Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
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- Creator
- Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
TitleCommonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
Reference codeICS118
Date1926-1999 [predominantly 1928-1981]
Scope and ContentThe records of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation reflect the history of Commonwealth co-operation in the field of international telecommunications and comprise the surviving records of the bodies that administered Commonwealth telecommunications relations from 1928 onwards. The documents fall into three broad categories: the annual reports of the administrative body; the minutes, proceedings and memoranda of that body; and the proceedings and minutes of committees and subcommittees appointed by the body. In addition, the collection contains material that was not generated by the incumbent administrative body, but relates to Commonwealth telecommunications during the lifetime of that institution and was presumably retained for use in the course of its activities or for reference purposes. Much of this material relates to the reports and proceedings of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Conferences under whose authority the administrative bodies derived their mandates; these documents are listed under the first series (entitled 'General Documents') within each sub-fonds.
Conditions governing accessAt least 24 hours notice before a research visit. Open for research. However, access to individual items in the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library archival collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act. (Records less than ten years old were originally available only with permission from the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation; as of 1 January 2006 the whole of this deposit is now more than ten years old.)
Extentc40 boxes (0.47 cubic m)
System of ArrangementThe material is arranged into five sub-fonds level divisions, listed in chronological order: 1. Imperial Communications Advisory Committee, 1928-1945; 2. Commonwealth Communications Council, 1944-1949; 3. Commonwealth Telecommunications Board, 1949-1969; 4. Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Commonwealth Telecommunications Council (CTC), and Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau, 1966-1987; 5. Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Council (CTC) after 1987. Within each sub-fonds, documents are arranged in series according to record type. Many of the files within each series are bound volumes arranged by year.
Finding aidsHandlist available in the Special Collections reading room. A pdf version of this is attached to this description.
Related files
Relevant publications are available in the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library
Level of descriptionfonds