Colonial Secretary Guide - Flipbook - Page 338
-336-
42.
Copies of letters sent to the Government Printer, 1 July 1841 - 11 February 1856
1 vol
Copies of letters mainly to the Government Printer and a few letters to the Board for the
Management of the Government Printing Office, which had the general superintendence of the
establishment. For other letters to this Board see series 15. Before 1841 letters relating to
government printing will be found in series 38.
Printing for the government, including that of the Government Gazette established by Bourke in
1832, had been done mainly on contract after having been almost a monopoly of the Howes for
many years. This system proved unsatisfactory from the difficulty in getting the work done and
in January 1841 Gipps reported that having had the opportunity to establish a government
printing office he had gladly availed himself of it. There was some opposition from the Lords
Commissioners of the Treasury but the printing office remained.
43.
Indexes:
In front of volume
Location:
4/3734; microfilm copy AO Reel 2861
Copies of letters to the Health Officers, 4 March 1839 - 5 October 1859
1 vol
Copies of letters principally relating to quarantine and from 1846 also to vaccination. There are
only a few letters in the years 1842-45. The Health Officer was required to inspect on its arrival in
port, every vessel not engaged in the coastal trade or coming from Van Diemen's Land and
submit a questionnaire to their masters. He had also to keep himself acquainted with the health
of crews of ships in port but not in quarantine and make an annual report of his activities.
He was also responsible for the medical care of emigrants in the Government Buildings in Bent
Street when they were no longer cared for by the surgeon of the ship by which they came to the
colony.
From December 1846 the Health Officer was responsible for the vaccination of persons in Sydney
and the arrangement of vaccinations in various parts of the colony. For other letters re quarantine
see series 65.
No quarantine restrictions had been applied in New South Wales before a Quarantine Act was
passed by the Legislative Council in 1832. The measures adopted by this Act proved inadequate
because of the growth of overseas commerce and the consequent increased danger of introducing
infectious diseases to the colony. Gipps therefore appointed John Dobie, a naval surgeon, to the
newly created office of Health Officer in January 1839. This letter book contains the detailed
instructions to Dobie under which he and his successors, A. Savage (November 1839) and H. G.
Alleyne (July 1852), worked. In December 1846 detailed instructions were issued to the Health
Officer re the new vaccination centre. Health Officers were also appointed at Newcastle and
Moreton Bay in 1851, and detailed instructions were given for their guidance. Administration of
the Health Officer's establishment was transferred to the Colonial Treasurer in October 1859 and
the volume ends with instructions for future correspondence and reports to be addressed to that
minister.
Indexes:
In front of volume
Location:
4/3735; microfilm copy AO Reel 2861
