NRS-16734 | Correspondence files relating to indecent articles and classified publications

These files contain correspondence relating to the administration of the Obscene and Indecent Publication Act 1901 (Act No.12) and the Indecent Articles and Classified Publications Act 1975 (Act No.32) and their amending legislation.(1) They concern the registration and classification of publications, prosecutions under the Acts, and complaints from private individuals alleging breaches of the Acts. These breaches included the display of pornography; offensive language; unsuitable advertisements; and the use of unsuitable material in publications depicting drug use, exploitation of women or children, or inappropriate political characterisations.There are also registration files for distributors of printed matter as required under section 21 of the Obscene and Indecent Publications Act 1955 (Act No.10, 1955). Many files relate to complaints, investigations and prosecutions of the publishers of student publications from Sydney University, Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales.The series contains files on the appointment, resignation, remuneration, and travel costs for members of the State Advisory Committee on Publications. The Committee was established under section 31 of the Obscene and Indecent Publications (Amendment) Act 1967 to advise the Minister whether a printed matter should be prosecuted under section 16 of the Act. When the 1967 Act was repealed by the Indecent Articles and Classified Publications Act 1975, publications were classified by classification officers. A classification by an officer could be appealed to the Publications Classification Board established under the 1975 Act.There are also accounting files and files relating to reform of legislation covering obscene and indecent publications.Some files may have the offending publication attached, including non-English publications. Many publications were removed from the files and placed in a filing cabinet within the Chief Secretary’s Department and it is likely some of these publications are now part of the Copies of Indecent Articles and Classified Publications series that is closed to public access (NRS16733). The files are arranged in chronological order and were part of the Chief Secretary’s correspondence. The files are numbered with an annual single number and are preceded by the letter “A”. The correspondence files comprising this series are kept as a special bundle and are listed in the Guide to the Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence. The Chief Secretary’s Department maintained a register for recording prosecutions of publishers and distributors of indecent printed material (NRS1257) and a Register of Distributors of printed material (NRS1258). It may be possible to obtain the correspondence file number for a publisher or distributor from the registers.The correspondence files may include the following documents: minute papers, witness statements, newspaper clippings, copies of notices from the New South Wales Government Gazette, certificates of incorporation as a company, posters, photographs, badges, novelty cards, petitions, minutes of the Literature Censorship Conference held in Canberra on 3rd and 4th of October 1968, and lists of publications sent to the Federal Department of Customs and Excise for review under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations.ENDNOTES: 1. The Obscene and Indecent Publications Act 1901 (Act No.12) authorised police with a special warrant to enter in the daytime any premises and to search and seize all obscene publications and any machine or materials used in the production of such publications. The 1901 Act and subsequent amending legislation provided for action against obscene or indecent printed material after a complaint.(1) In 1975, the Obscene and Indecent Publications Act 1901 and its amending legislation was repealed by the Indecent Articles and Classified Publications Act 1975 (Act No.32). The 1975 Act regulated the maintenance of standards of decency in the circulation and display of publications and certain other articles. The Act provided for publications regarded as coming within the scope of indecency laws to be submitted by the publisher or distributor for classification. The Act prevented restricted or direct sale publications being publicly displayed, distributed or advertised.The main legislation covering obscene and indecent publications in New South Wales prior to 1975 was: The Obscene Publications Prevention Act 1880 (43 Vic No.24), The Indecent Publications Act 1900 (No.2, 1900), An Act to amend the Indecent Publications Act 1900 (No.27, 1900), Obscene and Indecent Publications Act 1901 (No.12, 1901) (and amending legislation in 1946, 1955, 1967, and 1968), Indecent Articles and Classified Publications Act 1975.

