Jump to navigation

2006 News

         (added 6 November 2006)

         (added 6 November 2006)

         (added 6 November 2006)       

         (added 26 July 2006)

         (added 28 June 2006)

         (added 16 June 2006)

         (added 16 June 2006)

         (added 16 June 2006)

         (added 14 June 2006)

         (added 12 June 2006)

Mollie Lukis Award

Staff of the State Records Office (SRO) are delighted that Anne Gill was this year’s recipient of the Mollie Lukis Award.  She received the award in a joint State Library and SRO staff function on the 12th October, 2006.

  

Anne worked as a librarian at the Battye Library in the early 1970s before moving to live in the United Kingdom.  Upon her return to Western Australia in 1989, Anne was employed as an archivist at the State Archives which were then a directorate of the State Library.  During this time, Anne provided series descriptions of key sets of government records, including those of the Supreme Court, Fremantle Prison and the Governor’s Records.

Anne oversaw the second phase of the ‘Supreme Court Project’ during 1990. This involved the physical transfer of the Court’s archives to the State Archives in the same year, and the appropriate arrangement and description of those records.  Anne researched and wrote the text for “Order in the Court: a Guide to the Records of the Supreme Court in WA”, which was launched by the Chief Justice, David Malcolm, on 5 September 1990.  This Guide remains a much used reference for the  State Records Office staff, and researchers, 16 years after its publication.

Following a restructure of the State Library in 1996, Anne’s role at the State Archives changed from archivist to recordkeeping consultant.

Over the past ten years, many recordkeeping staff employed by Western Australian State and local government organisations have benefited from her knowledge, hard work and professionalism.  Anne has played a large part in assisting agencies to develop their Recordkeeping Plans, their primary compliance requirement under the State Record Act 2000.  She has also liaised effectively with those agency staff responsible for compiling appropriate Retention and Disposal Schedules during this time of great legislative change.

Anne has made the transition look simple as she brought herself up to speed with current and emerging issues and trends in recordkeeping practices, absorbed new information with a voracious appetite, and as a trainer extraordinaire. This can be demonstrated by her willingness to travel the length and breadth of our State in 2002, meeting and training government officers in order to spread the word to our government clients on their recordkeeping responsibilities under the newly proclaimed State Records Act 2000.

As an advisor and consultant, Anne has demonstrated an ability to provide useful and meaningful information and advice to our government clients.  She has done this with a professionalism and graciousness that has endeared her to all.  Anne has demonstrated a readiness to grasp the challenges of change.  Her eagerness to expand her experiences within the recordkeeping discipline is representative of her incredible energy. 

Anne Gill is a worthy recipient of this award, because like her predecessor, Mollie Lukis, Anne has made a significant contribution to archival and recordkeeping practices during the years she has worked with the State Archives and the State Records Office of Western Australia.

Podcasting

The State Records Office began a Podcasting Pilot on 25 July, 2006.  Over the next few months, until the formal launch of the Service in November, we'll be adding .mp3s and exploring the value of the channel to State Records Office users.  To find out more about the service check out our podcasting page, Podcasting@SRO.

 

Divider

General Disposal Authorities

 

The State Records Office would like to advise of amendments made to two existing General Disposal Authorities:

General Disposal Authority for Administrative Records

This GDA’s introduction has been amended to clarify the instructions for referencing categories of records within agencies’ functional Retention and Disposal Schedules.

Amendments have been made to the following sections in the Introduction:

General Disposal Authority for Human Resource Management Records

The retention periods of two categories of records in the GDAHRM have been amended in accordance with the Industrial Relations Act 1979 and Australian Taxation Office advice relating to recordkeeping requirements.

The affected records categories are:

 

The State Records Office has also completely revised its General Disposal Authority for Financial and Accounting Records:

General Disposal Authority for Financial and Accounting Records

The GDAFA is intended to cover the retention and disposal of financial and accounting records common to State government organizations.  This GDAFA supersedes the previous 1996 edition (RD 1995061) and has been fully revised and updated to include several new categories relating to financial and accounting activities.

