NRS-1989 | Photographic Description Books [Armidale Gaol]

The series was created in accordance with the 'Gaol Regulation' proclaimed in the NSW Government Gazette of 19 February, 1867. Amongst the records required to be created and maintained by the Gaoler of each prison was the 'Description Book' - Containing personal description, religion, and all other prescribed information of all prisoners received, in the same order as the Entrance Book. An index to the Description book was also required to be maintained. (1) Some prisons maintained description books prior to this regulation. Photographing prisoners for inclusion in the description books commenced late in the Nineteenth Century although it was not regulated until the mid Twentieth Century. The role of description books was embedded into legislation with the passage of the Prisons Act, 1952 (Act No. 9, 1952) which stated "Every prisoner shall be liable to be photographed, to have the impression of his fingers and palms taken, and to have such details of his personal description as may be prescribed recorded" (2) This series contains a photograph of each prisoner and the following information: number, prisoners’ name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, details of arrival in the colony - ship and year of arrival, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, number of previous portrait, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, and details of previous convictions (where and when, offence and sentence).There is an index in the front of the volume for NRS 1989/2/1.Endnotes 1. Supplement to the New South Wales Government Gazette No.32, 19 February 1867, pp.486-487, Regulation 5. 2. Prisons Act, 1952 s.19.

本系列档案系依据1867年2月19日《新南威尔士州政府公报》（New South Wales Government Gazette）公布的《监狱规章》（Gaol Regulation）制定。根据该规章，各监狱监狱长须创建并维护两类法定档案：其一为《描述册》（Description Book），需比照《入院登记册》（Entrance Book）的编排顺序，收录所有收押囚犯的个人特征、宗教信仰及其他所有规定填报信息；其二为《描述册》配套索引，亦须依规维护。(1) 部分监狱早在该规章颁布前便已留存囚犯描述册。19世纪末期，将囚犯照片纳入描述册的做法开始出现，但直至20世纪中期才被纳入监管规范。
1952年《监狱法》（Prisons Act, 1952，第9号法令，1952年）的通过将囚犯描述册的法定地位正式写入立法，该法明确规定：“所有囚犯均须接受拍照、采集指掌纹，并记录其个人特征等规定填报信息”(2)。
本系列档案包含每名囚犯的照片及以下信息：档案编号、囚犯姓名、别名、肖像拍摄日期、籍贯、出生年份、抵达殖民区详情——所乘船只及抵澳年份、职业/行当、宗教信仰、受教育程度、身高、体重（收押时、释放时）、发色、瞳色、体表标记或特殊特征、过往肖像编号、审判地点与时间、所犯罪行、判决结果、备注，以及过往定罪详情（定罪时间与地点、所犯罪行及判决结果）。
档案NRS 1989/2/1的卷首附有索引。
注释
1. 1867年2月19日《新南威尔士州政府公报》第32号增刊，第486-487页，规章第5条。
2. 1952年《监狱法》第19条。