10.
Sir Ninian Stephen after 16 February 2039 I should be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this letter and agree to observe the new requirements."
29 The relevant text of the Director-General's response the next month is as follows:
"I refer to your letters of 23 July 1991 concerning the new arrangements decided by The Queen regarding the release of personal and confidential correspondence to her from Australian Governors-General, and Mr Hayden's enquiry whether we hold copies of such correspondence from previous incumbents which might now be released under the new arrangements.
Concerning the sealed packages, held by Australian Archives, of correspondence of Sir John Kerr, Sir Zelman Cowen and Sir Ninian Stephen respectively with The Queen, I have noted the date after which the contents of each package may be released, subject to the approval in each case of the Sovereign's Private Secretary and the Official Secretary to the GovernorGeneral. I will ensure that these requirements are observed.
The Australian Archives holds no records of previous Governors-General which might now be released under the 50-year rule. However, we do hold copies of Sir Paul Hasluck's personal and confidential despatches to The Queen or her Private Secretary while he was Governor-General. We also hold some correspondence of Lord Casey with The Queen or her Private Secretary, including some confidential correspondence.
On his retirement as Governor-General, Sir Paul deposited with the Archives a locked, sealed case containing three categories of records. One of these categories consists of the copies of despatches referred to above. The arrangement agreed between Sir Paul and my predecessor is that the case will be opened in 1999, 30 years after Sir Paul became Governor-General, so that some of the records in the other two categories can be made available for public access on 1 January 2000, in accordance with the 30-year rule. The case is to be opened by the Director-General of the Archives of the day alone with the Official Secretary to the Governor-General as sole witness, so that the copies of despatches referred to above, if exposed, can then and there be resealed and repackaged unread, and the new package endorsed with the action taken and the necessary directions for the future.
