This series consists of three leather bound volumes. Two are brown, with blue marbled inside covers, 23 x 33.5 x 4cm, with `Minute Book` written in gold lettering on red on the spine. The third book is 21 x 32 x3.5cm, with white reinforcement of the spine and corners. Its' inside and outside covers are brown and blue marbled cardboard.

Although the two brown covered volumes are numbered 1 and 2, it is the white marbled volume, labelled originally as '3', that records the first meetings of this council. Therefore, Australian Archives has imposed a single number system to reflect the order in which the series was accumulated by the council.

The first brown leather Minute Book is stamped No. `1`. In the front is a copy of a letter dated 3rd June 1889 from Defence Deptartment to Victorian Rifle Association. The first entry in the book consists of the writing `185th meeting 23 may 1888`. The last entry reads `370th meeting, 30 Nov 1894`. In the back are sheets: `Powers of the Council of Defence` signed by the Governor on 18 August 1884; another statement dated 11 Sept 1885; and two loose financial pages. There is a blue, red and orange pattern on the edge of the closed pages of the book, and the book is in excellent condition.  Australian Archives has imposed the item number [2] to this volume.

The second brown book is stamped no. `2`, and also has stamped a crown, and gold lettering on black on the spine `Defence Dep`.  Brown leather extends on the spine and corners, blue cloth on the rest, with orange marbled inside covers upon which is stuck the Council of Defence Regulations. The first entry is the 371st meeting 7th Dec 1894, and the last 498th meeting 28th Feb 1901. A third of the book is unused. On the last page is a Defence Dept. memo dated 3rd May 1900.  Australian Archives has imposed the item number [3] to this volume.

The white book is 21 x 32 x 3.5cm, with white reinforcements on spine and corners, on the spine printed in black `Army Book 125`, and No. `3` written in blue pen. The inside and outside covers are brown and blue marbled cardboard, also labelled `Waterlow and sons Ltd, London Account Book`. The alphabetical index in the front of the book is blank, then in blue pen is written, `1st meeting Friday 4th Jan 1884. The last entry is `183rd meeting 2 May 1888`; and 185th meeting, 23 May 1888 is crossed out. A few pages in the back of the book are blank.  Australian Archives has imposed the item number [1] to this volume.