S-a-1311 – Agreement with United Salvage Syndicate
This file is a comprehensive record of the Commonwealth Bank’s role in the wartime recovery of bullion from the sunken R.M.S. Niagara. It comprises contracts and agreements with the United Salvage Syndicate and Captain J. P. Williams; extensive operational reports and technical notes describing diving, grabbing, blasting, and re-boxing procedures; and detailed financial documentation covering expenditures, reimbursements, agreed reward or bonus arrangements, itemised payment schedules, and reconciliations. The file further includes custody and packing lists for bullion bars handled by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in Wellington; multinational cable traffic and correspondence with the Bank of England, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the Melbourne Office, and government authorities; as well as material relating to secrecy, censorship, and press management. Also present are claims, insurance, and legal and administrative papers; personal and logistical correspondence from Captain Williams and salvage personnel; newspaper cuttings and publicity drafts; and recommendations for the recognition of key individuals. Administrative notes document the chronology, costs, and practical challenges of the project, particularly weather, visibility, and wreck damage across the full salvage campaign.