Responsible Government guide

About this guide

Responsible government shifted responsibility from the Imperial Parliament and its colonial representatives to local decision making. This guide aims to make the NSW Government's records of the movement to, and development of, responsible government in the state more accessible.

The Guide lists records in our Collection - such as those from the Colonial Secretary, Executive Council, the Governor, and the Premier's Department - that date from the 1820s when the first Legislative Council was established through to the 1978 referendum at which NSW electors overwhelmingly voted in favour of direct election by the people of the Members of the Legislative Council. It also includes records relating to celebrating the Jubilee in 1906 and the Centenary in 1956.