Guide to the Papers of William Henry Archer

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MS 105

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
William Henry Archer
Title
Papers of William Henry Archer
Date Range
1853-1863
Collection Number
MS 105
Extent
0.08 metres (various)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Contents

Covering the period 1853-63, this collection includes letters and reports from Archer to the Colonial Secretary and others concerning Victorian records and statistical registration, together with miscellaneous notes and tables.

Conditions Governing Access

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2826268).

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of William Henry Archer, National Library of Australia, MS 105, [item number]'.

Biographical Note

William Archer was born in London on 13 November 1825. He trained as an actuary and in 1850 became managing actuary to the Catholic, Law and General Life Assurance Co. He migrated to Melbourne in 1852 and was appointed acting Registrar-General in 1853. He was appointed Assistant Registrar-General in 1854 and Registrar-General in 1859.

In 1863 Archer gave up his position and studies law at the University of Melbourne. He was called to the Bar and in 1874 was appointed secretary of lands and surveys. He was dismissed by the Berry Government in 1878. From then on he supported himself by legal work, articles and lectures. He died in Melbourne on 29 April 1909.

Item Descriptions

Series. Notes, Reports and Correspondence

Letter (10th of March 1853) from Archer to the Colonial Secretary [Victoria] outlining the general plan for a comprehensive system of legal and statistical registration in Victoria (30 pages) (Item 1)

Letter (29th March 1853), supplementary to the above, from Archer to the Colonial Secretary, with regard to other duties which would devolve upon the Registrar General (8 pages) (Item 2)

A message from Governor Latrobe is written on the outside indicating that the system proposed be put into effect.

A handwritten copy (29th March 1853) of item no.2 (9 pages) (Item 3)

Foolscap size note-book (18th February 1853-30th July 1853) entitled ‘Desiderata and Agenda'. Entries by day although not for every day in the period. Jottings, drafts, notes inserted (48 pages plus inserts) (Item 4)

A second ‘Desiderata and Agenda' note-book (1st August 1853 - 19th November 1853) (30 pages) (Item 5)

Memorandum (6th December 1853) from C.C. Tyers to the Surveyor General enclosing ‘Trigonomentrical survey of a portion of Gippsland' (40 pages) (Item 6)

A copy of item 6 (30 pages) (Item 7)

A brief history (13th December 1853) of the Town Council of Geelong signed by William Weire, Town Clerk, prepared at the request of the Acting Registrar-General (40 pages) (Item 8)

Report (1st November 1855-19th December 1855) of Board appointed to consider the subject of gratuities to officers' widows, dated 19th December 1855, plus letters relating to this (26 pages) (Item 9)

Report (19th May 1858-11th August 1858) of Mr Archer on his mission to Sydney re records belonging to other colonies, dated 21st June 1858, plus some letters relating to this (24 pages) (Item 10)

Letter, 1863(last three pages only) from R.D. Ireland, Attorney-General's Office, relating to the Professional Branch (3 pages) (Item 11)

Notes concerning the Constitutions proposed for the Victorian Legislative Council and Assembly in 1853 (7 pages) (Item 12)

Notes covering the period 1770-1803 re the discovery of Bass Strait and Port Phillip and the forming of a penal colony there (4 pages) (Item 13)

Notes covering the period 1834-36 re the development of Portland (2 pages) (Item 14)

Two pages from an analysis of statistics regarding the population of Melbourne 1836-41 (Item 15)

Table setting out the number of Aborigines in the Colony 1836-51 (1 sheet) (Item 16)

Tables listing religious edifices erected in the Colony 1840-51 (4 sheets) (Item 17)

Foolscap note-book, alphabetically arranged with notes and statistics on Geelong, Keilor, Williamstown and Warringall (5 pages) (Item 18)

List of rivers, coves and capes of N.S.W. and Victoria and islands off the coas (Item 19)


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