Summary heading

  Series note

Function and purpose

This series consists of various records relating to historical aspects of the Department of Customs and Excise. There are a number of folders, books and files covering a range of topics.

Examples of these records include: Customs Handbook, City of Port Adelaide Centenary History and a Customs House Handbook. There are folders containing historical notes including those of Port Adelaide, Port Pirie, Tall Ships, Local Government (Parks and Gardens), decimal currency, functions of Customs and a document relating to Customs and Excise history.

There are Parliamentary extracts, details of the Port Adelaide Customs complex (buildings and residence), lists of Outports (extracts from Annual Reports), details relating to the acquisition

of the Semaphore Boarding Station, historic reports on buildings, details of a picnic at Port Martloo (1884) and a collection of copies of photographs of the Collector of Customs building.

Amongst the handwritten material including letters and notes there are references to the Pre-Federation history of Customs and Excise. There are several site plans for the Semaphore and Port Adelaide Customs Houses (copies). One folder contains details relating to the Appointment of Officers, Proclaimed Outports, general statements and notes concerning estimates, revenue and Outports.

A further transfer of records into this series has revealed miscellaneous printed material including legislation, standing orders, direction, descriptive material relating to the Customs function in general and South Australian in particular.

The individual items have been collected as an historical record of Customs administration in South Australia. Some items display a single number sequence with a SA prefix. This was imposed in the late 1980's when the material was part of the library collection. A number of photographs and uniforms form part of the collection. Some original operational records are incorporated into the collection; these include Distillery diaries and the wreck of the 'Elini K'.

The historical collection was broken up in early 1996 with the books and some small artifacts transferred to Archives storage. Items of furniture and larger artifacts remain with the agency.

Related legislation

 

Using the series

 

Language of material

 

Physical characteristics

Various – leather bound volumes, loose papers etc 

System of arrangement and control

  Single number with “SA” prefix.

Relationships with other records

 

Finding aids

 

Access conditions

 

Series history

 

Provenance

 

Immediate source of acquisition

 

Custodial history

 

Quantity in agency custody

 

Disposal history

 

Publication note

 

Additional information

 

End notes

 

Sources

Series file, checklists and physical inspection of records