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Central Activity Files

Description

Unique IDAS-0116Start dateBetween 5th January 1979 and 31st December 1987Start date qualifiercircaFormatRegistered FileShort descriptionThis series consists of the Central Activity Files which were the main subject file series for Sydney City Council between 1979 and 1987. They contain correspondence received and sent, memoranda, reports, resolutions of Council, plans, photographs, and other related papers. DescriptionThis series consists of the Central Activity Files which were the main subject file series for Sydney City Council between 1979 and 1987. They contain correspondence received and sent, memoranda, reports, resolutions of Council, plans, photographs, and other related papers.

The files were created by a range of agencies including:
- Secretariat (AG-0015) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Industrial Relations Department (AG-0013) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- City Treasury Department I (AG-0012) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Properties II (AG-0011) in the period 05/12/1983 to 31/12/1987
- Parks and Recreations Department (AG-0010) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Civic and Public Affairs Department (AG-0009) in the period 14/06/1984 to 31/12/1987
- Planning and Building Department (AG-0008) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Sydney City Library (AG-0007) in the period 23/03/1981 to 31/12/1987
- Health and Community Services (AG-0006) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- City Engineers Department I (AG-0005) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Administration Department (AG-0003) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Medical (AG-0002) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Cleansing Department II (AG-0001) in the period 05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987
- Information Services (AG-0004) in the period 28/05/1984 to 31/12/1987.

The series began on 5 January 1979 and represents the first attempt to centralise Council's filing system. Before 1979 there were a number of departmental filing systems in operation in addition to the main correspondence series at that time, Town Clerk's Department Correspondence Files [Municipal Council : of Sydney / City of Sydney] (AS-0034) 1914-1978.

The departmental file series were made up mostly of copies of papers in AS-0034 relating to the Departments' specific functions. These included files kept by the City Building Surveyor's Department (AS-0138), the City Health Department (AS-0145), the City Librarian (AS-0277), and the Cleansing Department (AS-0295). The Parks Department also had a series of departmental files which no longer exist. The City Engineer's Department Correspondence Files (AS-0144) are the only series that contain a large amount of material that is not found in Town Clerk's Department Correspondence Files [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney] (AS-0034).

There were also two other major file series in use before 1979. These were Building Application Files [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney] (AS-0059) 1941-1978, and Development Application Files (AS-0062) 1954-1978. Although the development and building application files were incorporated into the new series in 1979, they were treated differently from other files in the series, in that the year they were lodged was incorporated into the file number. (See below under the heading 'Building (BA) and Development Application (DA) Files' for a fuller description of this).

The Central Activity Files were organised and numbered according to a multiple number classified system. There are three elements in the file number. The first element relates to the primary subject of the file; the second element to the secondary subject of the file; and the third element is a running number allocated to each file within the secondary subject of that primary classification.

The primary and secondary subjects were developed from the indexes of the previous system (AS-0034), and each subject was allocated a number. For example 'Aldermen' was a primary subject with the classification number '01'. A secondary subject of 'Aldermen' is 'Fees' with the classification number '02'. The first file raised on the subject of fees paid to Aldermen would be numbered 01/02/0001. The second would be numbered 01/02/0002.

The classification numbers for the primary subjects followed the broad structure of Council. The classification numbers for the secondary subjects are based on the areas of responsibility within the primary subject.

Incoming correspondence was checked to determine its subject matter and then classified with the primary and secondary numbers. The register sheets in Activity File Register Sheets (AS-0085), were then checked and if no previous file existed on the subject, a new file would be raised with the next available number allocated to the file. The subject of the file was recorded on the register sheets and on the file cover as a precis.

Movement of files was controlled by file movement cards which would show the name of the Council officer receiving the file and the date.

BUILDING (BA) AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION (DA) FILES.

Although building and development application files were incorporated into the system in 1979, they were treated differently from other files.

Prior to 1979, BA and DA files were given an annual single number that was also allocated to the plans submitted with the applications. The files were registered by staff of the Planning and Building Department. For example, the 15th building application and its related plan registered in 1963 would both have been numbered 15/63. Although the files and plans were given the same number they were often kept separately due to the size of the plans. From 1971, a computerised system called DABA (development application building application), was introduced which registered each application with an annual single number.

