VPRS 1087 Despatches from the Secretary of State to the Governor

This series consists of bound despatches, representing the official channel of communication from the British Secretary of State responsible for the administration of the Colonial (later Commonwealth) Office to the Governor of Victoria. The Secretary's official title has changed over time, these being Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (to 1854), for the Colonies (to 1925), for Dominion Affairs (to 1947) and for Commonwealth Relations. Bound duplicate copies of despatches sent from the Governor to the Secretary of State are found in VPRS 1084. The despatch itself consists of an item of correspondence written by the Secretary and, in many instances, a number of enclosures. The enclosures touch on matters referred to in the despatch and appear to be copies of original documents presumably held in London. Occasionally intermingled between despatches are letters from the Secretary acknowledging the receipt of despatches which have not necessitated a despatch in reply. As a security measure, a duplicate copy of each despatch was usually sent on a different vessel. These were left unbound and are found in VPRS 1086. Circular despatches were not bound in these volumes until 1877, previously being bound separately in VPRS 1088. Confidential despatches to 1884 were also bound separately in VPRS 1090.