Corporate entry: Bank of New South Wales - Archives - Sydney Banks
Summary
Record group 1. CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER.
PRIVATE LETTERS, 1851-1894, 1907-1928. Press copies of non-official letters sent to the Bank's principal officers, including the Brisbane Manager and Queensland Inspector, by the Secretary Inspector (to 1862) and the General Manager. There are occasional letters to other correspondents. Letters cover most aspects of the Bank's affairs and provide a frank and comprehensive review of events, views and policies. 11 vols. GM/101.
QUEENSLAND LETTERS, 1886-1928. Press copies of letters addressed by the Assistant Secretary (to 1911) and Secretary to the Inspector and Assistant Inspectors, Queensland, and the Brisbane Manager. They concern the business of the Queensland branches, policy, staff, and premises up to 1913, when supervision of Queensland branches was transferred to a Chief Inspector. From 1913 the letters mainly concern legal matters, Bank shares and, until ca.1916, foreign exchange. 12 vols. GM-S/105.
LETTERS SENT TO QUEENSLAND ASSISTANT INSPECTORS AND BRISBANE MANAGER, 1913-1915. The first letters to Queensland of the Chief Inspector (other states), who took over supervision of Queensland branches in January 1913, were entered in the Secretary's letterbook (see S/105). This series of presscopy books begins in May 1913 and was discontinued when separate series of letterbooks were opened for each inspection district, (see GM-C1/111, 112, 113). The letters concern the Bank's business, staff and premises in Queensland and in Papua, the latter branches having been placed under the supervision of the Assistant Inspector, North Queensland in January 1913. 6 vols. GM-C1/110.
LETTERS SENT TO SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND ASSISTANT INSPECTOR AND BRISBANE MANAGER, 1915-1920. Press copies of Chief Inspector's letters concerning business, staff and premises in Brisbane and Southern Queensland. 6 vols. GM-C1/111.
LETTERS SENT TO CENTRAL QUEENSLAND ASSISTANT INSPECTOR, 1915-1920. Press copies of Chief Inspector's letters concerning business, staff and premises in central Queensland. The Assistant Inspector was also Manager of Rockhampton branch. 3 vols. GM-C1/112.
LETTERS SENT TO NORTH QUEENSLAND ASSISTANT INSPECTOR, 1915-1920. Press copies of Chief Inspector's letters concerning business, staff and premises in North Queensland and Papua. The Assistant Inspector was also Manager of Townsville branch. 3 vols. GM-C/113.
QUEENSLAND LETTERS, 1920-1925, 1936-1953. Press copies and carbon copies of letters addressed to the Inspector, Queensland, following the reunification of the Queensland branches as one division, under the control of an Inspector at Brisbane. They concern the Bank's business, premises and staff in Queensland, Papua and New Guinea. Also included are letters concerning Darwin branch, 1937-1942 when it was included in the Queensland division. 20 vols. GM-C1/114.
PRIVATE LETTERS RECEIVED, 1865-1886. These cover the period of Shepherd Smith's general managership and are unofficial in character. No parallel official series is extant. The letters touch on a wide range of matters relating to policy, staff and customers. Included in this series are letters from the Brisbane Manager and Queensland Inspector, Alexander Archer, 1866-1886, and from Managers, staff, customers and other correspondents resident in Queensland. 14 boxes. GM/203.
LETTERS RECEIVED FROM INSPECTOR, QUEENSLAND, 1886-1900. This series begins with the Inspector's private letters to the General Manager 1886-1892. These are only occasional and refer mainly to staff and personal matters, with a few references to customer's accounts, bank agreements and policy matters. From 1896 the letters are official and the principal subjects are staff and bank administration, premises, lending, bullion and foreign exchange. 2 boxes. GM/207.
LETTERS RECEIVED FROM INSPECTOR, QUEENSLAND, 1880-1885, 1893-1895. Letters addressed to the Secretary concerning general business, particularly with regard to securities, bullion shipments, staff and premises. 4 packets. GM-S/204.
LETTERS RECEIVED FROM BRISBANE MANAGER, 1885-1887. A few letters addressed to the Secretary, mainly concerning Brisbane Office securities and branch premises. 1 packet. GM-S/207.
LETTERS RECEIVED FROM BRISBANE MANAGER AND ASSISTANT INSPECTOR, SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND, 1901-1915. The regular letters to the General Manager, of the Brisbane Manager and the Assistant Inspector supervising southern Queensland branches. Until 1913 the letters cover the majority of matters referred or reported to head office: staff and branch administration, premises, customers' accounts, general policy, bullion shipments and foreign exchange. After responsibility for oversight of the Queensland branches passed to a Chief Inspector, the letters 1913-1915 mainly concern Bank shares, staff, premises, foreign exchange and dealings with other banks. 5 boxes. GM/208.
