54.
150 Seemingly as a result of arrangements made in response to that request, on 18 November 1977 the Director-General of the Australian Archives wrote to the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, David Smith, in the following terms:
"On the question of the transfer of Sir John's papers, as I remember it, it was agreed that both the originals and the copies of the papers would be transferred to the custody of the Australian Archives and that I would arrange for the copies to be forwarded by Foreign Affairs safe hand to a London address to be determined when Sir John has finalised his London arrangements. I am to wait upon your initiative in these things, you will let me know when you wish me to take custody … I can guarantee the security and the privacy of the papers placed in the custody of the Archives.
…
The question of access. Given the nature of the sensitive papers, these would normally be administered by the official policy governing such papers whether in the custody of the Australian Archives or of the Royal Archives at Windsor. I assume that any variation from these rules will be determined by discussions in London.
I would, however, like to stress one matter and that is, I suggest the desirability of Sir John making adequate and suitable provision for the disposition of the sensitive papers in case of death or incapacity. … It might be possible, for example, if Sir John uses a bank vault for security deposit of these copies, that in case of death or incapacity, the papers should be either placed in the custody of or retained by the bank in order that they might be transferred securely into the custody of either the Australian Archives or the Royal Archives at Windsor."
151 On 8 December 1977, Sir John ceased to hold the office of Governor-General, and Mr Smith became the Official Secretary to Sir John's successor, Sir Zelman Cowen. But, on 23 December 1977, Mr Smith wrote a handwritten, apparently personal note to Sir John, who was then in London, to the effect that he had, in his own time, partially completed the process of photocopying the papers for transmission of the copies to Sir John in London. Mr Smith continued:
"In the meantime the papers are in my strong-room under absolute security until the task is completed and the original file is in Archives."
152 On 3 June 1978, Mr Smith wrote, again in hand and apparently in his personal capacity, to the effect that the process of copying was finally completed and that the originals:
"will now be sealed and lodged with the Director-General of Archives, with instructions that they are to remain closed until after 8 December 2037, ie 60 years after you left office".