Divider

2006 W.S. Lonnie Awards - Reporting on Recordkeeping Compliance

 

The Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) is a membership-based, not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to advance excellence in the public sector. Each year the Western Australian Division of the IPAA presents W. S. Lonnie awards for excellence in annual reporting by the public sector.

This year the IPAA established a new award under Special Award Categories: the State Records Commission award for Reporting on Recordkeeping Compliance.

Very special congratulations go to the first winner of this award, the South West Regional College of TAFE, which was announced at the IPAA awards presentation dinner on 22 June 2006.

The winner was chosen from 139 State government organisations whose 2004/05 annual reports were examined against SRC Standard 2: Government Recordkeeping, Principle 6 – Compliance, established by the State Records Commission under the State Records Act 2000.  This requires government organizations to ensure that their employees comply with their organization’s Recordkeeping Plans.

The minimum compliance requirements of Principle 6 require that the Recordkeeping Plan provide evidence to adduce that:

  1. the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization's record keeping systems is evaluated not less than once every 5 years;
  2. the organization conducts a record keeping training program;
  3. the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization's record keeping training program is reviewed from time to time;
  4. the organization's induction program addresses employee roles and responsibilities in regard to their compliance with the organization's record keeping plan;
  5. the organization includes within its annual report an appropriate section that addresses points 1-4.

These requirements are also prescribed in the Annual Reporting Framework issued by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

The judging panel felt that the College’s reporting on recordkeeping compliance was clear and concise and addresses the State Records Commission criteria very well, and that the report demonstrates an underlying awareness of the importance of recordkeeping for the organisation.

The panel would also like to commend all 19 government organisation shortlisted in the first round of assessment, in particular some of the smaller agencies.

The 19 shortlisted agencies were:

The State Records Office and the State Records Commission congratulates the South West Regional College of TAFE and all shortlisted organisations.  Keep up the good work!

Further information about this year's Lonnie Awards are available through the IPAA's WA website.

 

Divider

Exposure Drafts: Guidelines for Making and Managing Digital Records and SRC Standard 8 - Digital Recordkeeping

 

The State Records Office of WA and the State Records Commission are pleased to announce the publication of exposure drafts of a set of proposed Guidelines for Making and Managing Digital Records in government organizations and a new proposed State Records Commission Standard 8- Digital Recordkeeping. The Request For Comment (RFC) period for both documents runs until 1 November 2006. 

For further information, visit the Request for Comment page. Both documents are downloadable from this page.

 

Divider

Restricted Access Archives Project

 

The State Records Office is currently conducting a project to review the access status of all records in the State archives collection which are currently subject to access restrictions.  This task is required under Sect. 15 of the State Records (Consequential Provisions) Act 2000.  Under Western Australian legislation, access restrictions may be applied to State archives where circumstances warrant it and with State Records Commission approval.  Community access to restricted access archives is then determined under Freedom of Information legislation.

The need to review restricted access archives is important for a number of reasons:

Under the terms of the State Records Act 2000, the maximum period of restriction is 75 years from the date of the record, unless the record contains medical information or is deemed extremely sensitive and in which case longer periods of restriction may apply.  In practical terms, periods of restriction are often far less than 75 years.

The review project was commenced by Joanna Sassoon of the State Records Office and is currently being completed by Gerard Foley who is on secondment from the State Library of WA.  Both Joanna and Gerard have liaised closely with government agencies that have previously transferred records to the State archives collection and which are subject to a restricted access status.  Already, a large number of government files have had their restricted access status changed to open where government agencies have agreed to such recommendations.

The project is due for completion by November 2006.  Record listings in AEON are being updated to reflect any changes to their access status.  Final determinations for archives to remain under a restricted access status, as well as the periods of restriction, are to be made by the State Records Commission.

