Overview of the National Archives of Australia

Establishment and role

National Archives of Australia.
photographer: Gilbert Herrada

Establishment

The National Archives of Australia was established under the Archives Act 1983. It is a budget-funded agency within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. In 2001, the Archives became an executive agency under section 65 of the Public Service Act 1999.

The head of the Archives is the Director-General, a position created under the Archives Act.

Role and functions

The Archives maintains the records created by Australian Government agencies that form the archival resources of the Commonwealth. Under the Archives Act, the Archives’ responsibilities include:

playing the leading role in the management of Commonwealth records;
making available to the public Commonwealth records more than 30 years old, with certain exemptions;
encouraging and facilitating the use of the archival resources of the Australian Government; and
providing leadership in developing and coordinating the preservation and use of the archival resources of Australia.

The Archives also contributes to the maintenance and understanding of political, social and cultural values in Australia by:

promoting the role of records as evidence in supporting the rule of law;
supporting the effectiveness and accountability of government administration; and
preserving and providing access to documentation of the interaction between the Australian people and their government.
In fulfilling these responsibilities, the Archives ensures that Australians have access to a national archival collection that assists them to understand their heritage and democracy.

Outcome and output structure

The Archives is funded by the Australian Government to achieve agreed outcomes through a number of outputs. As shown in Table 1, the Archives has two outcomes and three outputs.

Table 1 – National Archives of Australia outcomes and outputs

Outcome 1	Commonwealth institutions have access to recordkeeping products and services that enable them to account for their actions and decisions through full, authentic and reliable records
	Output 1.1 Recordkeeping products and services
Outcome 2	Australians have access to a national archival collection that assists them to understand their heritage and democracy
	Output 2.1 A preserved, and developing, national archival collection
	Output 2.2 An accessible, and interpreted, national archival collection

The resources allocated to the above outcomes and outputs are
shown in Tables 2, 3 and 4.

Table 2 – Resources allocated to the National Archives of Australia – aggregate figures, 2007–08 and 2008–09 ($’000)

	Budget* 2007–08	Actual 2007–08	Variation**	Budget^# 2008–09
Administered expenses (including third-party outputs)	0	0	0	0
Total administered expenses	0	0	0	0
Price of departmental outputs
Total revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	67 161	67 161	0	66 316
Total revenue from other sources	9 180	7 925	(1 255)	8 805
Total for all outcomes (total price of outputs and administered expenses)	76 341	75 086	(1 255)	75 121

* Budget estimates as at 2007–08 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.
** The variation in relation to total revenue from other sources relates to a lower than forecast intake of records recognised as collection assets.
# Budget estimates as at 2008–09 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Table 3 – Resources allocated to the National Archives of Australia outcomes and outputs, 2007–08 and 2008–09 ($’000)

	Budget* 2007–08	Actual 2007–08	Variation**	Budget^# 2008–09
OUTCOME 1 Commonwealth institutions have access to recordkeeping products and services that enable them to account for their actions and decisions through full, authentic and reliable records
Output 1.1 Recordkeeping products and services
Revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	7 512	7 512	0	4 661
Revenue from other sources	384	413	29	128
Total price of Output 1.1	7 896	7 925	29	4 789
Total price of outputs and administered expenses for Outcome 1	7 896	7 925	29	4 789
OUTCOME 2 Australians have access to a national archival collection that assists them to understand their heritage and democracy
Output 2.1 A preserved, and developing, national archival collection
Revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	25 915	26 068	153	36 015
Revenue from other sources	7 828	6 471	(1 357)	402
Total price of Output 2.1	33 743	32 539	(1 204)	36 417
Output 2.2 An accessible, and interpreted, national archival collection
Revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	33 734	33 581	(153)	25 640
Revenue from other sources	968	1 041	73	1 330
Total price of Output 2.2	34 702	34 622	(80)	26 970
Total price of outputs and administered expenses for Outcome 2	68 445	67 161	(1 284)	63 387

* Budget estimates as at 2007–08 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.
** The major variation in relation to revenue from other sources relates to a lower than forecast intake of records recognised as collection assets.
# Budget estimates as at 2008–09 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Table 4 – Average staffing level, 2006–07 to 2008–09 (full-time equivalent)

	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09*
Average staffing level	402	413	410

* Management estimate.

