Summary heading

Previous accession system transfers

AA1966/66

AA1966/65

AA1966/64 

Items medium note

Function and purpose

This was the major correspondence file series maintained by the Department of Air after its move from Melbourne to Canberra in 1959 until its final integration into the Department of Defence in 1974. Classified and unclassified files are included in this series.

While this series ostensibly began when the Air Office moved from Melbourne to Canberra in 1959, the series contains files which were created prior to this date. Similarly, the series contains files created after the Air Office's integration with the Department of Defence in 1974.

The files in this series cover a wide range of activities and encompass such areas as: aircraft and other equipment, financial matters from allowances to tax, personnel, administration, armaments and missiles, engineering, specifications and standards, ABCA agreement Air Board orders and telecommunications engineering. The material is housed in standard Department of Air, colour coded file covers (Form 511 range) and an occasional Defence or Army cover.

This series has multiple number system of control. The primary registration numbers for the series initially commenced at 400 to differentiate it from the earlier Melbourne (1-323) series. This was expanded in 1968 when the Department ran out of numbers for files on specific aircraft related topics in the 410 to 443 range and decided to use the aircraft type designator code, a single number with an 'A' prefix, as the primary number for files dealing with the 15 newer types of aircraft. Consequently primary registration numbers A1 to A69, with gaps, were added to the front of the series. This additional portion was previously registered as series CRS A1783 Correspondence files, A Series (Aircraft). However, all non-equipment related matters concerning the 15 aircraft in this portion as well as all details of a further 25 different types of aircraft, continued to be recorded in the 400 - 815 range of files. Such a major segregation was therefore no longer considered to be warranted and records from CRS A1783 were consequently converted to this series.

Alphabetical infixes appear in the following circumstances:

- 'A' infix to the secondary number and large gaps in the

secondary and tertiary numbers for most files having a primary

number of 400.

- 'A', 'O', 'W', 'L' or 'N' infix to the tertiary number and large

gaps in tertiary numbers for most personnel files having a

primary number of 660.

- Variable letter infix to the secondary number for files having a

primary number of 795 and 800, dealing with Air Board Orders.

Further information on this system of control is given in the Full Description of CRS A4324 Registration cards for CRS A703, Correspondence files, multiple number series (Canberra).

In addition to the files raised in Canberra, the series includes a considerable number of files top numbered from a 'Headquarters Support Command' series. These were presumably brought to Canberra by those elements of Headquarters Support Command which were relocated with Department of Air some time after its move.

The series ceased on 8 April 1974 when the amalgamation of the three Service Departments with the Department of Defence was completed and the new centralized correspondence series CRS A4090 started. Nevertheless, open files continued to be in fairly general use for both inwards and outwards correspondence to around the middle of 1977 (extended to 1981 for some files). Occasional papers dated 1982 or later usually advise the cancellation or finalisation of the action covered in the file.

In 1995 courts-martial files from this series were top-numbered into A471, Courts-Martial files, single number series. The Defence Archival and Information Section allocated courts-martial file numbers and annotated the control records of A703 to show where top-numbering had occurred. The superseded file numbers from A703 have been recorded in brackets beneath the court-martial file number on the consignment list.

Disposal history

Temporary consignments A703/165, A703/137 and A703/154 were destroyed on 10 February 2009. Temporary consignments A703/152, A703/157 and A703/168 were destroyed on 24 November 2009.

The consignments A703T55, A703T56, A703T54, A703T4, A703T8, A703T65, A703T67, A703T68, A703T22, A703T37, A703T35, A703T21, A703T19, A703T34, A703T84, A703T83, A703T81, A703T96, A703T94, A703T6, A703T36, A703T52, A703T69, A703T95, A703/158, A703/159, A703/160, A703/161, A703/170, A703/171, A703/172, A703/173, A703/174, A703/175, A703/176 and A703/177 were withdrawn by the agency on 21 September 2016.

Consignments A703T1, A703T2, A703T16, A703T17, A703T30, A703T31, A703T63, A703T77, A703T91, A703T109, A703/140, A703/141, A703/142 A703/143, A703/153, A703/155, A703/156, A703/163 & A703/164 were also withdrawn to the agency in September 2016.

Consignment A703T50 was witdrawn permanently by Defence in July 2018