Summary heading

A6211 – Register of Exhibits tendered before the Royal Commission on Espionage (‘Fair Copy’) 

Function and purpose

This series contains a register of exhibits tendered before the Royal Commission on Espionage in 1954 and 1955. The register is entitled: ‘ROYAL COMMISSION ON ESPIONAGE 1954-1955 REGISTER OF EXHIBITS” and dated January 1956. It is described on the title page as being the ‘Final and complete List of Exhibits in Numerical Order prepared by the Commission Secretariat’.

This register records both the numbered exhibits (Exhibits 1 – 521) and the lettered exhibits (Exhibits A-J). Exhibits are recorded in the register according to the date tendered. The register records information about each exhibit in vertical columns labelled with the following headings:

·       MFI (Marked for information) - number and date marked

·       Exhibit – Number and date tendered

·       Witness

·       Tendered by

·       Description

·       Reference in Transcript – page and paragraph.

Information on the title page states that: ‘no other copies than the original herein have been made or distributed’.

This register was produced after the Royal Commission had handed down its final report, and is without correction. It is likely based on the earlier version of the register (contained in CRS A6210) although it differs slightly, especially in terms of exhibit descriptions. Instructions on the title page indicate that the Register was to be kept with the original exhibits. 

Physical characteristics

This exhibit is housed in a dark green, two-screw binder measuring approximately 43 cm x 36 cm. It contains a title page and 31 numbered sheets. The front cover is labelled: “REGISTER OF EXHIBITS” and is stamped “TOP SECRET” on the front cover and on each page. Entries are typed onto pages ruled into columns marked with the headings given above.   

Relationships with other records

This series forms part of the body of records created by the Royal Commission on Espionage. These records can be broadly divided into three categories: the Records of the Royal Commissioners (series A6214 and A6215), the Records of the Secretariat (A6213) and the records that were assembled as a result of the Royal Commission’s investigations (including exhibits, transcripts of proceedings and reports).  

This register is a controlling record for the following series:

• CRS A6201 – Exhibits, single number system
• CRS A6202 – Exhibits, single letter system

An earlier version of the exhibits register exists in CRS A6210 - Register of Exhibits tendered before the Royal Commission on Espionage.   

Series history

This series was transferred to National Archives in 1984 from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. It was originally accessioned as AA1984/323. The original series title was: ‘Fair Copy’ register of exhibits.

Arrangement and description work on this series was undertaken in April 2005 as part of a Collection Development project involving multiple record series associated with the Royal Commission on Espionage. As a result of this work, the series was properly described at item and series level in RecordSearch, and re-packaged and rehoused in acid-free containers. The series title was also amended to more clearly identify the item it contains. The series linkages were also expanded, although it was necessary to register the contents and accumulation dates ranges as being 1954 – 1955 in order to enable the correct linkages to be made in RecordSearch.                

Custodial history

By the time the RCE Secretariat had ceased to function in August 1957, all the records of the RCE were being stored in the Cabinet Secretariat at the Prime Minister’s Department in Canberra. Between September 1975 and May 1977, the RCE records were provided to the Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security (RCIS). After the records were returned to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, an archivist from the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) was engaged to properly index and catalogue them. As a consequence of this work, the then Australian Archives was engaged to undertake conservation work on the records. In relation to CRS A6211, this consisted mainly of interleaving acid-free paper between the folios to retard any potential deterioration.