An organisation is a whole government, learned society, church or company. The Archives registers organisations with a CO (Commonwealth Organisation) number.
Examples:
CO 1, Commonwealth of Australia, 1901–ongoing
CO 15, Territory of Papua, 1906–1942
CO 17, Mandated Territory of New Guinea, 1921–1942
CO 72, British Phosphate Commissioners, 1919–1987
Agencies are government departments, statutory authorities etc. The Archives registers agencies with a CA (Commonwealth Agency) number.
Examples:
CA 7, Department of External Affairs [I], Melbourne, 1901–1916
CA 241, Australian High Commission, United Kingdom [London], 1910–ongoing
CA 1873, Antarctic Division, 1949–ongoing
CA 264, Rationing Commission, 1942–1950
Functions are .
Examples:
Persons are depositors of personal records collections. These persons have had a close association with the Commonwealth, such as Prime Ministers, senior public servants and the Governors-General. The Archives registers persons with a CP (Commonwealth Persons) number.
Examples:
CP 7, Herbert Vere Evatt, 1894–1965
CP 24, Richard Gardiner Casey, 1890–1976
CP 27, Harold Edward Holt, 1908–1967
CP 268, Joseph Benedict Chifley, 1885–1951
Series are groups of records created or accumulated by the same agency or person. A series can be a single item or many items. The Archives identifies series with a series number.
Examples:
A907, Ships' passenger lists – inwards (Form P2) 1924–1964
A1838, Correspondence files, multiple number series, 1948–1989 (created by Department of External Affairs [II] etc)
P1556, Files containing Heard Island Antarctic Station reports withstation logbooks interspersed, chronological series, 1947–ongoing
Items are individual records in any format, such as files, volumes, maps, photographs or sound recordings. Items are identified by the number or symbol that the agency used when it created the item.
Examples:
1903/11, Transmission of "China Medal 1900" to Captain P M Keogh, 1903
563/20 Part 3, Communism – Control of Communist propaganda in Australia – Vietnam War, 1965–1970
1953/3/45A, Incoming passenger list for ESPERANCE BAY arriving Melbourne 4 March 1953, 1953