Summary heading

Function and purpose

Series M157 consists of reference material collected and maintained by the Hon Edward “Gough” Whitlam’s Parliamentary Office in Canberra. The papers were accumulated during the period Mr Whitlam served as Deputy Leader (1960 - 1967) and Leader of the Australian Labor Party (1967 – 1977). After becoming Leader of the Opposition in 1967, Gough Whitlam began a systematic revision of Labor’s policies. His reforms focused on a range of contemporary issues: urban and rural development, international relations and foreign affairs, housing and education, health, and, defence. Whitlam was also interested in: political independence for Papua New Guinea; improving and managing relations with China, Vietnam and Indonesia; and, ending the White Australia Policy. The records contain: annual reports of Commonwealth agencies and other organisations; Parliamentary publications such as government press releases, budget papers and speeches; ALP publications and correspondence; and, other reference papers. The files were largely arranged by subject. Topics are wide ranging and include: parliamentary matters; education and science; communication and the arts; trade; industrial relations; rural matters; law reform and civil liberties; external affairs and defence; health; welfare; immigration; and, various visits undertaken by Mr Whitlam.

System of arrangement and control

Multiple number system, partially imposed by Archives

The records were arranged in two sets based on the manner in which they were maintained when in business use. Set one contains items that were originally located in four drawer filing cabinets in Mr Whitlam’s Parliamentary Office in Canberra. Each filing cabinet drawer was numbered by the agency and dealt with a specific subject, e.g. Education and Science. Within each drawer, items were further subdivided into specific categories with the use of divider cards. These cards were titled but not numbered. Lists were provided by Mr Whitlam's office outlining the contents of each drawer. Set one records transferred into archival custody constituted drawers 15 and 17 through 52. A multiple number system was adopted by Australian Archives to provide item control symbols. The primary number denotes the drawer (subject) number used by the agency. The secondary number denotes the divider (category) card and was imposed by the Archives.

Other cabinets were used for the storage of correspondence files in suspended covers. The agency referred to these cabinets as 'shelves' and the records they contained constitute set two of the arrangement. Unlike the cabinet drawers (referred to above) each shelf was not titled, even though it dealt with a specific subject or subjects. Subject title lists were available (or constructed) for shelves 1 through 4 and 6 and 7. There were no subject lists for shelf 5 or shelves 8 through 9. The contents of these shelves were grouped together under subject themes with titles created by the Archives. Items in set two were allocated dual control numbers by the Archives, denoting shelf (subject) number and an individual item number.

Sources

National Archives of Australia, ‘Gough Whitlam – Before office’, National Archives of Australia, http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/whitlam/before-office.aspx, accessed 12 December 2016