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Series VPRS
1676
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Record of Licences and Warrants Issued
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| Date Range: |
Series |
By 1851 - ? 1911 |
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Series in Custody |
1851 - 1911 |
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Contents |
1851 - 1911 |
| Public Access: |
Open |
| Location: |
North Melbourne |
| Format of Records: |
Physical |
  | Agency which created this SeriesAgency which created this Series |
| Agency currently responsible for this SeriesAgency currently responsible for this Series |
| Description of this SeriesDescription of this Series |
- How to use the Records
Alphabetical indexes exist at the start of each volume. The index is mostly of names of individuals and names of theatres and halls.
Each volume covers a period of several years. Entries in the volumes have sometimes been grouped according to the type of licence but mostly different licences and warrants are interspersed in approximate chronological order.
- Function / Content
This series comprises copies and summaries of licences and warrants issued by both the Governor-in-Council and the Colonial/Chief Secretary. It was maintained by the Colonial/Chief Secretary, presumably as an official record of the issue of miscellaneous licences and warrants.
The licences and warrants recorded in this series encompass:
Licences to engage seamen for merchant ships. Under An Act for the Protection of Seamen entering on board Merchant Ships 1847 (11 Vic., No.23) the Governor-in-Council was empowered to license persons to hire, engage, provide or supply seamen to be entered on board merchant ships. Granting and revocation of licences was to be made by minute of the Executive Council, certified and signed by the Clerk of the Executive Council.
Licences to act as a pilot. Under An Act for the Preservation of the Ports Harbors Havens Roadsteads Channels Navigable Creeks and Rivers in New South Wales and the better regulation of the shipping of the same (3 Wm.IV., No.6) the Governor of New South Wales was empowered to grant licences to persons to act as pilots for any of the ports and harbours of New South Wales. This provision was repealed by an 1854 Act (17 Vic., No.28) which passed responsibility for licensing pilots to the Pilot Board.
Licences to inmates of Industrial and Reformatory Schools to be put out to service. Under the Neglected and Criminal Childrens Act 1864 (27Vic., No.216) the Governor-in-Council was empowered to grant a licence to an inmate of any industrial or reformatory school to be placed on trial with a person who would provide and take care of the inmate for a maximum term of three years. Repealed by the Neglected and Criminal Childrens Act 1878 (42 Vic., No.626).
Licences for theatrical entertainments. Under the Licensed Theatres Statute 1865 (28 Vic., No.252) and the Theatres Act 1890 (after 1 August 1890) any person performing, or causing to perform any interlude, tragedy, opera, comedy, stage play, farce, burletta, melodrama, pantomime, stage dancing, tumbling or horsemanship, or owning a place in which any of the above was to be performed for a fee, was required to have the written authority or licence of the Colonial/Chief Secretary.
Special leases to use rooms in a licensed house for dancing or theatre. Under the Wine Beer and Spirits Sale Statute 1864 Amendment 1870 licensing magistrates were required to submit returns of applications for special lease to hire and use rooms as dancing concert or theatrical saloons at licensed houses to the Chief Secretary not less than every six months. This practice continued under the Licensing Act 1876 and under the Licensing Act 1890.
Sunday entertainment permits. The Theatres Act 1896 subsequently gave the Chief Secretary the power to issue special permits, over and above the theatre licence, authorising entertainment on a Sunday.
Death warrants. Under the Criminal Law and Practice Statute 1864 (27 Vic., No.233) the Governor could, by writing, direct the sentence of death to be carried into execution within the walls or within the enclosed yard of any gaol.
Warrants to remove a prisoner. Under The Statute of Gaols 1864 (27 Vic., No.219) the Governor, by warrant, could direct the removal of any prisoner confined in any gaol or hulk to any other gaol or hulk in Victoria. Under The Gaols Act 1887 (51 Vic., No.921) the Governor-in-Council could remove any prisoner from any prison or gaol to any other prison or gaol whether or not it was in the same bailiwick.
Licences to keep a house for the reception of lunatics. Under the Lunacy Statute 1867 (31 Vic., No.309) the Governor-in-Council was empowered to grant licences to keep a house for the reception of lunatics for a twelve month period. Notification of alterations and application for renewals of these licences were to be forwarded to the Chief Secretary.
Licences to keep a retreat for inebriates. Under the Inebriates Act 1872 (36 Vic., No.449) the Governor-in-Council was empowered to grant licences to keep a house (retreat) for the treatment and cure of habitual inebriates for a twelve month period.
Licences to practice anatomy. Under the Medical Practitioners Statute 1865 (28 Vic., No.262) the Governor-in-Council was empowered to grant licences to practice anatomy. Notice was required to be given to the Chief Secretary of places where anatomy was about to be practised.
There are several other sundry licences and warrants which have only been entered once or twice in the record books.
- Recordkeeping System
Each of the volumes is numbered on the spine, however, the numbers are not consecutive. The reason for this has not been determined. The contents of the volumes extant do, however, follow in chronological order (except for a gap from 1891 to 1898 due to a missing volume: No.25). It is presumed that there was an earlier volume which is not extant. It is not known if there were later volumes.
Entries within the volumes were made in approximate chronological order. Mostly the different types of licences and warrants are interspersed, however, sometimes they are grouped according to the type of licence issued. Each volume is indexed.
Related Records
Most of the entries in the books are cross-referenced to correspondence numbers of inward registered correspondence of the Colonial/Chief Secretarys Department.
The correspondence was registered in the following series:
VPRS 1186 Registers of Inward Correspondence I 1851-1863
VPRS 3993 Registers of Inward Correspondence II 1864-1883
VPRS 3994 Registers of Inward Correspondence III 1884-1963.
The registers will need to be consulted first for evidence of top-numbering before selecting the appropriate unit within these series:
VPRS 1189 Inward Registered Correspondence I 1851-1863
VPRS 3991 Inward Registered Correspondence II 1864-1883
VPRS 3992 Inward Registered Correspondence III 1884-1959.
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