The series consists mainly of reports and other informational material  on the manufacture and testing of clothing, equipment, weaponry and chemicals for chemical warfare. Some material also relates to conventional warfare techniques, meteorological data, inspection of private companies' manufacturing processes and progress reports of the Chemical Defence Board. The series consists of classified material, most of which wasunclassified at the time of transfer to Archives. The material comprises copies of reports prepared by the Chemical Defence Board's Physiological Research Laboratories and probably other  sections supervised by the Board (many reports are unmarked as to section oforigin).
Numerous other reports originated from 2/1 Aust. CW Chemical
 Warfare Laboratory. Material also came variously from university studies,State and Federal Government bodies and private companies. Illustrations in the form of photographs, tables, diagrams, etc.  appear throughout the series. Correspondence in the series is restricted to covering letters or memoranda accompanying material sent by other bodies. It is not known at what time the series, in its current system of arrangement, was created. Items are all marked with the Chemical Defence Board registration stamp which contains a handwritten multiple number entry with "Z" infix, in the top right hand corner. This appears to be the remnants of an earlier system from which items were removed to form this series.The series is in four portions as follows:
(i) the first (0.36m) is arranged by single number within "Attachments". Attachments are identified by yellow cardboard dividers and numbered on the packing list Attachments E - I to Attachment E - 14, though the dividers themselves show only single numbers 1 - 14. Items within an attachment are marked with a single number pencilled on the top folio.  (ii) the second (0.18m) has no single number of "Attachment" arrangement. Items are identified only by their multiple number and appear to be inrandom order.
 (iii) the third (0.18m) has no "Attachment" number but is arranged by singlenumber, again pencilled on the items.
 (iv) the fourth (0.18m) consists of material which has retained a security classification. There is no "Attachment" number or single number, items being again identified by their multiple number and kept in random order. The multiple number workings may in fact have been part of an annual single number series, with "Z" infix, as the primary number usually corresponds to the year date of papers on file. An exception are papers dated 1936, which are marked with the primary number 40 (unless an annual single number system commenced in 1940 and older material was top numbered). The significance of the "Z" infix is not known; the second number was presumably a serial number. The files themselves have no covers. Papers are mainly roneoed copies clipped onto a dark red sheet of cardboard in the top left hand corner.