Catalogue description Dominions Office and successors: Governor, Southern Rhodesia and High Commission, Southern Rhodesia, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Rhodesia: Correspondence

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Details of DO 154
Reference: DO 154
Title: Dominions Office and successors: Governor, Southern Rhodesia and High Commission, Southern Rhodesia, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Rhodesia: Correspondence
Description:

This series contains correspondence of the British Governor (1923-1953) and High Commission (1953 onwards) in Salisbury.

Date: 1946-1966
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Central African Office, High Commission, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1962-1963

Central African Office, High Commission, Southern Rhodesia, 1964-1964

Commonwealth Relations Office, Governor, Southern Rhodesia, 1947-1953

Commonwealth Relations Office, High Commission, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1953-1962

Commonwealth Relations Office, High Commission, Rhodesia, 1964-1966

Commonwealth Relations Office, High Commission, Southern Rhodesia, 1953-1953

Commonwealth Relations Office, High Commission, Southern Rhodesia, 1964-1964

Dominions Office, Governor, Southern Rhodesia, 1923-1947

Physical description: 98 file(s)
Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Accruals: Series is accruing
Administrative / biographical background:

Southern Rhodesia became a self-governing colony in 1923, with a governor appointed in London taking over the administration of the colony from the British South Africa Company. The Colony was granted full self-government, with the exception of legislation affecting African interests, Rhodesia Railways and international (but not Commonwealth or trade) relations. The post of governor was replaced by a high commissioner in April 1953, more responsibilities having devolved from Britain to the colony, and in September of that year the Federation of Southern and Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland came into being, with the High Commission in Salisbury becoming the British High Commission for the Federation.

Between March 1962 and April 1964, departmental responsibility for relations with the Federation and then the three former Federation territories rested with the Central African Office before reverting to the Commonwealth Relations Office. The Federation was dissolved in December 1963, and from January 1964 the three former territories resumed control of the powers formerly exercised by the Federation, with the High Commission in Salisbury assuming responsibility for British relations with Southern Rhodesia only. The name of Southern Rhodesia was changed to Rhodesia in 1964. In November 1965 Rhodesia declared its independence from Britain, and from that date the High Commission in Salisbury was effectively closed, with only residual staff remaining to take care of British interests in Rhodesia.

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