Record series
Summary Contract Books
VPRS 972
1856 - 1935
Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Public Works Department (previously the Department of the Commissioner of Public Works) ( VA669 ): 1856 - 1935
Agencies responsible for this record series: Department of Sustainability and Environment ( VA 4554 ): 2002 - present
Date Range
Series date range: 1856 - 1935
Series in custody:
1856 - 1935
Contents in custody:
1856 - 1935
Function / Content
Summary Contract Books may have been created to bring together (on paper) all the contracts for works on particular buildings or for particular departments over longer time periods. VPRS 979 Contract Books each cover one year only.Details included were: year, contract number (including minor contracts), amount (in pounds, shillings and pence), locality, brief description of work, and name of contractor.
The volumes do not appear to have been audited.
*Transcription of entries from one volume to another:
- The entire contents of VPRS 972/P, unit 1 were transcribed into unit 2, possibly in 1879.
- The entries for Education (pp. 525-581, under which schools and training colleges were listed) in Unit 2 were transcribed into Unit 3, pp. 1-93 (at date unknown).
How to use the records
This series has been digitised and can be viewed online. Browse the P1 consignment and select time periods and construction projects of interest.Public Works contracts were registered in VPRS 979 Contract Books in single-number order, commencing with 1 (one) each year. Almost every volume in the series has an index. The index is arranged in alphabetical order by locality (suburb or town) and gives page or contract number.
Contract numbers may also be obtained from this series, VPRS 972 Summary Contract Books. Information is arranged in these volumes by name of department (e.g., Education), by name of institution (e.g., Botanic Gardens), and by types of institutions (e.g., Asylums, Court Houses, etc.). When you turn to the relevant page or pages, works are listed in alphabetical order by locality under these headings. There is an index at the front of each volume by name of department or name of institution. The index gives page numbers within the volume.
Recordkeeping system
The indexes, at the front of each volume, facilitated access to the contents of the volumes. Summaries of contracts were entered in the volumes under broad headings, e.g., types of buildings (court houses, asylums, etc.), departments, and specific sites such as City Court or Botanic Gardens.As at 2003, the whereabouts of contract files was not known and it is assumed that they have been destroyed. The recordkeeping system in relation to contracts managed by the Board of Land and Works is not fully understood.
