VPRS 16933 Index to Surveyors' Field Books : Black and Red Sequences : O1 Book

This series was created to manage and control the field books that were issued to surveyors once the records were returned to Melbourne. While in active use this series was known as the O1 Book to distinguish it from the O Book used to manage the Field Notes and Miscellaneous Field Books (VPRS 16687). Possibly O stood for ordinary but this is not certain.The series records several attempts to create an inventory of field books held by the Survey Branch / Department. The series contains three separate sections, as detailed below.Section One (pp1 - 91)Index to Field Books - Black Sequence (see VPRS 16685)Field books are allocated a book and bundle number by the department to assist storage and retrieval. This was first attempted in c. 1850 for the Black sequence of Field Books, VPRS 16685. Entries are listed by surveyor name, noting the number of field book, locality and particulars, date (of survey) , bundle number and a general note about the subject of the survey - e.g river traverse, general survey of coast.Early entries are in a sequential order, books belonging to a particular surveyor are listed together but entries are not chronological. This approach breaks down after a period. The field book numbers no longer remain strictly sequential as the clerks inter-sorted details of additional field books with existing entries.Researchers please note that this first sequence, as detailed above, is obsolete, as the Department renumbered the field books into a new sequence in c.1873. The second sequence reflects the book and bundle number arrangement which remain in place, see Section Two below.Section Two (pp 114 - 208)Revised Index to Field Books - Black Sequence (see VPRS 16685)(Incorrectly titled within the record itself as "Rough Index of Miscellaneous Field Books")Field books listed in the first section are renumbered in section 2. Again, field books are allocated book and bundle numbers. The record does not provide a cross check to the earlier allocated number. It appears the clerks simply renumbered the entire collection of black sequence field books, no attempt was made to maintain or cross -check the original order that was imposed by the sequence in section one. It also contains some new entries. As a result of this renumbering process, evidence of more than one book number may be visible on the field books themselves.This second numbering sequence reflects the book and bundle numbers which remain in place.Details recorded are as follows - name of surveyor, date (of survey), locality, book and bundle numbers, and description of survey (very brief).Section Three (pp 209-218)Index to Field Books - Red Sequence (see VPRS 16686)Entries are limited to surveyors' name, book and bundle numbers. Entries are arranged alphabetically which suggest the list was compiled once the field books had been returned to Melbourne by the surveyors.Note: pp 210 - 215 are missing from volume 1. It appears they may have been removed before the entries were recorded as the G entries continue fromm p.209-216.There are a small number of entries for Field Books - Miscellaneous Sequence at the very end, cross referenced to the "O Book" VPRS 16718.