In 1979, when the files were centralised, the BA and DA files were given the following classifications:

11.01.(xxxx): DA files unfinalised as at 2 January 1979
11.02.(xxxx): new DA files created after 2 January 1979
11.03.(xxxx): BA files unfinalised as at 2 January 1979
11.04.(xxxx): new BA files created after 2 January 1979

The year element in the control number for BA and DA files was thus removed. This caused problems for the staff of the Planning and Building Department because the application number that was allocated to each building and development application from the computerised DABA system, required the year to be part of the numbering system. So while the staff of the Central Records Section were now registering the files with the 11.02 and 11.04 numbers, staff of the Planning and Building Department were registering the files and related plans with the old annual single number system.

As a result of this, the classification number for development and building application files changed in 1980. The primary classification for development applications became 44, the year the application was lodged became the secondary element, and the application number became the third element. The primary classification for building applications became 45, with the year as the second element, and the application number as the third element. For example, the 20th DA lodged in 1980 became 44/80/0020, and the 15th BA lodged became 45/80/0015.

In effect, the BA and DA files reverted to an annual single number system with a prefix of 44 or 45. These were the only files in AS-0116 that had a year element in the file number.

AMALGAMATION WITH SOUTH SYDNEY MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

The re-amalgamation of South Sydney Municipal Council with Sydney City Council on 1 January 1982 caused another change in the numbering of BA and DA files. The files relating to the former South Sydney area were kept separate from files relating to the former City area by allocating them a certain run of numbers.

South Sydney DA files that were still active or not finalised on 1 January 1982 were converted to the classification 11.37., with the application number forming the third element of the number. South Sydney BA files that were still active or not finalised on 1 January 1982, were converted to the classification 11.38., with the application number forming the third element. The file numbers for any new applications lodged after 1 January 1982 were classified as follows:

Development applications
44.82.0001-1999: allocated to the former City of Sydney area
44.82.2000+: allocated to the former South Sydney area

Building applications
45.82.0001-4999: allocated to the former City of Sydney area
45.82.5000+: allocated to the former South Sydney area

The practice of separating South Sydney and Sydney City BA and DA files continued until the end of 1984. From 1985 no distinctions were made between them. (See appendices 1 and 2).

Files that were still current in South Sydney Municipal Council's general correspondence file series (AS-0087), were top-numbered into AS-0116. The contents of the files were removed and transferred to a new file with a new file number. The empty file cover from the old series was annotated with the new file number and left in AS-0087. Files that were not active were kept separate and remain in AS-0087.

This series continued until the end of December 1987. From 1 January 1988, Council introduced a computerised file management system called RCS (Records Control System). The files in AS-0116 were all closed but those files still needed for current business were top-numbered into the new file series, AS-0326, and given the following classifications:

Y01: pre-1988 development application files
Y02: pre-1988 building application files
Y03: pre-1988 general activity files
Y04: pre-1988 building certificate files
Y05: pre-1988 activity files converted after 12 February 1988
Y06: duplicates of pre-1988 activity files where the original was transferred to South Sydney City Council in 1989
Y07: duplicate of files subpoenad by Court
Y08: duplicate files where the original file is missing

In the 1980s the file metadata for this series (file number, title, date created and closed) was manually entered into the electronic records management system. At the time the decision was made not to enter metadata for the building and development application files (44 and 45 files) as this data existed in another database - the DABA system (now replaced by Pathways). This metadata was migrated into the current document management system (TRIM). The files in AS-0116 that were top-numbered into AS-0326, appear twice in TRIM - once with the original number, and once with the converted file number. The file metadata for the 44 and 45 files was manually entered into the previous catalogue, Archives Investigator (as a project by the Archives volunteer group).

