Cover image for Correspondence, "Civil Branch".
Series:
Correspondence, "Civil Branch".
Series Number:
Access:
Open
Start Date:
01 Jan 1841
End Date:
31 Dec 1845
Creating Agency:
01 Jan 182531 Dec 1856
Subsequent Series:
CSO11 Correspondence, "Civil Branch".01 Jan 184531 Dec 1847

CSO20 Correspondence, "a" Series.01 Jan 184531 Dec 1847
Series notes:
The "Civil Branch" correspondence tends to be concerned with those matters previously dealt with in the general series (CSO 1 and CSO 5), with the exception of convict administration and the relations of Van Diemen's Land with the other colonies. No hard and fast rule can be stated, however, and it is not difficult to conclude that the division of labour on a subject basis (if that were reason for the creation of the "branches") broke down in practice.

An undated schedule apparently drawn up when this division was planned gives some idea of what the functions of the "Civil Branch" were intended to be: Civil Branch: Aborigines, Aide de Camp, Caveat Board, Comm[issaria]t as regards Treasury, Clerical, Comptroller [General of Convicts] as regards Roads, Customs, Councils [Executive and Legislative], Education Board, Miscellaneous, Orphan Schools, Post Master General, Queen's Orphan School, Registrar-General, Roads, Survey, Treasurer &c, Van Diemen's Land Co.

Analysis of subjects dealt with in the correspondence largely confirms this departmental allocation, but the "Civil Branch" was not confined to this area of administration, nor can one be sure that any of the subjects dealt with by this "branch" will not also be found in either or both of the other two.

These records are part of the holdings of the Tasmanian Archives
System of Arrangement:
With the introduction of this triple division in the registry, the old system of binding the files in strict numerical order was abandoned; though they were still kept in relative order (i.e., higher numbers after low), any volume may contain files numbered from the whole range of the registration series (1-3225). Hence it is necessary, after having found the number of a file from the index (CSO 10), to use the register (CSO 9) in order to find the volume in which the file is bound. Copies of outward letters begin to be fairly consistently included with this series. One volume is known to be missing
Items: