Wellington Harbour Board Administration files - 1st Series (Three Number Sequence)

Descriptive Data

Archives IdentifierAC023Date Range1881-1988DescriptionThis series is the administrative files of the Union Steamship Company. The subject files contain mainly correspondence, but also financial and staff reports, legal documents including leases and contracts covering every aspect of managing the Harbour Board’s business.

The system was started in 1942 although many files contain earlier papers, some dating back to 1881. The system was used right up until the disestablishment of the Harbour Board in 1988. The system is a numbered series filing system, with separate subject files within a hierarchy structure. Any file number can have several volumes or parts, with some routine subjects having in excess of 20 parts.

The hierarchical structure has a loose meaning, with some related subjects located together. However, over time the logic behind the structure broke down and so in some instances a particular subject is located in several places. For instance, the following files all concern “tugs”. 1/23/1 Emergency Trips Tug Toia; 1/23/2A Tug Hire Charges and Arrangements; 5/5/1 Insurance Tugs 5/7/1 Insurance Tugs; 6/27/1 Annual Survey Certificates – Tug Toia; 6/27/2 Tug Hire Agreement NZ Government; 6/27/3 Tugs Kupe, Toia, Ngahue; 6/27/6 Harbour Tugs – Particulars re “Kort Nozzles” Attachments; 10/1/18 Special Provisions – Tugs, Dredges, Launches; 10/1/44 Tug Toia; 10/2/2 NZ Harbour Board Tug and Dredge Engineers Voluntary Agreement.

Where possible the part numbers, as used by the Board, have been preserved but in some instances this has not been possible (for instance where the file contents are not chronological and individual parts overlap in time, or where the existing part numbers are confusing). Where part numbers have been added during archival processing these have been written on the file cover in pencil, and surrounded by square brackets. If the supplied part number differs from that originally used by the Board, the later has been crossed out.

Prior to the introduction of this file system correspondence was kept in a simple chronological running number order (Series AC020, Inwards Correspondence 1880-1943). In the mid-1980s an amended form of the hierarchy was developed. These files are now Series AC024; Administration Files – 2nd Series.Quantity (Linear Metres)76.41MediumFileCollection TypeWellington Museums Trust

Correspondence

Series

Access Information

Restriction StatusOpen

Related Agencies

Controlling or Creating AgencyWHB, Administration DepartmentRelationship Date RangeUnknown

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Wellington Harbour Board Administration files - 1st Series (Three Number Sequence)