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Series VPRS 892
Special Case Files
About this Series Related Series Accessing the records in this Series
Date Range: Series By 1862 - 1977
  Series in Custody 1862 - 1977
  Contents 1852 - 1978
Public Access: Open
Location: North Melbourne
Format of Records: Physical
 
Agency which created this SeriesAgency which created this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1862 - 1872 Board of Education VA 713
1873 - 1977 Education Department VA 714
Agency currently responsible for this SeriesAgency currently responsible for this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1992 - cont Department of Education VA 3098
Description of this SeriesDescription of this Series
  • How to use the Records
    121092
    How to use this series

    This is a sequential series with files numbered consecutively from 1 - 1435, the first file created in 1862 and the last in the mid-1970s. Access to the files can be gained either by the file number or the file title. If the number is known the records description list should be consulted. If only the title is known researchers should consult either VPRS 5676 Register of Special Case Files, VPRS 8308 Numerical Index to Special Case Files or VPRS 5675 Index to Special Case Files.

    Function and Contents

    This series was created as a subset to the Education Department's central policy files. The term 'special case' was applied to certain policy areas or individual policy files for various reasons. Such policy files were determined to be special because of their excessive size, their delicate or important subject matter or due to the seniority of staff using the files eg: ministers, directors and their assistants. It is not clear where the decision was taken to determine which files were to be given the 'special case' classification.

    Special Case Files were created by the collation of relevant information from various parts of the Education Department's correspondence systems. For example the special case file for JM Sexton's insolvency (special case number 1172) contains correspondence originally maintained within VPRS 640 Primary Schools Correspondence Files as well as other departmental memoranda. For Special Case Files numbered 1-1149 it is possible to consult VPRS 5676 Register of Special Case Files to note document registration numbers as allocated from the original registers in the Education Department.

    Once created in this way, a special case file was allocated the next sequential number from the Register of Special Case files (VPRS 5676). To aid departmental retrieval the Index to Special Case files (VPRS 5675) was also created.

    A cursory glance at the special case files will reveal a seeming lack of consistency in those files selected as special. Some files refer to a particular incident, teacher or official eg: JM Sexton's Insolvency, 1931-1933 (special case number 1172) whilst others document a large scale policy concern eg: school committees 1930-1975 (special case number 1144).

    Depending on the nature of the policy referred to in these files they will contain inwards and outwards correspondence of the Education Department, notes from departmental case officers, reports and numerous other attachments.

    Related Records

    As mentioned above, much of the contents of each special case file were originally part of the various central correspondence systems within the Education Department. It is possible to consult the various correspondence registers including VPRS 898, 915, 6002, 6004 and 6005 for related information.

    Depending on the nature of the particular case, further information may also be found in the School Building files (VPRS 795) and Primary Schools Correspondence files (VPRS 640).

  • Function / Content


  • Recordkeeping System
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Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
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Date Range Series Title Series Number
1862 - 1977 Register of Inward Correspondence, Annual Single Number System VPRS 898
1862 - 1977 Register of Special Case Files VPRS 5676
1863 - 1946 Numerical Index to Special Case Files VPRS 8308
1882 - 1977 Index to Special Case Files VPRS 5675
Controlled SeriesControlled Series
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Previous SeriesPrevious Series
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Subsequent SeriesSubsequent Series
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List/s of records in this seriesList/s of records in this series
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Consignment Number Contents Date Range Public Access No. of Units
P0000 1852 - 1946 Open 120
P0001 1899 - 1978 Open 136
Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
Display entries per page
Date Range Series Title Series Number
1862 - 1977 Register of Inward Correspondence, Annual Single Number System VPRS 898
1862 - 1977 Register of Special Case Files VPRS 5676
1863 - 1946 Numerical Index to Special Case Files VPRS 8308
1882 - 1977 Index to Special Case Files VPRS 5675
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