The series of Governor's inward correspondence consists mainly of letters from settlers and officials within the Colony. They deal with a great variety of subjects including appeals against decisions with regard to the assignment of land, appeals against court decisions, petitions from groups of settlers in a particular district for financial assistance, and appeals by officials in connection with appointments. There are also letters from other Colonial Governors, from the naval officer commanding the Australian Squadron, and from persons in other Australian colonies or overseas.
There are several documents from 1839 but the main series begins in 1848, after the arrival of Captain C. Fitzgerald, who assumed office as Governor in August of that year.
Between 1848 and 1873, filed in the same series are a number of documents relating to the Legislative Council. These include apologies, resignations and oaths of Council members, memorials from settlers to the Governor-in-Council, and memoranda relating to Bills and amendments thereof. This combination of material is probably due to the fact that it was customary, from 1839, for the Governor's Private Secretary to act also as Clerk to the Council.
From 1876 - 1895 the correspondence is numbered 1 - 799. For details see WAS 1233.
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