 

Divider

School Archives Challenge

 

Designed to encourage school students to use primary source materials from the State archives collection, the School Archives Challenge uses Western Australian cabinet papers, released from a thirty year embargo, as a starting point for investigations into the history of the State and the political process.  The Schools Archive Challenge invites students to look at issues from the archives, and compare them with a similar issue today.  The Challenge offers a prize of $500 each in the middle school and senior school categories.  This year’s slogan is “Dip into the archive of ‘75”.   

Last year’s inaugural Challenge saw students analyze a range of issues - from the 1974 decision to hold a referendum into Daylight Saving, to the findings of the Royal Commissions into Gambling and the City of Stirling.  They looked at similar issues today and commented on the decisions of Cabinet and the Commissioners.  Teachers were enthusiastic about the Challenge, commenting that “Students really enjoyed the project”.

This year’s Challenge includes papers on the Tronado cancer machine, the Darwin Relief Appeal following Cyclone Tracy and the holding of a political rally in Forrest Place in November 1975.  Cabinet decided to hold Royal Commissions into the treatment of Aborigines at Laverton, and into the running of the State Government Insurance Office.  The Cabinet made decisions about the use of ‘P’ plates, and allowed the University Prosh procession to be reintroduced after a three year gap.

Students can access the records in a number of different ways.  An index to the Cabinet papers for 1975 is available online.  This year, a small number of 1975 Cabinet papers has also been made available online for easy download. Other papers can be photocopied and sent to the school at the teacher’s request.  Alternatively, teachers may wish to bring small groups of students to visit the State Records Office and view the records for themselves. 

Challenge entries may be in the form of an essay, powerpoint, website or video.  Entries must be received at the State Records Office by close of business on Friday 29 September 2006.   Winners will be announced in October during Proclamation Week.

To register for the Challenge, which commenced on Foundation Day 1 June 2006, teachers should contact the State Records Office of Western Australia on (08) 9427 3360 or email sro@sro.wa.gov.au.

 

Divider

New Policy - Loan of State Archives to Government Agencies

 

On 1 July 2006, a new policy for the loan of records from the State archives collection to government agencies comes into effect.  The purpose of this policy is to better preserve records held in the State archives collection.

 

Divider

SRO Sandwich Seminar: Aboriginal Family History Research

 

The State Records Office regularly holds free lunchtime seminars on research topics of community interest to all interested members of the public.  The next of these "sandwich" seminars will be held on Thursday 6 July 2006 between 12.30pm and 1.30pm at the State Records Office.  To coincide with NAIDOC week, the seminar will focus on Aboriginal Family History Research.  The State Records Office is fortunate to have Dale Bacon from the Department of Indigenous Affairs' Aboriginal History Research Unit present this seminar.

Please see the seminar flyer for further details.  Bookings are essential and can be made by telephoning the State Records Office on ph. 9427 3360.

 

Divider

.NET Proof of Concept Project

 

In November 2005, the State Records Office received notification that it was successful in its funding application under the .NET Solutions - WA initiative for a new proof of concept project. The aim of this project was to develop a prototype online Recordkeeping Plans/Disposal Authorities system. This project was completed in May 2006.

To learn more about this innovative and exciting project, visit the .NET Proof of Concept page.

 

Divider

Changes to Our Website

 

The State Records Office has recently made some changes to our website as part of moving it to a new content management system.

Included in these changes are wider, "cinemascope " web pages.

We have revised all web content and have added in hyperlinks direct to our AEON catalogue where appropriate. We hope that this will make finding and accessing State archives easier.

We have also added in a new link from our main menu for some exciting digitial records initiatives that are currently underway at the State Records Office. This is an area in which the State Records Office anticipates playing a much bigger role in.

Finally, we hope you've had a chance to view the new slideshow available on our homepage. The State Records Office holds over 2 million government archives in the State archives collection - the slideshow highlights just a small fraction of them. We'll update the slideshow regularly to showcase these unique records that document our State's history.

 

Back to Top

Back Home