Archives on the quiet Archives on the quiet continentcontinent

Dr Lise SummersDr Lise Summers

State Records Office of Western State Records Office of Western AustraliaAustralia

GOVERNMENT OFWESTERN AUSTRALIA

What are archives?What are archives?

A building or a place where information is A building or a place where information is stored. Also known as a repository.stored. Also known as a repository.

Records that have continuing value ‘as Records that have continuing value ‘as authentic evidence of administrative, authentic evidence of administrative, corporate, cultural and intellectual corporate, cultural and intellectual activity…’ (Australian Society of Archivists)activity…’ (Australian Society of Archivists)

Records that are original and unique. Records that are original and unique. An organisation or institution that collects An organisation or institution that collects

or manages archives.or manages archives.

Native title researchNative title research Stolen generationsStolen generations Stolen wagesStolen wages RedressRedress Find and connectFind and connect

Use of archivesUse of archives

Heritage researchHeritage research Family historyFamily history House historyHouse history Graduate and post graduate Graduate and post graduate

researchresearch Science and industrial developmentScience and industrial development Legal research Legal research

Use of archivesUse of archives

Types of archival collectionsTypes of archival collections

CollectingCollecting University archivesUniversity archives Specialist collectionsSpecialist collections

Noel Butlin at ANUNoel Butlin at ANU J.S. Battye Library of West Australian HistoryJ.S. Battye Library of West Australian History

TransferringTransferring National Archives of AustraliaNational Archives of Australia State Records Office of Western AustraliaState Records Office of Western Australia

Collecting institutionsCollecting institutions

Can be located within another Can be located within another organisation, such as a library or a local organisation, such as a library or a local museummuseum

May have a legislative mandateMay have a legislative mandate Should have a collection policyShould have a collection policy

http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/archihttp://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/archives/about/collectionpolicy.htmlves/about/collectionpolicy.html

Transferring institutionsTransferring institutions

Have a legislative mandateHave a legislative mandate http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/

consol_act/aa198398/consol_act/aa198398/ Work with organisations to identify Work with organisations to identify

archives through retention and disposal archives through retention and disposal schedules or disposal authoritiesschedules or disposal authorities http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/records/pdf/PROShttp://www.prov.vic.gov.au/records/pdf/PROS

%202007-01%20Common%20Admin%202007-01%20Common%20Admin%20Version%202009.pdf%20Version%202009.pdf

Archives on the quiet continentArchives on the quiet continent

Think about the type of records you are Think about the type of records you are looking for.looking for. Government organisation – state or national Government organisation – state or national

archives, local studies collections and local archives, local studies collections and local councils.councils.

Private individual or organisation, business -Private individual or organisation, business -

Collecting archives or internal organisational Collecting archives or internal organisational archive such as a school archive.archive such as a school archive.

Locating archives on the quiet Locating archives on the quiet continent.continent.

Register of Archives - Register of Archives - http://directory.archivists.org.au/http://directory.archivists.org.au/

Collections Australia - Collections Australia - http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/

TROVE - http://trove.nla.gov.au/TROVE - http://trove.nla.gov.au/

Accessing archivesAccessing archives

Archives are like a museum. There will be Archives are like a museum. There will be restrictions on what you can use, what restrictions on what you can use, what equipment you can bring, and what you can see.equipment you can bring, and what you can see. Use pencils alwaysUse pencils always Digital photography is usually OKDigital photography is usually OK You may need to register as a researcherYou may need to register as a researcher Some records will have a restricted access period –Some records will have a restricted access period –

NAA has a 30 year closed access period, which is gradually NAA has a 30 year closed access period, which is gradually being reduced to 20 years.being reduced to 20 years.

Other records may have restrictions due to content such as Other records may have restrictions due to content such as health, native affairs and child welfare records.health, native affairs and child welfare records.

