This series comprises special subject files of correspondence maintained in the Prime Minister’s Office from 1942 to the end of 1944, when John Curtin was Prime Minister. In general the files relate to a major public issue or aspect of government business. The 1944 files also reflect the increasing role of F M (Frank) Forde as Acting Prime Minister in the latter period of the Curtin Government. However, there are no files covering the last six months of Curtin’s term of office until his death in July 1945.

Most files contain representations from community groups, local government authorities, trade organisations or individuals on a particular issue, eg wartime restrictions on alcohol, legalisation of the Communist Party, J T Lang, racing. Rather than being sent directly, these letters were often forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office by the correspondent’s local member of federal Parliament. Other files contain material relating to general government business, eg Defence Act, Russia, invitations accepted and declined, correspondence with state Premiers. Many of these items contain copies of correspondence from departmental files kept by the Prime Minister’s Department. A few files cover more personal matters, eg birthday and Christmas greetings, and two files (items 28 and 54) contain material relating to Mrs Elsie Curtin.

The files are essentially in three alphabetical sequences, one for each year: 1942 (items 1-48); 1943 (items 49-76); 1944 (items 77-96). However, several files include papers from the previous and/or subsequent year. For example, some 1944 files contain a few papers from 1945 (although, otherwise, there are no files in the series specific to that year). Two other files (items 97-98) were identified and numbered during recent archival revision. Within each file, correspondence to and from a person or organisation is arranged alphabetically by the name of the correspondent. The latter is usually typed on the upper right hand corner of the letter and sometimes the subject of the letter is typed on the upper left hand corner. Letters from individuals are arranged by surname, while those from trade organisations tend to be arranged by the occupation they represent, and local government authorities and political party groups by their geographical location. This means that the Albury Branch of the Australian Labor Party is filed under ‘A’ for Albury but the Townsville Branch of the Amalgamated Engineering Union is filed under ‘E’ for engineering. Items dating from 1943 onwards tend to be arranged chronologically rather than alphabetically. In these files the earliest material is at the back of the file. 

In response to most letters, a generic reply relating to the particular issue was sent out under the signature block of one of Curtin’s private secretaries, Eric W Tonkin or Fredrick A McLaughlin. Many of the file copies of the replies are on recycled paper, a wartime measure. Wartime considerations are also reflected in the date of some replies, in particular 25 December or 1 January, days which in normal circumstances would have been public holidays.

This series description was revised as part of the Prime Ministers Papers’ Project (April 2003).