We hold the major correspondence series of the Crown Lands and Immigration Office, later the Crown Lands Office (GRG35/1).

This series relates to the management of Crown Lands and to immigration. It also covers other functions for which the Commissioner had responsibility, including the Aborigines' Office and mining.

The Surveyor-General also reported to the Commissioner.

See also other information about the Crown Immigration Office's relationship to the Colonisation Commissioners.

Incoming correspondence

Incoming correspondence was organised into files, relating to one subject or individual. Documents received over a number of years may have been placed in the same file. File covers may be annotated with the file numbers of related files.

Correspondence files consist of:

  • letters and other documents received by the Office.
  • memoranda of action taken.
  • internal reports or inquiries.
  • brief notes outlining the reply (nineteenth century), or copies of letters sent (twentieth century).

Outgoing correspondence

Outgoing correspondence was often drafted in letter books or paper pressed over wet drafts was bound into books as an early form of copying.

Access conditions

The age of these records means most are available for general public access.

Indexes

For an original index to GRG35/1 order GRG35/23, Index to letters received 1856 - 1917 in the Research Centre.

This index references files relating specifically to immigration. It is arranged alphabetically by surname of the immigrant and contains:

  • a country of origin (in some cases)
  • file number
  • the name of the ship (in some cases)
  • some notes about the subject of the file (in most cases), and
  • the date.

GRG 35/1 Index to Correspondence files ('CL I' or 'CLO' dockets), 1865-c1911 - alphabetically by surname of migrant

Page last updated: 5 September 2022