LETTERS RECEIVED FROM ASSISTANT INSPECTOR, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND, 1901-1912. Letters addressed to the Secretary and concern general business, staff and premises of branches in central Queensland. 19 packets. GM-S/205.
LETTERS RECEIVED FROM ASSISTANT INSPECTOR, NORTH QUEENSLAND, 1901-1912. Letters addressed to the Secretary concerning general business, staff and premises of branches in north Queensland. 19 packets. GM-S/206.
CORRESPONDENCE FILES, 1930-1955. Inward and outward correspondence of the Chief Inspector (other states) arranged by subject. 112 boxes. GM-C1/302.
HALF-YEARLY AND ANNUAL REPORTS-QUEENSLAND DIVISION, 1907-1968. The Inspector's (from 1960 Chief Manager's) reports on the branches under his supervision, forwarded to head office in bound form with the branches' half-yearly (1907-1957) and annual (1958-1968) returns. The reports in standardised form, give a summary and comment on the Bank's business in Queensland, with remarks on local industry and general information on the state during the period reported on. The accompanying branch returns provide a similar survey of the business of each branch, with remarks on the 'condition and prospects' of the town and surrounding district. The form of return was substantially altered in 1957 and the amount of information reduced, with emphasis on comparative statistics. GM-C1/402.
PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS, QUEENSLAND, 1878-1950. A small collection of plans and one set of specifications (Barcaldine 1904) of some branch premises and residences apparently sent to head office for approval and held in the Chief Inspector's Office. 103 items. 79-32/1990-2092.
Record Group 2. QUEENSLAND DIVISION.
HALF-YEARLY REPORTS, 1891-1924, 1935, 1938-1945, 1947-1951. The Queensland Inspector's copies of his reports and branch returns (see GM-C1/402 above). This series includes reports on the Queensland inspection district 1891-1906, not represented in the Chief Inspector's series. Printed forms of return and report were introduced in 1898 and 1901 respectively. Earlier returns and reports are press copies. 127 vols. 73-1/0001-0079, 79-15/0352-0400.
NOTE REGISTERS, 1850-1893. Registers of bank-notes issued, listing denomination, number, date of issue and signatories. 15 vols. 77-9/0022-0035, 0487.
INSPECTOR'S CIRCULARS, 1873-1893, 1906-1920. Circular instruction to branches concerning such matters as policy, forms, returns, legal requirements and general instructions. 2 vols. A-85/1-2.
BRANCH RECORDS. Bank rules provide that each branch must hold its first ledger, signature book and security register. A plan to centralize these records in the Archives in Sydney was to come into operation in 1979.
Record group 3. CHIEF ACCOUNTANT.
CIRCULARS-OTHER STATES AND NEW ZEALAND, 1914-1916, 1920-1938. Copies lodged with Chief Accountant's Department of circulars issued by divisional inspectors, including Inspector, Queensland. 4 vols. A-24/51-54.
QUEENSLAND CIRCULARS, 1938-1942, 1950-1958, 1962-1965. Copies lodged with Chief Accountant's Department of circulars issued by the Queensland Inspector and the Chief Manager (formerly Inspector) 5 vols. A-24/55-59.
Record group 4. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.
BRANCH PHOTOGRAPHS, QUEENSLAND 1862-1965. Photographs of premises, residences, sites and related subjects. QLD 1-73.
QUEENSLAND BRANCHES ESTABLISHED TO 1914.
BRISBANE, 1850.
ROCKHAMPTON, 1861.
BOWEN, 1864.
TOWNSVILLE, 1866,
RAVENSWOOD, 1870, gold agency branch 1873, closed 1877.
CARDWELL, 1871, closed 1887.
CHARTERS TOWERS, 1872, situated at Millchester 1872-1876 and name changed to Millchester 1875, branch transferred to Charters Towers and that name resumed 1876.
COPPERFIELD, 1872, closed 1879.
GEORGETOWN, 1872.
COOKTOWN, 1874.
EDWARDSTOWN, 1876, closed 1876, reopened that year on new site and renamed May-town, closed 1884.
THORNBOROUGH, 1877, closed 1885.
CAIRNS, 1877, closed 1878, reopened 1885.
PORT DOUGLAS, 1878, closed 1896.
CLERMONT, 1879, transferred from Copperfield.
WINTON, 1881.
NORMANTON, 1884, closed 1893.
CROYDON, 1887.
BARCALDINE, 1889.
LONGREACH, 1891.
HUGHENDEN, 1898.
ARAMAC, 1898
CLONCURRY, 1905.
IRVINEBANK, 1906.
STANNARY HILLS, 1906, agency to Irvinebank.
PROSERPINE, 1907.
ATHERTON, 1908.
EMERALD, 1911, sub-branch to Clermont, became branch 1913.
YUNGABURRA, 1913, agency to Atherton.
MALANDA, 1914, sub-branch to Atherton.
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