This is the principal record series of the Commonwealth Director of the Royal Tour of 1927, being correspondence and administrative files, arranged in a multiple number sequence according to general subject headings. The file registration numbers were prefixed by the letters 'DY' [Duke of York] to distinguish Royal Visit correspondence from that of the Department of Defence, in whose offices the agency resided.

The files are mostly contained in buff-coloured folders and
document the work of the Commonwealth Director and his Staff in relation to the Royal Visit to Australia of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York from 26 March to 23 May 1927.

All files bear registration numbers although sometimes the same number had been allotted (in error?) to more than one file. In some cases, parts had been created within a file dealing with related subjects. Where such problems have occurred, part numbers/ letters have been imposed by Australian Archives to enable identification and retrieval of each discrete item. Many files were themselves untitled but within the series, an index was found giving titles for most file numbers. There are gaps in the series.

A variety of subjects is covered in the series, e.g. Precedence, Committee decisions, transport, H.M.S. "Renown", employment, staff, general and State programmes, press arrangements, expenditure, accommodation, catering, invitations, ceremonials, gratuities, reports, etc. A full list of general headings used for the
registration of Royal Visit correspondence may be found in item DY45. Single number files are usually the 'general' files on a subject. Files on specific cases are allotted multiple numbers, e.g. DY16 [General invitation and precedence file, Canberra]; DY16/1 [Question of invitation to J.M. Forde and wife to opening of Parliament at Canberra].

Although correspondence was being received from July 1926, notations made on folios suggest that files were commenced at a later time, by September 1926. Some papers date from a time well before the commencement of the agency. On some files extracts of documents from previous tours or from the records of other agencies have been added to current files; on other files incoming correspondence has included material from an earlier time - e.g. photographs, pamphlets and other printed material. Where the file date range differs markedly from the series date range, an explanatory note has been included in the inventory of items. The series continued after the successful completion of the Royal Tour until the finalisation of financial and administrative matters related to the Tour.