This series is a collection of colour negatives taken by
the Australian Overseas Information Service over the period from 1947 to 1971 when they were first known as the Department of
Information, and then the News and Information Bureau from
March 1950.
 
The series consists basically of 35mm, 6 x 6cm and 5 x 4" colour negatives but some are internegatives (i.e.taken from colour
transparencies or prints) and the majority of these will be of 5" x 4"size. There is nothing to indicate if the negative is an original or not except by referring to the registers and to the type of film used.  Internegatives are usually made on a thicker type of film.
 
The negatives are in glassine or other bags of sizes varying from 11.5 x 16.5cm to 14 x 19cm and come may contain a 'caption') giving some information about the picture) and a contact print.  The subjects of the colour negatives cover all aspects of Australian life, official visits, government etc. and some are of an historical nature i.e. taken from paintings, sketches etc of earlier periods.  This series is controlled by a single number with a KN prefix.  In 1971 a new numbering system was started; this system is a continuing one, chronological with a KN prefix and a single number suffix. The numbering system is interfiled with series A1500 and A6135 and they are recorded in the same registers. The registers are a chronological accession list.
 
The negatives are accessed by reference to a subject card index held by AOIS.
 
There are some missing items and some items, which were originally numbered with an LE prefix and indexed in the black and white registers, have been top numbered into the colour series and entered in the colour registers. These (LE) items have been appropriately cross-indexed in the registers.