ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿

The key sets of Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ records transferred to the State Records Office comprise:

Minute Books

These records provide detailed accounts of the inner workings of Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ councils and document the development of communities. As well as Council minutes, many municipalities also kept Sub-Committee minutes for activities such as Town Planning, Nomenclature, Works, Health, Buildings, and Finance. The following are selected examples of Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ minute books:

• Busselton Municipal Council, Minutes (Includes Minutes of Busselton Water Board 1925-1929), 1871-1895 & 1925-1951, Acc 2876, AN 36

Rate Books

These are a useful information source for those wishing to trace the history of a specific property - particularly for suburban areas. Rate books provide details such as the name of the owner of a property, amount paid in rates, address of owner and the address of the property. Early rate books listed the occupiers of a place of residence as well as the owners. Through searching rate books, an indication of when a particular property changed hands can be established. Municipal rate book series can sometimes include Local Board of Health Rate Books.

Rate books are available for many municipalities throughout the State. The most significant collection of rate books is the City of Perth Rate Book collection available on microfiche on the 3rd floor of the State Library / State Archives. Entries in these rate books are by Ward and give: Surname, Given Name, Occupation, Owner, Improvements, Street, Lot No(s) and Rates.

Correspondence Files

General files may deal with a variety of subjects including rates, water supply, building inspections, health inspections, subdivisions, private hospitals, naturalisations, immunisations, roads, local libraries, elections, cemeteries, legal issues and other such matters of concern to Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿s.

House Plans

The only significant Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ collection of house plans held by the State Records Office is that of the Perth Roads Board (). These plans cover most of the residential dwellings constructed between 1917 and 1947 which now forms part of the City of Stirling and Town of Vincent. Microfilm copies of these plans can be accessed on the 3rd floor of the State Library / State Archives. An index to the plans is available to identify specific plan numbers. The street name and lot number of the property are required to able to search this index. Please note that house plans for the City of Stirling between the period 1947 and the early 1970's unfortunately no longer exist. The City of Stirling does hold property plans, however, for the period after the early 1970's.

Other Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ Records

A wide variety of other Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ records are also available such as report books, correspondence registers and indexes, registers of deeds, licensing registers, electoral rolls, burial registers, cash books and building permits. The following are selected examples of some of the other Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ records available:

• Kojonup Road Board, Cash Book, 1871-1892, Acc 202, AN 280
• Perth City Council, Building Plans, 1924-1956, Acc 1644, AN 20/9
• One of a handful of surviving held by the State Records Office.

In addition to the records of individual Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ authorities, the State Records Office also holds files from the Department of Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿, the agency that was responsible for overseeing the functioning of municipal councils and providing guidance for Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ operations.

Listings of records for the can be found in our catalogue.

General files cover a broad range of administrative and policy records, including files on Acts, by-laws, cemeteries, honours lists, quarries, roads, traffic, superannuation, elections, financial records, district boundaries, and other issues relating to the functioning of all municipal councils. 

These files relate to specific municipalities and deal with a range of matters such as district boundaries, administration matters, wards and memberships, by-laws, finance and water supply.

It is possible, in some cases, to locate Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ records in other related collections held by the State Records Office. The following are examples of some of these related collections.

Colonial Secretary's Office (CSO) Records

References to Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ matters during the 1800s can be found in the Colonial Secretary's Office correspondence. Further information on the Colonial Secretary's Office can be found on our CSO records page.

Heritage Council of Western Australia

The Heritage Council aims to promote conservation and appropriate management of heritage sites within Western Australia, through the promotion of awareness of cultural heritage within local communities. Records held by the State Records Office from the Heritage Council may be relevant to researchers interested in Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ involvement in cultural heritage. For example,  entitled "Heritage Committee" includes submissions for funding from Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿s.

Local Boards of Health

The State Records Office holds the records of numerous Local Council Health Boards and Health Committees. Local Health Boards were established to coordinate health matters within local communities and were responsible to the Central Board of Health, and later the Public Health Department.

Generally the records for Local Boards of Health can be located within the records of the Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ authority for the relevant district, particularly in the case of the early Roads Board records. However, records relating to Local Boards of Health may also be found in the . Records relating to particular Health Boards and Health Committees can also be located through the catalogue.

Royal Commissions and Committees of Inquiry

The State Records Office holds records relating to a number of Royal Commissions that have conducted investigations into Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ in Western Australia. Examples include Royal Commissions into the Local ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ Bill (1950), Municipal Boundaries (1948-1949) and the inquiry into the Perth City Council Administration (1938). The types of records available for these Royal Commissions can include transcripts of evidence, exhibits registers, correspondence, press cuttings and final reports.

Royal Commission and Committee of Inquiry records can be located through the State Records Office hardcopy finding aids at AN 537 and AN 545 respectively. Relevant records may also be listed  under the title of the required Commission or Committee.