This series consists of folders of correspondence on particular subjects maintained in the Prime Minister's Office during the Prime Ministership of Joseph Benedict Chifley (1945-49). The Office’s practice of keeping subject files separate from general correspondence dates from the early 1930’s when J A Lyons was Prime Minister.

In the Chifley period, several of the subject files are concerned with representations from Australian Labor Party branches, trades hall councils, unions and others about the 1949 coal strike. Other files relate to post war supply shortages (petrol, linseed oil, car body sheet metal, sugar, food for Great Britain), Dutch intervention in Indonesia, internationalisation of the Holy Places in Jerusalem, controversial legal issues (prosecutions against L J Phillips, L L Sharkey, T Wright), the December 1949 federal election, Lodge and personal staff, invitations and personal greetings. Two files relating to the use of schools for defence purposes during World War II date from the late Curtin Government period.

The folders include letters, telegrams, greeting cards, invitations, newspaper clippings and some photographs. The contents of each folder are arranged chronologically or alphabetically by name of correspondent. The correspondent’s name (or, in some cases, the subject) is typed on the top right-hand corner of most documents.

The Prime Minister’s Department transferred the records to archival custody in four consignments between December 1948 and February 1950. They were controlled for many years under accession numbers (CP25/2, CP38/2, CP62/1 and CP62/2) until converted to series M1459 in May 1984. The series registration was revised as part of the Prime Ministers Papers Project in January 2004.