The records in this deposit were gathered by Edgar Ross, editor of the Federation's Common Cause, and used by him in the writing of his history of the Miners' Federation. Central Council: minutes of meetings (1917-1929), rules, reports of miners' conventions (1913-1965), material relating to 1949 Coal Strike, printed material, photographs and sketches. Southern District, Illawarra: minutes of Mount Pleasant (1902-1923) and Coledale (1922-1927) lodges, correspondence, arbitration material, membership lists (1916-1932) and financial records. Northern Branch, Newcastle: minutes of the Coal Miners' Mutual Protective Association of the Hunter River District (1874-1880), press cuttings (1893-1955) and 1938 Cessnock Strike material. Western District, Lithgow: minutes of Vale of Clwydd (1878-1881), Lithgow (1886-1899), Zig Zag, Hartley Vale, Mount Victoria, Oakey Park and State Mine lodges. Queensland District, Bundamba: minutes of the West Moreton Coal Miners' Union and Queensland Colliery Employees' Union meetings (1902-1940) and Mafeking Branch (1907-1910), membership register (1906-1910). Tasmanian Division: minutes of the Tasmanian Coal Miners' Association (1913-1926).

Minutes of Central Council meetings (1929-1972), office files of General President and Secretary including records of the Cokeworkers' Association of NSW (1903-1977), financial records, minutes of Seymour Miners' Lodge, Tasmania (1931), Balmain Miners' Lodge records (1924-1936), Retired Mineworkers' Association records (1956-1968), Combined Mining Unions records (1946-1971), papers of Henry Mather, arbitration material, newspaper cuttings, photographs, drawings and printed material.