Summary heading

  Descriptive Note

Function and purpose

For reasons related to the conventions regarding access to records of a previous administration, it is the practice in Cabinet Office when a new government accedes to office to close off the current main correspondence file series documenting cabinet business and begin a new series for the business of the incoming government.  This series is the main series of correspondence files maintained in the Cabinet Office for the administration of Cabinet business for the period of the Fraser Government, from November 1975 to March 1983.

Note that while this series does contain some files of a ‘housekeeping’ nature – for example, files regarding procedures and record keeping – in general files on such standard housekeeping activities as recruitment, establishment review, preparation of forward estimates, acquisition of stores, equipment, vehicles, in relation to the Cabinet Office, are raised in the department’s main correspondence file series A463 (for non-classified matters) or A1209 (for classified matters.)  For example, files on the publication of the Cabinet Handbook will be found in A1209.

This series covers the full range of Cabinet-related activities including procedural matters relating to the operation of the cabinet system itself.   A new file was raised in this series when a new matter was referred to Cabinet office which could potentially be developed into a submission to Cabinet.    A new file number in a simple number sequence was allocated from the register (CRS A12999).  To distinguish from previous series the file numbers have a constant alpha prefix - in this case an ‘LC’ prefix

The file title is normally the subject matter – for example ‘Establishment of the Family Court of Australia’ or ‘Government Expenditure Review’     In some cases the matter might eventually be resolved through other channels outside cabinet but in most cases  a Cabinet Submission is developed by the Department or Minister concerned and a copy of the Submission will be placed on the file in due course.  A copy of the relevant Decision is also placed on the file after the meeting.  The correspondence on the file documents the process of development of the submission, its circulation to ministers, its presentation to a meeting, the decision made and the distribution of the decision to appropriate areas.  The ‘LC’ file in this series will therefore provide a considerable amount of background information to the Submission document itself which is in seriesA12908 (First Fraser Ministry) or A12909 (Second to Fifth Fraser Ministries).

The LC files also cover the activities of the various Cabinet Committees, including Submissions referred to Committees and Decision taken at Committee meetings.  There are no separate series of files for the Committees.

A file is also raised in this series in cases where a matter is introduced at a Cabinet (or Committee) meeting by a Minister (with the prior consent of the Prime Minister) where no formal Submission has been made and a Decision is made Without Submission.  The minister may produced some document to support his proposal or inform the discussion generally and from September 1976 such documents were controlled as Cabinet or Committee Papers (see CRS A12933 and A12934 ) or from February 1979 as Cabinet Memoranda (see CRS A12930)

Where the subject matter is an ongoing one there may be a succession of Submissions and Decisions on the one file, or multiple Decisions made at different meetings in  consequence of a single Submission, or a Submission with subsequent Papers and Memoranda

The series was closed following the defeat of the Fraser government in the election of 5 March 1983 and the accession of the Hawke government.

It is noteworthy that this series is very large (total quantity is well over 100 shelf metres) – reflecting the great expansion of Cabinet business during the term of the Fraser government – by 1979 the volume of business was more than three times that of the previous Coalition government.  There is a number of files in this series which reflect the concern with this development and the attempts to adjust Cabinet Office requirements and procedures to cope with  the volume of business and hopefully to moderate it.  .  See in particular files on Cabinet procedures (LC2 sequence and LC179 sequence) and also LC2198 sequence re 1978 Review)

Related legislation

 

Using the series

The file register (CRS A12999)  for this series cites only file number and title – it does not show any relevant Submission or Decision number.  To facilitate establishing this link the Submission number (or numbers where there is more than one) has been entered in the Title field in the RecordSearch entry for the file

The connection between file number and Submission number is recorded in the Register of Submissions (CRS A12910.)   Series A12938  is an Index linking LC File number to Decision Number

The Subject Index (A12936) identifies files in this seris on a particular subject.  This index cover years 1975 to 1982 only (files LC1 to LC 3797) as a new scheme of indexable headings was introudcued from January 1983 a new Subject Index was begun (CRS A13158) which in the event was used for only two months of 1983.

The Nominal Index (CRS A12939) allows access by name of Person, Organisation, etc.

In addition, series A13156 is a comprehensive Nominal Index which allows access by a wide category of proper names, not only to this file series but also to the Submission, Decision, and some departmental files (A463/A1209)

Language of material

 

Physical characteristics

Until about May 1981 the files have standard  blue covers with a green security classification label and the file number usually handwritten in top right hand corner.  The file title is written in space provided on the inside front cover.   From May 1981 a new style of cover in three panels, bright yellow in colour, was adopted   The contents consists of  Submissions, Decisions, Committee Papers and Memoranda and related administrative correspondence.

System of arrangement and control

  The files are controlled in a simple number sequence with an LC prefix.  The prefix has no meaning; its purpose is to distinguish this series from similar series maintained for previous ministries or governments.  Where the subject matter is of long duration there may be multiple parts to a file.  The same file number is used for a new part, with the addition of the Part number.

By end December 1982 the latest file registration was number LC3797.  At that point a new scheme of indexable headings was introduced by the Cabinet Registry and to reflect this change, the first new file registered in the series after 1 January 1983 was given number LC5000.  There are therefore no files with numbers LC3798 to LC4999. 

Relationships with other records

 

Finding aids

 

Access conditions

 

Series history

 

Provenance

  The records of this series were created in Cabinet Office between November 1975 and February 1983.  Contents may have been added for some months after that date.

Immediate source of acquisition

 

Custodial history

  All the items of this series were transferred to the custody of NAA by the Cabinet Office in three transfers between December 1998 and February 1999

Quantity in agency custody

 

Disposal history

 

Publication note

 

Additional information

 

End notes

 

Sources