This accession series forms part of the main Navy Office correspondence
files series CRS B4883. In 1911 following the expansion of the
Naval Board, which was within the Defence Department, the Navy formed a
registry separate from the Defence Registry. This registry was based on a
single number system and operated until 1921, even though the Navy had been
created as a separate entity from Defence in 1915. A new multiple number system
was implemented in 1922 (CRS B5572); at almost the same time (December 1921)
Navy ceased to be a separate Department and was absorbed once more into
Defence. The new registry system operated until the end of 1922, then in April
1923 the Navy, in its own registry, was required to change its system by taking
a section of the Defence Index and Registration system. Active files from any
of the Navy’s previous systems were re-registered and top numbered into this
new series (CRS B4883).
The numbering
system for Navy files also followed the primary numbers used for Army but with
-/201/- onwards as secondary numbers in order to distinguish Navy files from
Army files. This Navy series is
therefore commonly known as the ‘201’ series.
Large gaps are evident in the series due to the fact that in late 1926
Defence central registry took over responsibility for civilian personnel
matters, files in relevant subject classes being withdrawn and top-numbered
into the Defence correspondence series (CRS A664).
This series
ran from 1923 to 1950, and was not affected by the formation of the Navy, as
once more a department separate from Defence, in 1939. With the creation of this independent
Department of the Navy, the responsibility for civilian personnel returned to
Navy Office and few files were raised with the ‘201’ infix. However, they were maintained as separate
series in the Civil Staff Section of the navy registry and were not amalgamated
with files in this series. They have
been registered as a separate series (CRS B4881). Files relating to Naval personnel matters also apparently came to
be maintained as a separate group by Navy Office registry although registered
in the same ‘201’ series as the general correspondence files. Files relating to Naval personnel were
transferred to Archives still arranged as a separate group and have, therefore
been registered as a separate series (CRS B4884).
Apart from standard administrative subjects such
as ‘Finance’, ‘Personnel’, ‘Purchasing’ and ‘Facilities’ topics covered in this
series include those with uniquely naval responsibilities, for example, 'Docks
and Dockyards', 'Propellers', 'Logs and Ship's Books', 'Torpedoes', 'Slipways',
'Buoys', 'Merchant Ships', and 'Hydrographical'.
During, and
immediately after the war, files on many new subjects became necessary. For example, subjects were introduced for
‘Rationing’ and ‘Volunteers’ in 1944, and a whole new range introduced for
Post-War Reconstruction matters, e.g. ‘Demobilisation’, ‘Re-establishment and
Re-employment’. (See CRS B5612, Authorized list of subject
headings for correspondence files, multiple number series ('201'series),
1923-1950, for more details).
Confidential matters were registered into the
series, with only the addition of ‘C’ to the cover of the file. Documents classified as ‘Secret’ were
registered into a separate series for classified files (CRS B5573).
This series
came to a close in December 1950 with the introduction of a new registration
system in 1951.
Although
this accession series is part of CRS B4883, correspondence files, multiple
number series ('201' series), they have not been physically converted to CRS
B4883 and, therefore, should be requested as MP151/1. Other accession series transferred to National Archives of
Australia, which are part of CRS B4883 include MP124/6, MP139/1, MP981/1,
MP1049/3, MP1185/9, MP692/1,MP138/1, MT856/1(part) and MP150/1.
Creating
department: Department of the Navy,
Central Registry Transferring department:
Navy, Navy Office, Registry
Date of
transfer: 31/07/1958
Archives
file number: RWM31/2/16