AUSTRALIA: COLONIAL LIFE AND SETTLEMENT
The Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1825,
from the State Records Authority of New South Wales

Part 3: Letters received, 1788-1825

This third part comprises the main series of letters received by the colony from Government officials and private individuals, 1788-1825. In addition, this series includes copies of agreements, despatches, general orders, instructions, ordinary regulations, proclamations, memoranda, reports and returns.

This is a vital source for studying the development of what has been seen as the biggest social experiment of all time. The social life of the colony is described as well as the importance of women for the success and development of the colony.

The papers also benefit from the existence of a massive web-based index. Every letter and bundle has been analysed, resulting in more than 200,000 searchable entries, including c.40,000 names of individuals and c.2,600 subjects. Sample subjects include Aborigines, Banks and Banking, Convicts, Distilleries, the East India Company, Employment, Fines and Punishments, Hospitals, Inquests, Kangaroos, Land, Livestock, Manufacturers, Medical Supplies, Merchants, Minerals, Pilots, Potatoes, Religion, Russians, Ships and Shipping, Tolls, Victualling, Whales and Wheat.