This series includes representations made to Joseph Aloysius Lyons by members of the public, related Ministerial correspondence, and responses from Lyons’ office in the last two years of his Prime Ministership. A small number of the responses were finalised by Lyons’ staff in the months following his death in April 1939. Most of the files are titled according to the particular portfolio to which the representation was forwarded, eg Civil Aviation, Customs, Defence, Interior, Pensions, Repatriation, War Service Homes, Postal. Some files relate to other subjects, eg broadcasting, employees at The Lodge, 1937 federal election, newspapers, visit of the Federal Cabinet to Tasmania in February 1939. A few files are of a more personal nature and include requests for letters of introduction and autographs, expressions of congratulations or condolence.

The files were transferred to archival custody by the Prime Minister’s Department on 26 January 1949 (ref. RWC 2/8/1). Originally accessioned as CP4 (later CP246), they were renumbered as CP167 in 1953. The series description was revised as part of the Prime Ministers Papers’ Project in January 2002.