NRS-939 | Copies of letters sent outside the Colony, "Foreign" [Colonial Secretary]

Copies of letters written by the Secretary and a few of a minor nature written by Governor Brisbane. Despatches to the Secretary of State for the Colonies are not entered here. The letters may be to any foreign place but are addressed principally to officials and individuals in England, to officials in India, the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius and Batavia. The letters to individuals are mainly in reply to enquiries regarding settlers and convicts. From 30 December 1823 letters to Van Diemen's Land are in this series also, most of them being addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, the Colonial Secretary or the Controller of Convicts, and officers at Port Dalrymple. (Before this see NRS 936.) There are a few letters addressed to the Colonial Agent during 1823 and then none till 1826 from which date they continue to 30 May 1849. A new book was opened for him on 19 May 1849 (NRS 953). Letters to New Zealand commence in 1832. They begin with letters to Busby while he was still in Sydney, continue until 1839 and then do not reappear until August 1853. NRS 940 covers the period 1840 to July 1853. There are one or two letters to Port Phillip residents in the volumes for 1836 and 1837 but from August 1839 letters to Port Phillip are entered in NRS 993. From 21 April 1856 letters to Victoria are in the present series. Letters to South Australian officials appear here from 1837. Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners were appointed in Great Britain in 1840 and from about 1841 letters to these bodies are entered here until May 1849 when a separate series was begun (NRS 968). (4/3521-3527 part; Microfilm copy 1814-25 SR Reels 6018-6019, 1814-56 SR Reels 2649 and 898-901). 7 vols (part). *ARK (1814-25)A partial index is available on State Archives web site Miscellaneous Immigrants Index 1828-1843.Note:This description is based on the Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.