APPENDIX 1

FILE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS (DA) FILES WITHIN AS-0116

(XXXX) = application number

1979:
11.01.(xxxx) unfinalised as at 2 January 1979
11.02.(xxxx) new DA's lodged after 2 January 1979

1980:
44.80.(xxxx)

1981:
44.81.(xxxx)

1982:
44.82.0001-1999 DA's for old City of Sydney area
44.82.2000+ DA's for old South Sydney area
11.37.(xxxx) South Sydney DA's still active/not finalised 1 January 1982

1983-1984:
44.(year).0001-1999 DA's for old City of Sydney area
44.(year).2000+ DA's for old South Sydney area

1985-1987:
44.(year).(xxxx)

APPENDIX 2

FILE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR BUILDING APPLICATIONS (BA) FILES WITHIN AS-0116

(XXXX) = application number

1979:
11.03.(xxxx) unfinalised as at 2 January 1979
11.04.(xxxx) new BA's lodged after 2 January 1979

1980:
45.80.(xxxx)

1981:
45.81.(xxxx)

1982:
45.82.0001-4999 BA's for old City of Sydney area
45.82.5000+ BA's for old South Sydney area
11.38.(xxxx) South Sydney BA's still active/not finalised 1 January 1982

1983-1984:
45.(year).0001-4999 BA's for old City of Sydney area
45.(year).5000+ BA's for old South Sydney area

1985-1987:
45.(year).(xxxx)Relationship summaryCONTROLLED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Development Application Registers AS-0310 (01/01/1982 to 24/12/1984) - When SSMC was abolished in December 1981 the SSMC DA Registers were maintained separately until December 1984 but controlled properties from the former SSMC LGA. CONTROLLED BY: Building Application Registers AS-0122 (01/01/1980 to 31/12/1987) - Building application files with 45 prefix only
CONTROLLED BY: Register of Letters of Introduction AS-0713 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
CONTROLLED BY: Planning Street Cards AS-0533 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
CONTROLLED BY: Activity File Register Sheets AS-0085 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
PRECEDED BY: Electoral Correspondence Files AS-0916 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: Parks and Recreations Department Correspondence Files AS-0946 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Development Application Files AS-0093 (01/01/1982) PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Building Application Files AS-0091 (01/01/1982)
PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council General Correspondence Files AS-0087 (01/01/1982)
PRECEDED BY: Cleansing Department Correspondence Files AS-0295 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: City Health Department Correspondence Files AS-0145 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: City Engineers Department Correspondence Files AS-0144 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: City Building Surveyors Department Correspondence Files AS-0138 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: Building Application Files AS-0059 (05/01/1979)
PRECEDED BY: Town Clerks Department Correspondence Files AS-0034 (05/01/1979)
RELATED TO: Management of contracts with private service providers AY-0121 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987) RELATED TO: Care and management of street trees AY-0116 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Street furniture management, including fruit and news stands AY-0112 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Letter Register AS-0705 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Building Inspectors Cards AS-0135 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Building Application Plans AS-0126 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987) - BA files with prefixes 11.03, 11.04, and 45 only.
RELATED TO: Sister City relationships AY-0080 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Publicity and public relations AY-0024 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Depots management AY-0097 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Training and education of staff AY-0096 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Grants by Council to external bodies AY-0095 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Land use, employment and related statistical surveys AY-0094 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Heritage planning and preservation AY-0093 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Aid to homeless persons AY-0091 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Membership of external committees AY-0090 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Administrative services to external committees AY-0089 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Architectural and engineering design and drafting AY-0087 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Historical research and writing AY-0086 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Management of administrative change AY-0085 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Management of parks and reserves AY-0084 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Risk and insurance management AY-83 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Licensing and inspection of boarding and lodging houses AY-0081 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987) RELATED TO: Contractual arrangements for the supply of goods and services AY-0077 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Management of public monuments and artworks AY-0075 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Regulation of noxious trades AY-0074 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Internal audit AY-0073 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Financial management AY-0071 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Personnel and employee management and services AY-0070 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Information technology management AY-0069 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Records and archives management AY-0068 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Legal services AY-0067 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Boundary changes AY-0061 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Secretarial services to Council and committees AY-0059 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Provision of public entertainment AY-0058 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Ceremonial events and civic occasions AY-0056 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Ordinance and by-law enforcement, abatement of nuisances AY-0055 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Parking regulation AY-0054 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Traffic regulation and control AY-0053 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Administration of municipal elections AY-0052 (5/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Allocation and changes of street names and street numbers AY-0051 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Street openings AY-0050 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Construction and repair of bridges, overpasses and tunnels AY-0049 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Road construction and maintenance AY-0047 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Surveying AY-0046 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Provision and management of child care centres and playgrounds and services AY-0042 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Meals on wheels AY-0041 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Provision and management of aged care and welfare centres and services AY-0040 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Provision and management of public toilets AY-0039 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Issue of general administrative instructions AY-0038 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987) RELATED TO: Management of sports facilities, swimming pools, recreation and community centres AY-0037 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Libraries management AY-36 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Health education and promotions AY-0035 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Health inspections of premises AY-33 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Immunisation against infectious diseases AY-0032 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Planning for public spaces AY-0031 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Strategic town planning AY-0030 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Development applications inspection and approval AY-0029 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Building applications inspection and approval AY-0028 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Support services to the Mayor/Lord Mayor AY-0027 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Resumptions of land AY-0026 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Fundraising for charity AY-0023 (05/01/1979 to 31/12/1987)
RELATED TO: Provision of welfare and relief serviLanguageEnglish (eng)

