Particular issues
In addition to regular statements provided in accordance with the Archives Act, the Council is provided with regular reports by the Archives on its activities in managing archival records and its role in ensuring the preservation of essential current records of the Australian Government aligns with key priorities.
Specific areas of focus for the Council during the year are discussed below.
Release of Cabinet records
On 1 January each year, the Archives releases Cabinet records that have reached the open access period (are 30 years of age). At its June 2006 meeting, the Advisory Council was provided with a review of the Cabinet release process. A number of refinements to the process were agreed. Advice on these matters was to be forwarded to the Minister early in the new financial year.
The Council also supported the RG Neale Lecture series, which involves the annual release of selected Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade records. The additional records release promotes the Archives and draws attention to the Archives’ extensive collection. The inaugural RG Neale Lecture was held on 1 May 2006.
Review of reference services
Following the 2005 Review of Reference Services, the Council endorsed the provision of online services and digital access as the primary means of accessing the Archives’ collection. The Archives will continue to offer reading room services, but will redirect resources to meet the needs of over 84 per cent of researchers who choose to use the collection through the Archives’ online or remote services.
The Council supports the Archives’ proposals to extend digitisation programs to material held in the Archives’ state and Darwin offices, thereby greatly enhancing the accessibility of this material. The Council noted the Archives’ program of stakeholder consultation about changes to its reference services.
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Storage
The Council welcomed the Government’s decision to assist the Archives to enter a pre-commitment lease for a major new storage and preservation facility in the Australian Capital Territory.
Prime Ministers Centre
For some time, the Council had seen merit in the concept of a distinct institution to collect the records, including the personal papers, of Australia’s prime ministers. The Council welcomed the Government’s announcement in the May 2006 Budget of its intention to develop a ‘Gallery of Australian Democracy’, including a Prime Ministers Centre, at Old Parliament House.
Recordkeeping in the Australian Public Service
The Council was briefed on the Archives’ recordkeeping staff consultancy with the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (now Immigration and Multicultural Affairs). The Council encouraged the Archives to disseminate lessons learnt from this work more broadly throughout the Australian Public Service. Subsequently, the Archives developed recordkeeping training initiatives to assist departments and agencies in best practice recordkeeping.
Personal records services
The Archives’ collection policy for personal records is to acquire the papers of a target group of people who have been closely associated with the Australian Government in an official capacity.
In November 2005, the Council approved the broadening of the target group of people from governors-general, prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, Cabinet and other ministers, parliamentary secretaries, presidents of the Senate and speakers of the House of Representatives to include ministers assisting, leaders and deputy leaders of the Opposition, leaders and deputy leaders of political parties, leaders of the Government and the Opposition in the Senate, Federal and High Court judges, and other persons who have made a significant contribution to the democratic leadership of the nation or otherwise have a close association with the Australian Government.
This will ensure that valuable official records, as well as related private material that may complement the official record, are retained by the Archives.
Archives’ international activities
At its meeting in March 2006, the Council reviewed a paper on the range of international activities in which the Archives was engaged.
The Council supported continuing these efforts where they are consistent with Australian Government foreign policy, where the Archives derives clear benefit and, where appropriate, costs are recovered. The Council agreed with the terms of a report to the Minister on these activities.
2006 Census time capsule project
Through the year, the Council received progress reports on a proposed provision, beginning with the 2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, for members of the public to indicate their willingness to have name-identified census information retained by the Archives for 99 years and then released for public access. The Council supported this change because it will deliver richer demographic information for future researchers. The Council noted the need for consequential changes to the Archives Act.
Enhancing visitor numbers
Over several meetings, the Council discussed strategies to enhance visitor numbers to the Archives’ National Office, Canberra. The Council supported a number of specific initiatives and encouraged the Archives to pursue resources for others so that the full potential of the historic East Block building, in which the Archives’ National Office is housed, could be realised and visitor experience maximised.