Each declaration, made in pursuance of the Mining Ordinance 1922-1927 s. 47AA, declares that a person is the owner of a parcel of gold and his intention to export it. The declaration may be made by an agent for the owner. These declarations were made at Salamaua (sometimes written Salamoa) and the original or a copy forwarded to the Mining Warden at Eadie Creek. A few declarations on file have a covering memorandum from the District Officer, Salamaua and most bear the stamp which shows the date of receipt only.

Declarations show name of owner, place of residence, quantity and approximate value of gold with from where, to where and through whom it is intended to export it. They are made in the form prescribed in the Statutory Declarations Act 1911, a Commonwealth Act which was adopted in the Territory of New Guinea by Ordinance No. 1 of 1921, Laws Repeal and Adopting Ordinance 1921. The declarations are dated and witnessed by a clerk in the District Office, Salamaua. They show the amount of royalty paid and the number of the receipt issued for this payment. Most forms provide for royalties paid on Claim Gold and Lease Gold to be indicated separately but this has not been done.

Most declarations are made on a printed form but some are on typed copies of the form. The forms have been placed on file pins and only one life has a cover sheet. This is linen backed and is of the type used for correspondence files (G215 ie. Form 9). The subject is shown as Salamaua Gold Declarations July 1928-Jun 1929. In some cases returns of the declarations made at Salamaua were compiled in the District Office and forwarded instead of the actual declarations. Returns show date of declaration, name, no. of ounces and amount of royalty. Such returns are generally monthly and totals of gold and royalties for the month are given. There are some nil returns.

At some stage files have been listed with other files and single number together with a list number has been placed on the files in red pencil. As some items in the series have the same coversheet as the warden's correspondence series (G215 and G216) it is possible that these files were part of a predecessor series to G216. If this could be established they would then need to be described with G217, File or radiograms received and copies of radiograms sent, 1926-1927 and G219, Files of gold export [statutory] declarations declared at Eadie Creek, 1927-1928 as Correspondence files: subject heading system.
Quantity in agency custody
rolls of microfilm held by CA 1720, Australian Archives, Central Office Original 0.015m held by Papua New Guinea Archives