Item

28 Orwell St Kings Cross. Use as an Academy for Television & Film Production - Edgetex Holdings

636-638 George St. Sydney. Refurbish & upgrade building to ordinance 70 standards. Halinka Sydney

707-709 George St. Sydney. Use 1st & 2nd flrs as residential boarding house. Panan Investments P/L.

403-427 Pitt St, Sydney. Use premises, K/A 79 Goulburn St, as physical fitness centre. Riston

30-32 Carrington St Sydney. Refurbishment/restoration of existing office building. Mark Sheldon &

File - Sydney Opera House Circular Quay East Sydney. Redevelopment lower concourse, forecourt, 1985

File - Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay East Sydney. Environmental Impact Study, 1984

44-46 Myrtle St Chippendale. Use 2nd floor for Art & Sculpture classes and 1st floor for

File - Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay East Sydney. Excavation for car park & concourse, 1984

162 Flinders St, Darlinghurst. Include live entertainment & extend hours. P. A. Stirling. (plans)

421-429 Sussex St Sydney. Use ground & 1st floor as retail & restaurant alterations & addititions.

81 Parramatta Road, Camperdown. Use ground floor for sale of commercial catering equipment

File - Use as printery, 160 Rochford Street Erskineville, circa 1983-1988

58 Ivy St. Chippendale. Alertations to a Dwelling. E. Conomos. [Scanned]

92 George St. Redfern. Alterations and additions. Vujcic Djuro. (plans) [Scanned]

853 South Dowling St Waterloo. Alterations internally to Hotel premises. Green & Lloyds Builders

163-165 Oxford St Darlinghurst. Theatre restruant on floors 1 & 2.

69-77 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross. Use as a dress shop. Regozo. [Scanned]

429-481 George Street Sydney. Queen Victoria Building. Part B to DA 512/82. Construction of a Car

429-481 George St Sydney. Restoration of Queen Victoria Building. IPOH Garden Berhad (Aust) P/L.

264/278 George Street Sydney. Use level 48 for commercial purposes. Civil & Civic.

429/481 George St. Sydney. Restoration of Queen Victoria Building. Rice & Daubney. [Scanned]

261 George St. Sydney. Erection of wall signs. Telford Property Fund. [Scanned]

Photograph

Victorian warehouse in Kent Street Sydney, 1983

Richmond Hall

Excelsior Hotel

Bourke Street terraces

Series

General Correspondence and Subject Files

City Health Department Correspondence Files

Development Application Plans [City of Sydney / South Sydney Municipal Council]

Deed Packets I [Municipal Council of Sydney / City of Sydney]

Access

Public access statusOpen to public access

Identification and Arrangement

Source system ID116System of arrangementClassified number

Digitisation

Digitisation statusPartially digitised

Data Quality

Authenticity & integrityThese are original Central Activity Files by the City of Sydney. The record has been held in the Council’s custody and has a high level of authenticity. Users should be aware that this is an historical record and the language used within the record was the language of the time it was captured, and may not reflect current community values or expectations.

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Central Activity Files