VPRS 12678 Register of Inward Correspondence

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 include roads and bridges, ports and harbours, local government and water supply.This series was used for the registration for inward correspondence. The Registers are arranged by categories of works (e.g. Courts), specific locations (e.g. Public Library, University), Government Departments (e.g. Law or Railways and Roads) and alphabetically (dealing primarily with personnel matters). The categories change over time relating to changing functions and priorities and the development of independent correspondence systems by branches of the Public Works Department (VA 669) such as Ports and Harbours. Individual items of correspondence are registered under the most appropriate category.Correspondence registration numbers were allocated by the Numerical Index, see VPRS 966.Details recorded are the number allocated to the piece of correspondence, the date of writing and receipt, from whom the correspondence was received, to whom the correspondence was referred and when, and a summary of the subject of the correspondence and a lesser category to which it was assigned such as Dredges, Jetty or River Murray.The 1928 Pitt Report indicates that most of the inward correspondence to 1905 was destroyed by 1923 with the exception of special files. VPRS 967 Inwards Correspondence Files comprises the only extant correspondence files from the Public Works Department for the period covered by this series. The files are subject-based and are listed in alphabetical order and hence are no longer controlled by the register.VPRS 12678/P1 was formerly registered as Units 9 to 43 of VPRS 963 Register of Correspondence.