Function and purpose

This series is the main policy and general correspondence series for the administration of the Australian Capital Territory. In addition to policy matters its content covers such other matters as projects and legislation, finances and staffing, and department organisation and function. It contains some records created by the Commonwealth Motor Vehicle Registry, records relating to the Australian War Memorial and the National Botanic Gardens, and also some records relating to Aboriginal affairs. For the period 1946-1951, it also contains files relating to the administration of the Northern Territory.

Some files from A427, Correspondence files, annual single number with 'G' prefix [General Staff and Establishments], during the period 1952-1956 were top-numbered to A431 while, alternately, top-numbering occurred from A431 to A427.  From 22 May 1984 to 1 Jan 1985, 68 files were created by CA 4144, Committee of Review of Welfare Services and Policies in the Australian Capital Territory. The files fall in the range 84/3395-84/8013 (with gaps), and cover correspondence, discussion papers, press clippings, stores, administration and travel arrangements etc relating to the review and subsequent report. Files are raised periodically in this series, which refer to the variations to the City Plan of Canberra. The files together with other correspondence, reports, maps etc concerning the subject are registered in CRS A7503 and A7504.

Following the abolition of the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC)[CA 279] on 30 January 1989 its functions relating to the municipal entity of Canberra were transferred to the Central Office of the ACT Administration [CA 6655]. From 31 January 1989 files created by the former NCDC Registry, which had become a sub-registry of the ACT Administration Central Registry, were registered as belonging to series A431.

In the transitional period the first 118 files so registered by the staff of the former NCDC Registry had been assigned two different controls (from series A1340 and A431) so that both they and the staff from Central Registry of the ACT Administration could keep track of the records. The control symbols allocated by the former NCDC registry to denote the position of each of the 118 items within A1340 (ie. 1989/502 to 1989/620) were entered on the files along with the relevant control symbols denoting each items place within series A431.

However, on 25 January 1989 it was decided to issue the former NCDC Registry, now sub-registry, with a block allocation of 3,000 numbers from A431 (1989/2000 to 1989/5000) so that files could be raised in the sub-registry with A431 controls only.

On 16 May 1989 CA 6655, the ACT Administration, was abolished as the territory became self-governing. 

The files created by the former NCDC staff (including the first 118 mentioned above) have an NCDC check digit used in the NCDC Registry to help identify files. Both the ACT Administration and NCDC used yearly colour coding tape on the files.

On the 26 November 1993, following the administrative change, file 84/3298 from A431 was transferred to the custody of the Canberra National Memorials Committee [CA 384].

Relationships with other records

 Previous series unregistered

1946: Home Security files

1950: Department of Information files

Subsequent series unregistered

1971: CA 1407, Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts, Correspondence files, annual single number series for War Memorials.

1973: CA 1479 Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Correspondence files for Aborigines

Disposal history

 National Archives staff reviewed this series in 2001. Some records transferred into the National Archives of Australia’s custody were assessed as no longer justified retention in the collection. These records were disposed of in accordance with records disposal authorities approved by the National Archives of Australia and by the Commonwealth agency responsible for the functions to which the records related.

Temporary portion of A431/23 was destroyed on 7 October 2005.

A temporary portion of the series, Transfer Job Number 2012/00418940, was withdrawal by the agency on 8 August 2012