VPRS 421 Secretary's Inward Registered Correspondence, Annual Single Number System

This series consists of the inward and copies of outward correspondence of the Secretary of the Victorian Railways (VA 2876) and its predecessors. The correspondence documented a wide range of policy and routine administrative matters including the development of new railway lines and stations, rolling stock and locomotives, fares and freight rates, accidents, personnel, liaison with other branches of the railways (e.g., Traffic Branch, Way and Works Branch), and correspondence with private companies including contractors, municipalities, government departments and instrumentalities and Parliamentary Standing Committees and Inquiries.The first Department of Railways was established in 1857 following the establishment of the Board of Land and Works (VA 744). It assumed responsibility for the railways previously administered by the Trustees of the Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railways. Prior to this, railway matters which essentially involved the survey of proposed lines of railway were administered by a Railways Branch of the Surveyor-General's Department (VA 2921) which subsequently became a branch of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538). As VPRS 421 includes a few items of correspondence dating from this time, the contents date range pre-dates the series date range.

本系列档案包含维多利亚铁路局（Victorian Railways，档案编号VA 2876）及其前身机构秘书长的收文与外发函件副本。此类函件涵盖政策制定与日常行政的各类事务，包括新建铁路线路与车站、铁路车辆（rolling stock）与机车、票价与货运费率、运营事故、人员管理、与铁路系统内其他分支部门（如运营处、线路与工程处）的联络事宜，以及与承包商、地方市政当局、政府部门及直属机构、议会常务委员会与专项调查委员会的往来函件。首个铁路部门于1857年在土地与工程委员会（Board of Land and Works，档案编号VA 744）成立后正式设立，承接了此前由墨尔本-亚历山大山-墨累河铁路信托委员会负责管理的铁路运营权责。在此之前，涉及拟建铁路线路勘测的铁路事务由测量总署（Surveyor-General's Department）下属铁路处（档案编号VA 2921）统筹管理，该处室后续并入土地与测量署（Department of Crown Lands and Survey，档案编号VA 538），成为其下属分支部门。由于本档案集VPRS 421收录有少量此时期的函件，因此其内容涵盖的时间范围早于本系列档案的官方归档时间范围。