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Item Type: Agency

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Subordinate agencies

City Solicitor

Organisation

Sydney City Council

Related functions

Position

Agency (50)

Series

Series created by this agency (38)

Agency

Person

Related Persons (3)

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City Treasury Department I

Unique IDAG-0012DescriptionThe City Treasury was established as a separate department of the newly incorporated Sydney City Council's administration with the appointment of Edward Lord as City Treasurer on 18 November 1842.

Edward Lord (third son of the emancipist merchant Simeon Lord) set up a system of double-entry book-keeping for Council's receipts and expenditure, which was notable for an amount of detail in the ledgers unusual for commercial enterprises. Council's income was primarily collected as rates (local property taxes). While the Treasury was responsible for recording receipt of all income, it is not clear what department was responsible for assessing properties to determine rates payable.

In the early years of Council's existence the City Treasury accounted for all receipts and out goings, managed the funds, paid wages and salaries, and presented the estimates and final yearly accounts. These were audited by an outside auditor appointed by Council. Edward Lord remained City Treasurer until 1879 and was succeeded by J R Clayton.

In 1899, the Council resolved to concentrate all account keeping in City Treasury but to establish the Auditor independently in his own department, CA 83, Audit Department I, 1899-1931.

In 1900, CA 79, Corporation Assets and Stores Department was established. In 1929 this department assumed responsibility for collection of rents from Treasury. In 1931 the Corporation Assets and Stores Department was abolished and rent collection returned to Treasury.

In 1931 Treasury was divided into four branches - Accountant's, Paymaster's, Cashier's and Accounts. The department was responsible for accounting for all City funds, payment of all monies owed by Council, payment of all wages and salaries, and receipt of all monies paid to Council including rents and rates.

In 1948 the function of assessing property to establish a ratable value passed from Council to the State Department of the Valuer-General when Council came under the Local Government Act 1919 and ceased to be governed by the Sydney Corporation Act. In 1968 Valuer-General's computerised its operations, and thereafter a computer
printout of assessments or valuations of all properties in Council's boundaries from Valuer-Generals forms the basis of Council's rate collecting.

In 1969/1970 the assessments activity and rate collecting functions were consolidated to form the Valuation and Rates Section. Its activities were the first to be computerised in Council's administration in 1972. Since 1974, Council's rate and assessment books have taken the form of computer printouts.

In 1975 the pay system was computerised and the whole function moved to CA 13, Industrial Relations Department. The function of maintaining staff records had previously moved from the Paymaster's Branch of Treasury to CA 90, Industrial and Personnel Department in 1961. From 1975, the Treasury Department was responsible only for ensuring there were funds to cover the weekly payroll. Other sections of Treasury had their operations computerised progressively from 1975 - the General Ledger in 1975, debtor system in 1978, rent system in 1981, creditors system probably in 1981. In 1987, a review of the financial systems took place with the intention of upgrading and improving the existing systems, particularly in Accounts Payable and Rates. Because of the extensive use of the computer facility in the Department's operations, Treasury had responsibility for the EDP function until the establishment of CA 4, Information Systems in 1984.

From 1976, computerisation was undertaken through a commercial agency called International Computers Limited (ICL) under a Facilities Management agreement. The master file recording the whole of Council's financial operations for 1975 was inadvertently wiped by ICL, which set back the department's activities until the early 1980s (when they finally caught up). This experience, plus the lack of adequate staff training and speed of conversion from a manual system (3 months) caused considerable trauma and delays in presentation of the final accounts to Council for more than ten years. As a consequence elaborate checking procedures and parallel papers systems were established as a backup to the computer system. Computerisation was responsible for the reduction in staff numbers from 2,520 in 1975 to 1,920 in 1982, before amalgamation with South Sydney Municipal Council in that year. The amalgamation itself caused many problems when two different accounting systems and rate collection payment systems had to be combined inside 12 months.

Treasury lost two functions during this period. In 1979, responsibility for processing applications for zoning certificates and rates arrears notices for transfers of properties (S342A certificates) was transferred from the Rates Section to CA 8, City Planning and Building Department. In 1983, the Internal Audit moved from Treasury to CA 3, Administration Department.

In 1987, Treasury had five branches - Accountant's; Cashier's; Accounts Receivable; Valuations and Rates; and Accounts Payable.

Commissioners were empowered under the City of Sydney Act 1988 to draft organisational structures for the two Councils (Sydney City and South Sydney City) constituted by the Act. The new structures were gazetted in Schedule 3 of the Act on 2 December 1988, to take effect from 1 January 1989.

Under the new structures the former City Treasury Department was abolished and its functions passed to a new Department, CA 27, Finance and Administration. This Department was renamed Treasury by a Resolution of Council on 13 March 1989. The legislation removed the South Sydney area from the Sydney City Council administration. The financial and other administrative functions for the South Sydney area passed to CA 31, [South Sydney City Council], Finance and Administration Department.