Accessing archivesAccessing archives Archives are like a library. There is usually a catalogue Archives are like a library. There is usually a catalogue

or listing of records.or listing of records. Unlike a library, you can’t search on a subject.Unlike a library, you can’t search on a subject. Archives are usually described by the creating agency or Archives are usually described by the creating agency or

person, by the type of record that they are and any person, by the type of record that they are and any linked records, and by the file or item title given by the linked records, and by the file or item title given by the creating agency. This is known as context or ‘respect creating agency. This is known as context or ‘respect des fonds’.des fonds’.

Archives are arranged and kept in the order in which Archives are arranged and kept in the order in which they were created and used – this is known as ‘original they were created and used – this is known as ‘original order’.order’.

Australian archives use the Series Registration System Australian archives use the Series Registration System to identify and describe archives.to identify and describe archives.

Accessing archivesAccessing archives

National Archives of Australia. National Archives of Australia. RecordSearch - http://www.naa.gov.au/RecordSearch - http://www.naa.gov.au/

State Records Office of Western Australia. State Records Office of Western Australia. AEON - http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/AEON - http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/

Archives in the Age of ExtremesArchives in the Age of Extremes ‘…‘…more history than ever is today being revised or invented by people who more history than ever is today being revised or invented by people who

do not want the real past, but only a past that suits their purpose. Today is do not want the real past, but only a past that suits their purpose. Today is the great age of historical mythology.’ Eric Hobsbaum, the great age of historical mythology.’ Eric Hobsbaum, Interesting timesInteresting times..

‘ “ ‘ “There are three ways of losing your money: women, gambling and There are three ways of losing your money: women, gambling and money. The first two are pleasanter, but the last is much more certain”, money. The first two are pleasanter, but the last is much more certain”, declared James de Rothschild. To the lasting regret of the archivists, this declared James de Rothschild. To the lasting regret of the archivists, this anecdote of Eric Hobsbawm cannot be attributed with certainty to Baron anecdote of Eric Hobsbawm cannot be attributed with certainty to Baron James…. However The Rothschild Archive contains more than enough James…. However The Rothschild Archive contains more than enough documentary evidence to support a study of every aspect of the family’s documentary evidence to support a study of every aspect of the family’s history…’ Melanie Aspeyhistory…’ Melanie Aspey

Archives in the Age of ExtremesArchives in the Age of Extremes ‘ ‘ Pavel Stroilov, a Russian exile in London, has on his computer 50,000 Pavel Stroilov, a Russian exile in London, has on his computer 50,000

unpublished, untranslated, top-secret Kremlin documents, mostly dating unpublished, untranslated, top-secret Kremlin documents, mostly dating from the close of the Cold War. He stole them in 2003 and fled Russia. from the close of the Cold War. He stole them in 2003 and fled Russia. Within living memory, they would have been worth millions to the CIA; they Within living memory, they would have been worth millions to the CIA; they surely tell a story about Communism and its collapse that the world needs to surely tell a story about Communism and its collapse that the world needs to know. Yet he can’t get anyone to house them in a reputable library, publish know. Yet he can’t get anyone to house them in a reputable library, publish them, or fund their translation. In fact, he can’t get anyone to take much them, or fund their translation. In fact, he can’t get anyone to take much interest in them at all.interest in them at all.

Then there’s Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who once spent 12 years Then there’s Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who once spent 12 years in the USSR’s prisons, labor camps, and in the USSR’s prisons, labor camps, and psikhushkaspsikhushkas—political psychiatric —political psychiatric hospitals—after being convicted of copying anti-Soviet literature. He, too, hospitals—after being convicted of copying anti-Soviet literature. He, too, possesses a massive collection of stolen and smuggled papers from the possesses a massive collection of stolen and smuggled papers from the archives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, which, as he archives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, which, as he writes, “contain the beginnings and the ends of all the tragedies of our writes, “contain the beginnings and the ends of all the tragedies of our bloodstained century.” ’ Claire Berlinski, bloodstained century.” ’ Claire Berlinski, http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_2_soviet-archives.htmlhttp://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_2_soviet-archives.html