NRS-15629 | Reports of the Royal Commissions

Royal Commissions by their nature are independent of the government agency or activity into which they inquire. However, the employees may be called as witnesses, records are required as exhibits, and recommendations often result in changes to administrative structures and practices. This series is comprised of copies of the reports of various royal commissions convened to conduct inquires into various aspects of the administration and service of the railways (and in some cases tramways). In addition to general commissions on railway service, commissions have been conducted into individual employees, management systems, railway infrastructure and particular types of locomotive. The series includes reports of royal commissions which impact partly or indirectly on the railways. Examples of these are inquiries into the steel industry, strikes (generally), and state, regional and city development. Copies of the exhibits and evidence gathered by the royal commissioners accompany most reports. Custody HistoryFrom 1955 until 2000 the State Rail Authority of New South Wales maintained an ‘in house archives’ consisting of the archival records of the Authority, its predecessor agencies and the private railway companies taken over by the government. The date ranges of the records were from 1849 until 2000. When the decision was made to close the ‘State Rail Archives’ the parts of the collection that were required as State archives were transferred to the State Records Authority of NSW. Those record series were incorporated into the State Records series system of archives control and were re-numbered.This series was formerly part of the State Rail Archives collection. It may have been viewed in the State Rail Archives as series R158 and could have been previously cited as such in notes by researchers at State Rail Archives or in publications or unpublished works.