SOURCES
City of Sydney Annual Reports 1983, 1984
Minutes of Council 1899, 1971, 1973
CRS 34, Town Clerk's Correspondence Files, 1914-1978: TC 2897/31, 3037/69, 4206/70, 1151/29, 471/35, 5245/30
Interview February 1987 with City Treasurer Brian NevinCreationResolution of Council 18 November 1842AbolitionSchedule 3 of the City of Sydney Act 1988, proclaimed 2 December 1988

Position

Accounts Officer [City Treasury Department I]

Adding Machine Operator [City Treasury Department I, Corporation Assets and Stores Department]

Assistant Rate Server [City Treasury Department I]

Chief Assistant to Paymaster [City Treasury Department I]

Costs Clerk [City Treasury Department I, Electricity Department]

Divisional Ledger Keeper [City Treasury Department I]

Inspector [City Treasury Department I]

Labourer [City Treasury Department I]

Messenger [City Treasury Department I]

Meter Reader [City Treasury Department I]

Rate Levier [City Treasury Department I]

Recorder [City Treasury Department I]

Rents Ledger Keeper [City Treasury Department I]

Safe Security Officer [City Treasury Department I]

Timekeeper [City Treasury Department I]

Watchman [City Treasury Department I]

Youth [City Treasury Department I]

Accountant [City Treasury Department I]

Assessor [multiple departments]

Assistant [City Treasury Department I]

Assistant Bailiff [City Treasury Department I]

Assistant Cashier [City Treasury Department I]

Assistant City Treasurer [City Treasury Department I]

Series

Making of the Rate Book

Schedule of City Properties

Sale of Sydney Common Allotments Records

Letters from City Treasurer

Contract Register

Costing History Microfilm

Registers of Ratable and Non-Ratable Land

Inscribed Stock Register - Sales and Transfer Book

Inscribed Stock Register

Register of Moore Street (Martin Place) Improvement Contributions

Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure

Woolloomooloo Redevelopment Sub-Committee Minutes and Related Papers, City Treasurer's Copies

Town Clerk's Instruction Books

Records from meetings of the Sydney Committee accumulated by the City Treasurer

General Correspondence and Subject Files

Rate Levy Lists [South Sydney Municipal Council]

Rate File Microfilm (COM)

Central Activity Files

Staff Record Cards [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney]

Valuation Books

Vade Mecum - City of Sydney Yearbook

Annual Reports I [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney]

Miscellaneous Financial Records

Agency

Leichhardt Municipal Council

Revenue and Expenditure Control Sub-Committee

Industrial and Personnel Department

Corporation Assets and Stores Department

South Sydney City Council Finance and Administration Department

Treasury II

Deputy Town Clerk's Department [South Sydney Municipal Council]

Industrial Relations Department

Planning and Building Department

Information Services

Administration Department

Person

Speer, Arthur James

Anderson, Robert Murray McCheyne

Felton, Maurice Appelbee

Description

Start date18th November 1842End date31st December 1988Relationship legacy dataPRECEDED BY: Camperdown Municipal Council AG-0063 (01/01/1909)
PRECEDED BY: Waterloo Municipal Council AG-0071 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Paddington Municipal Council AG-0070 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Redfern Municipal Council AG-0069 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Newtown Municipal Council AG-0068 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Glebe Municipal Council AG-0066 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Erskineville Municipal Council AG-0065 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Darlington Municipal Council AG-0064 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: Alexandria Municipal Council AG-0062 (01/01/1949)
PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Deputy Town Clerks Department AG-0020 (01/01/1982)
PRECEDED BY: Corporation Assets and Stores Department AG-0079 (15/04/1931) - Rent collection moved to Treasury in 1931
PRECEDED BY: Administration Department AG-0003 (by 31/12/1976) - Audit moved to Treasury in 1976
RELATED TO: Sydney City Council OR-0001 (18/11/1842 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Council administration FN-0026 (18/11/1842 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Electoral administration FN-0017 (18/11/1842 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Rating powers FN-0005 (18/11/1842 to 31/12/1988)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: City Solicitor AG-0074 (28/07/1989 to 31/08/1992)
Source System ID12

Relationships

Preceding agenciesDeputy Town Clerk's Department [South Sydney Municipal Council]Alexandria Municipal CouncilDarlington Municipal CouncilErskineville Municipal CouncilGlebe Municipal CouncilNewtown Municipal CouncilRedfern Municipal CouncilPaddington Municipal CouncilWaterloo Municipal CouncilCamperdown Municipal CouncilAdministration DepartmentCorporation Assets and Stores DepartmentSubordinate agenciesCity SolicitorOrganisationSydney City CouncilRelated functionsRating powersElectoral administrationCouncil administration

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City Treasury Department I