Scope

The records in this series cover a wide range of subjects, including significant social and economic events of the time. A broad range of topics from 1912 onwards include:

Early development

Following the opening of the Bank in 1912, the administrative functions were carried out by a small group of senior officers under the ultimate control and management of the Bank’s Governor Denison Miller. Initially, there was no clearly defined departmental structure; rather, responsibilities tended to evolve around an officer or a function.

Hugh Traill Armitage joined the Bank in November 1912 at the invitation of Miller, who had worked with him previously at the Bank of New South Wales and thought him a competent and worthy colleague. Armitage’s initial appointment was as the Bank’s Accountant, responsible for general financial advice and oversight across the Bank and its branches. As the Bank grew, the role became more complex, which was recognised in 1916 when Armitage was appointed Chief Accountant.

During the First World War, additional work was added to the Bank’s ordinary business with the establishment of Commonwealth Government war loans, and later peace loans. As the Bank’s responsibilities increased, Miller relied on Armitage more and more in terms of advice, support and administration.

While from 1915–1919, Miller had been assisted by AW (Alfred) Mason, who would later be the Agent for the Bank’s New York Office, this was not considered a secretarial role. Although Mason was well regarded, he was of junior status to Armitage and the position was more in the nature of a personal assistant than one of influence and responsibility.

Appointment of Secretary

In January 1921, the role of Bank Secretary was formally created, with Hugh Armitage as its first incumbent. His appointment was announced in the Bank Circular, with confirmation that he would continue to carry out the duties of Chief Accountant, in addition to the duties of the new role. This brought the administrative and financial roles of the Bank together, for the first time, under Armitage, and under a Secretary's Department. The dual role of Chief Accountant and Secretary appears to have ended in 1928 when Marcus Bryant, the Branch Accountant, was appointed to the vacant position of Chief Accountant only.
 

Notes Board

Prior to the creation of the role of Bank Secretary, the Commonwealth Bank Act 1920 transferred the control of Australian note issue from the Treasury to the Bank, where the Note Issue Department was established under the management of a Board of Directors – the Australian Notes Board – which was chaired by the Governor. The creation of the role of Secretary of the Bank seems to directly relate to these developments, as the Notes Board, which was the first Board in which the Bank had been involved, required a Secretary to service it. Armitage served as Secretary to the Notes Board from its inception, and in 1921 took on the added role of Bank Secretary – although some of the functions of these roles overlapped. Armitage was later appointed Manager of the Sydney Office in 1924. He became the Bank’s Chief Inspector in 1925, before being appointed Deputy Governor in 1927, and finally Governor in 1941.

Growth of Department

Under Denison Miller, the Bank had been managed by a Governor who had absolute authority. Under the Bank’s second Governor, James Kell, the Commonwealth Bank Act 1924 established a Board of eight Directors and placed the management of the Bank in their hands, including full responsibility for the Note Issue Department.

Servicing the Bank Board became the responsibility of the Secretary, including assisting the Chairman of the Board (at the time separate to the role of Governor) and the Governor. Because of this close association with the Board and the Governor, the Secretary increasingly became the central liaison point, especially with external organisations, including the government. As the duties of the role grew, staff were appointed to assist the Secretary and the Board.

The period of greatest expansion for the Secretary’s Department came under EB Richardson. Richardson had joined the Department in 1928, with responsibility for managing the records of the Board. He was appointed Acting Secretary in 1937 and Secretary in 1938, only relinquishing the position in 1948 to become Deputy Governor from January 1949. Richardson’s relatively long period in the Department and as its Head served as a strong influence for continuity in its affairs.

Over time, specific aspects of the administration of the Bank increasingly became the responsibility of other departments as they were created – for example, the Accounting Department took over financial matters and the Personnel Department managed staffing issues – but overall responsibility and policy, including the development of the Bank as a central bank, remained under the control of the Secretary’s Department. The Department also became the point of contact and liaison with other central banks.

The outbreak of the Second World War and the enactment of National Security (Wartime Banking Control) Regulations caused additional functions to be assumed by the Department. The private trading banks were tightly controlled by regulations regarding their annual profits, advances and investments. Further, they were called upon to lodge their surplus investible funds in Special Accounts with the Commonwealth Bank. The banking legislation of 1945 gave permanent statutory force to the regulations and the Secretary's Department continued to exercise its supervisory role over the banking system.

As part of its overarching administration of the Bank, the Department provided secretarial and specialist services to all Bank staff. In 1954, Governor Dr Coombs appointed Jack Kirkwood as the Bank’s first Archivist. One of Kirkwood’s first tasks was to identify records of ongoing value to the Bank, and more broadly to the nation, and provide access to them as required.

In 1956, a communications section was established to handle all inward and outward correspondence. This was in addition to the Department’s responsibilities for administrative cables and London Office’s letters, mail, cables and telegrams.

Reorganisation in 1957

In December 1957, a number of changes were made in the administrative structure of the Bank. Two new departments were created – the Banking Department and the Central Bank Accounts Department – and, effective from 6 January 1958, took over some of the functions of the Secretary’s Department. The Banking Department was made responsible for foreign exchange, supervision of trading and savings banks (the latter in conjunction with the Investment Department), credit policy, Exchange Settlement accounts and Treasury bill transactions with banks. The Central Bank Accounts Department took over all government accounts and central bank advances, except those to banks. Control of the note circulation was transferred to the Investment Department.

Separation

In January 1960, the central and commercial banking functions of the original Commonwealth Bank were separated. The Secretary’s Department’s became part of the Reserve Bank of Australia, with its prime functions including: servicing the Governor, executive and the Bank Board; acting as a co-ordination centre for the Bank, including public relations; and providing legal advice. The only central banking function that remained in the Department was the supervision of those non-bank financial institutions that had been exempted from certain provisions under the Banking Act. The Department also made arrangements for those officers travelling overseas on official business, through a Travel Section, and looked after visitors to the Bank. During the late 1960s, the creation of a formal records management program within the Department was eventually rolled out across the Bank.

Reorganisation in 1970

A major reorganisation of the administrative structure of the Bank took place during 1970. The Secretary’s Department was affected only to the extent that the supervision of non-bank financial institutions was transferred to the Banking and Finance Department, and travel arrangements were transferred to the Personnel Department.

Secretary’s Department is represented by two National Archives of Australia series: C5730: Commonwealth Bank Departments and C5740: Reserve Bank Departments. This reflects the history of the Department as being both a Commonwealth and Reserve Bank department. The records include general correspondence files relating to banking, finance and other subjects, files relating to legislation, including the various banking acts, correspondence with other central banks, and records relating to the Rural Credits Development Fund.

Bank Management records are a group of records maintained by Secretary’s Department and relate to the Board, meetings, conferences, correspondence and policy related material. These records are organised under the sub-series: Secretary's Department - Bank Management

A listing of the Secretary’s Department records by series, for the period 1912 to the 1980s that fall into the open access period: