Record series
Outwards Letter Books
VPRS 878
1852 - 1862
Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
National School Board ( VA919 ): 1852 - 1862
Agencies responsible for this record series: Department of Education ( VA 3098 ): 1992 - present
Date Range
Series date range: 1852 - 1862
Series in custody:
1852 - 1862
Contents in custody:
1852 - 1862
Function / Content
This series contains copies of the letters sent by the National Schools Board to its associated schools and other correspondents. Communications are with its own officers such as Inspectors, to other Government departments and officers, persons supplying goods and services (such as the architect of the Model School), teachers and Local Patrons of schools throughout Victoria. Correspondence includes Reports by the Board, annual statements of accounts and circulars sent to schools.Matters dealt with include the application for and distribution of grants, instructions for the guidance of Inspectors, communications with teachers and Local Patrons regarding appointments and salaries, matters relating to the provision of school buildings, furniture and requisites and with the establishment of the Model School and its role in the training of teachers.
How to use the records
1. Consult the Consignment Details for the volume with the category of letter and date range for which information is required.2. Consult the alphabetical index at the front of the volume for letters addressed to a specific locality or office or person. Care needs to be taken in using these indexes as some are indexed to the page upon which the correspondence occurs and others by the progressive number of the letter.
Recordkeeping system
Each piece of correspondence is given a progressive annual single number. All correspondence was copied into a single volume until 1854. In that year, when volume three was completed, correspondence was divided according to category with each category being given a number. As new volumes were required, an alphabetical letter was added to designate succeeding volumes in each category.Categories were:
4 Town Schools Operating
5 Country Schools Operating
6 Gold Fields Schools
7 Schools in Course of Formation
8 Inspection
9 General
10 Model and Training Schools
12 Government Departments
Books in categories 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 were established with groups of pages being allocated to each school. As correspondence exceeded these pages a reference is given to further pages upon which outwards correspondence to that school is transcribed. These books are alphabetically indexed by name of school and page.
Other volumes are also alphabetically indexed by name or office of addressee and the page upon which correspondence occurs. Other volumes are indexed by the name or office of addressee and the number of the letter. Care needs to be taken to test both possibilities when using the indexes.
