VPRS 985 Register of Distribution of Papers

The Public Works Department (VA 669) had wide-ranging responsibilities for all public works and buildings, including construction, maintenance and fitting out of these buildings. Other major responsibilities included roads and bridges, ports and harbours, local government and water supply.The recordkeeping systems maintained by the Department operated from a system of the central registration and filing of all correspondence with correspondence numbers incorporating the registration volume date, the annual single number allocated the piece of correspondence and the folio upon which its registration was recorded. This series was created to record and monitor the movement of that correspondence to the section and/or officer responsible for action upon it such as Accounts or Works or Inspector-General.At the front of each volume is an index of names with letter abbreviations beside them indicating the section of the organisation to which each person belonged. Printed columns of running numbers may be equated to the annual single numbers allocated pieces of correspondence at its registration. Beside the number of the piece of correspondence were marked the identifying letter(s) for the person or section to whom the correspondence was passed and the date. Movement of correspondence by dates was also recorded by date in VPRS 1113 Register of Inward Correspondence.