本批档案包含与《1901年淫秽与不雅出版物法》（Obscene and Indecent Publication Act 1901，第12号法案）、《1975年不雅物品与分类出版物法》（Indecent Articles and Classified Publications Act 1975，第32号法案）及其修订法案的执行相关的往来函件。(1)
此类函件涉及出版物的登记与分类、依据上述法案提起的公诉，以及私人个体针对违反法案行为提出的投诉。其中违规行为包括展示色情内容、使用冒犯性语言、发布不当广告，以及在出版物中使用涉及毒品使用、剥削妇女或儿童，或不当政治定性的不适宜内容。
此外，本批档案还包含依据《1955年淫秽与不雅出版物法》（Obscene and Indecent Publications Act 1955，第10号法案，1955年）第21条要求设立的印刷品发行商登记档案。大量档案涉及悉尼大学、麦考瑞大学与新南威尔士大学学生出版物出版商的投诉、调查与公诉案件。
本系列档案包含新南威尔士州出版物咨询委员会（State Advisory Committee on Publications）成员的任命、辞职、薪酬及差旅费用相关文件。该委员会依据《1967年淫秽与不雅出版物（修订）法》（Obscene and Indecent Publications (Amendment) Act 1967）第31条设立，负责就印刷品是否应依据该法第16条提起公诉向部长提供咨询意见。1975年《不雅物品与分类出版物法》废除了1967年修订法案后，出版物的分类工作由分类官员负责。官员作出的分类决定可向依据1975年法案设立的出版物分类委员会（Publications Classification Board）提起上诉。
本系列还包含会计档案，以及与淫秽与不雅出版物相关立法改革相关的文件。部分档案可能附带违规出版物，其中包括非英语出版物。此前有大量出版物被从档案中取出，存放于首席秘书部（Chief Secretary’s Department）的档案柜中，此类出版物大概率现已归入不对外开放的《不雅物品与分类出版物副本》系列（NRS16733）。
本批档案按时间顺序排列，原属首席秘书部往来函件的一部分。档案以年度单编号进行编排，编号前冠以字母“A”。本系列的往来函件档案以特殊卷宗形式保存，并收录于《殖民秘书往来函件指南》（Guide to the Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence）中。首席秘书部维护有两份登记册：一份用于记录淫秽印刷品出版商与发行商的公诉案件（NRS1257），另一份为印刷品发行商登记册（NRS1258）。可通过上述登记册查询出版商或发行商对应的往来函件档案编号。
本系列往来函件可能包含以下文件：会议纪要、证人陈述、报纸剪报、《新南威尔士州政府公报》（New South Wales Government Gazette）公告副本、公司注册证书、海报、照片、徽章、新奇贺卡、请愿书、1968年10月3日至4日于堪培拉举办的文学审查会议（Literature Censorship Conference）纪要，以及依据《海关（禁止进口）条例》提交至联邦海关与消费税部审核的出版物清单。

注释1：《1901年淫秽与不雅出版物法》授权警方持特殊搜查令在日间进入任何场所，搜查并扣押所有淫秽出版物及用于制作此类出版物的机器或材料。1901年法案及其后续修订法案规定，在收到投诉后可对淫秽或不雅印刷品采取执法行动。(1)
1975年，《1901年淫秽与不雅出版物法》及其修订法案被《1975年不雅物品与分类出版物法》（第32号法案）废除。1975年法案旨在规范出版物及其他特定物品在流通与展示过程中的体面标准。该法案规定，被认定属于色情法律规制范畴的出版物，需由出版商或发行商提交分类审核。法案禁止受限或直接销售的出版物被公开展示、分发或广告宣传。
1975年之前，新南威尔士州管辖淫秽与不雅出版物的主要立法包括：《1880年淫秽出版物防治法》（43 Vic No.24）、《1900年不雅出版物法》（1900年第2号法案）、《1900年不雅出版物法修正案》（1900年第27号法案）、《1901年淫秽与不雅出版物法》（1901年第12号法案，及其1946、1955、1967及1968年的修订法案），以及《1975年不雅物品与分类出版物法》。