VPRS 12780 General Journal

This series consists of general journals that were created to facilitate the 'posting' of credit and debit transactions into the appropriate ledger accounts. Like the cashbook, the general journal is a book of original entry, which records transactions in chronological order. General journals recorded the posting of amounts from one account to another and so provide a convenient record of other transactions, including adjustments to ledger accounts (to correct errors for example) and the sale or purchase of assets.This series began in 1853 when the private companies recorded grants in aid of 1000 received from Treasury. From 1856 activity in the journals greatly increased as the involvement of the government in the construction of railways intensified. From 1884 the Accountancy Branch of the Victorian Railways maintained this series.