Governance and organisational structure

Senator the Hon. John Faulkner, Cabinet Secretary

Minister

Under the Archives Act, the Minister may give directions consistent with the Act to the Director-General in relation to the exercise of his powers and the performance of his duties under the Act.

The Governor-General appointed the Cabinet Secretary, Senator the Hon. John Faulkner, Minister responsible for the Archives on 3 December 2007, succeeding Senator the Hon. George Brandis SC.

National Archives of Australia Advisory Council

Established under the Archives Act, the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council provides advice to the Minister and the Director-General on matters relating to the functions of the Archives. The Minister or the Director-General may refer matters to the Council for advice. The Council provides its own annual report to the Australian Parliament under the Archives Act. Its report for 2007–08 is included in this publication.

A governance framework for the Archives, current at 30 June 2008, is shown at Figure 1.

Figure 1 – National Archives of Australia governance framework as at 30 June 2008

National Archives of Australia governance framework as at 30 June 2008

Organisational structure

The Director-General, the Deputy Director-General and four Assistant Directors-General form the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team is responsible for the overall management of the Archives. The Deputy and Assistant Directors-General are each responsible for a branch of the Archives. An organisation chart is shown at Figure 2.

The Archives’ National Office is in Canberra. The Archives also has offices in all state capitals and Darwin. A Director heads each office of the Archives outside Canberra. A list of addresses and contact details is at Appendix A.

Changes in the Leadership Team

Two Assistant Director-General positions were filled during the reporting period:

Ms Margaret Chalker was appointed Assistant Director-General, Government Information Management Branch (13 December 2007); and
Ms Cheryl Watson was appointed Assistant Director-General, Corporate Services Branch (3 March 2008).

Executive responsibilities

The responsibilities of each member of the Leadership Team as at 30 June 2008 are described below.

The Director-General, Mr Ross Gibbs, is the Chief Executive of the Archives, appointed in 2003 by the then Minister for the Arts and Sport, and in 2008 for a further three years by the Cabinet Secretary.

The Deputy Director-General, National Coordination Branch, Mr James Barr, is primarily responsible for:

corporate governance, including audit, risk management, fraud control, parliamentary and ministerial liaison, and support for the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council;
major strategic projects;
management and oversight of state offices;
facilities and security issues;
Personal Records Service;
relationships with professional groups such as the Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities, and the Australian Society of Archivists; and
international activities, including the coordination
of international visits.

The Assistant Director-General, Government Information Management Branch, Ms Margaret Chalker, is primarily responsible for activities associated with the delivery of Outcome 1, including:

Records Authorities that provide for the appropriate disposal and retention of Commonwealth records, including their transfer to the Archives’ custody under section 24 of the Archives Act;
research, development and promulgation of standards and initiatives for the design and implementation of efficient records management systems for Australian Government agencies; and
provision of practical advice, assistance and training in records management to agencies.

The Assistant Director-General, Operations and Preservation Branch, Dr Stephen Ellis, is primarily responsible for activities associated with the delivery of Output 2.1, including:

extending the description of materials held by the Archives, including the development and maintenance of standards and systems for controlling and describing archives;
management of holdings to optimise appropriate public and government access to archival records, especially through online services;
preservation and conservation treatment of archival records
at risk of deterioration; and
development and maintenance of systems for the preservation and copying of particularly fragile materials, especially audiovisual and digital records.

The Assistant Director-General, Access and Communication Branch, Ms Anne Lyons, is primarily responsible for activities associated with the delivery of Output 2.2, including:

provision of services that assist the public to access and research the collection;
implementation of the access provisions of the Archives Act
by examining records for public release;
design and development of exhibitions and other programs and events that present and interpret the collection for a range
of audiences; and
management of a publishing program, including a range
of websites, that enhances or showcases research into and interpretation of the Archives’ collections and services.

As Assistant Director-General, Corporate Services Branch,
Ms Cheryl Watson is responsible for:

people management and development;
financial management; and
information and communication technology.