NRS-938 | Copies of letters sent and received, mainly within the colony, or "Document books Nos. 1-3"

These volumes contain copies of many important documents - correspondence and enclosures, reports of boards, public notices and proclamations, returns, bonds and specifications, and licences. Only the first of the volumes has many copies of letters sent but references to the "Document books" occur in other series of letter books. Similar volumes for later years (January 1826-April 1863) are located at NRS-1059. Among the many interesting papers copied are those relating to a dispute between Hall, Oxley and Throsby over grazing land near the Wingee Carraby (4/5781 pp.15-53); nominal list of all persons victualled by government as at 8 September 1821 (4/5781 pp.55-122 [photocopy COD477]); dispute between the Revd Richard Hill and John Gandell, Superintendent of the Convict Barracks, re the latter's swearing on Sunday (4/5781 pp.124-36); escape of prisoners from Sydney Gaol (4/5781 pp.137-43); instructions to the commander of the "Mermaid" proceeding to the Sandwich Islands in company with the "Prince Regent" (4/5781 pp.149-51); instructions to the Master Attendant and Harbour Master (4/5781 pp.161-65); instructions for surveying and marking out the country in the vicinity of Newcastle and the Hunter River (4/5781 pp.198-202); Hamilton Hume's complaints re the seizure of his cedar (4/5783 pp.6-22); report by John Campbell on Government Agricultural Establishment, 12 February 1822 (4/5783 pp.25-41); inquiry into the use of government stores at Windsor, March 1822 (4/5783 pp.43-55); petition from inhabitants re being paid in Spanish dollars by the Commissariat, and reply (4/5783 pp.119-34); observation on the capability of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land of supplying their population with food, April 1822 (4/5783 pp.211-13); Barron Field's comments on the Bigge Report, 15 January 1823 (4/5783 pp.221-29); agreement with Matthew McIlroy to build road from Richmond to Prospect (4/5783 pp.237-46); condemnation of meat at Lunatic Asylum, September 1823 (4/5783 pp.407-17); scale of rations 1803-23 (4/5783 pp.464-71); and instructions to Allan Cunningham from Sir Joseph Banks, 1814-17 (4/5782 pp.383-86).(4/5781-83; Microfilm copy c.1817-1825 SR Reels 6016-6017, c.1817-Oct 1827 SR Reels 829 and 2231). 3 vols. *ARK (c.1817-1825) Note:This description is based on the Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.