning the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth (7 February 1952)

The five documents were transferred to archival custody by Cabinet Office in June 1985 and originally accessioned as AA1985/404. The series description was revised as part of the Prime Ministers Papers' Project (December 2002).