National Archives of Australia and National Archives of Australia Advisory Council Annual Reports

149 Pages·2005·2.46 MB·English

National Archives
of Australia
and National Archives of
Australia Advisory Council
Annual Reports
2004–05
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005 Section images
ISSN 1440-8961 Page 2 Photograph of Sam Yin’s wife and
ISBN 1920807 31 4 child submitted as part of a migration
application for admission to Australia in 1912
This work is copyright. You may download, display, (NAA: A1, 1912/20919).
print and reproduce the material in unaltered form
only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non- Page 8 Sir Robert Helpmann and Barbara Chambers
commercial use or use within your organisation. performing Coppelia with the Australian Ballet, 1969
Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright (NAA: A1500, K20992).
Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Page 14 Girl standing near poinciana, Brisbane,1966
Requests for further authorisation should be directed (NAA: A1500, K16374).
to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Page 34 1952 Miss Pacific finalists Mary Clifton
Copyright Law Branch, Attorney-General’s Smith, Pamela Jansen and Judy Worrad, Bondi
Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Beach (NAA: A1500, K1220).
Barton ACT 2600, or http://www.ag.gov.au/cca
Page 46 Dancers from the Australian Ballet perform
Contact officer for the annual reports Yugen in Melbourne, 1965 (NAA: A1200, L51032).
Inquiries concerning the annual reports may be Page 118 Singer Johnny O’Keefe, c. 1962
directed to Ms Julia Hogan, Corporate Governance, (NAA: SP1011/1, 3597(4)).
National Archives of Australia, PO Box 7425,
Page 124 Surf lifesaving, Bondi Beach, 1960
Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610, telephone
(NAA: A1500, K5285).
[phone], facsimile [phone], email
[email protected]
The annual reports are also available on the National
Archives website (naa.gov.au).
[ ii ] ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05
Our reference: 2005/1650
16 September 2005
Senator the Hon. Rod Kemp
Minister for the Arts and Sport
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Dear Minister
We have pleasure in forwarding to you the annual reports on the operations of the National
Archives of Australia and the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council for the year ended
30 June 2005.
The reports are submitted in accordance with subsections 68(1) and 68(2) of the Archives Act
1983, which require the Archives and the Advisory Council to furnish you with reports of their
operations and proceedings during the preceding 12 months as soon as practicable after 30
June each year.
The Archives’ annual report is also made under section 70 of the Public Service Act 1999.
Subsection 70(1) of the Public Service Act requires the report to be given to you for presentation
to Parliament. The report has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines approved
on behalf of Parliament by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit as required by
subsection 70(2) of the Public Service Act.
Yours sincerely

Ross Gibbs Paul Santamaria
Director-General Chairman
Advisory Council
Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600 • PO Box 7425, Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610
tel [phone] fax [phone] email [email protected] website naa.gov.au

Contents
Director-General’s review of 2004–05 3
Organisational overview 9
Overview 9
Role and functions 9
Organisational structure 10
Advisory Council 10
Responsible Minister 10
Outcome and output structure 10
Financial overview 12
Performance reports 15
Output 1.1 15
Output 1.2 22
Management and accountability 35
Corporate governance 35
External scrutiny 39
Management of human resources 41
Assets management 43
Information management 44
Financial statements and supporting notes 47
for the year ended 30 June 2005
Appendix A Contact details 90
Appendix B Volunteers and the Work for the Dole Scheme 92
Appendix C Selected records transferred and described 93
Appendix D Publications 97
Appendix E Exhibitions program 99
Appendix F International and professional engagement 101
Appendix G Discretionary grants 106
Appendix H Occupational health and safety 108
Appendix I Freedom of Information section 8 statement 109
CONTENTS [  ]
Appendix J Ecologically sustainable development and environmental
performance 112
Appendix K Consultancies and advertising and market research 113
National Archives of Australia Advisory Council Annual Report 117
Establishment and functions 119
Advisory Council membership 119
Summary of activities 120
Statements required under the Act 120
Particular issues 121
Advisory Council subcommittees 122
Financial information and secretariat services 122
Freedom of Information section 8 statement 122
Glossary of terms, acronyms and initialisms 125
Compliance index 127
Figures and tables index 129
Alphabetical index 130
[ i ] ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05
National Archives
of Australia
Annual Report 2004–05

Director-General’s review
of 2004–05
In 2004–05 the Archives enhanced its related ways, including a ceremony at
contribution to the development of Australian Dhuruputjpi with the Acting Chief Justice,
culture and identity. We delivered on this David Angel, on an Archives’ Uncommon
objective by focusing throughout the year Lives website launched in Canberra by the
on the Archives’ strengths: its state/territory Northern Territory Administrator Ted Egan
infrastructure throughout Australia, its strong and members of the Dhudi-Djapu clan, and
national partner networks, its extensive national in a Film Australia documentary screened
touring exhibitions program and its excellent by ABC television.
website. • At the other end of Australia, Beacons by the
Sea – a Visions of Australia-funded touring
The local presence and local partnerships, in
exhibition of the Archives – was launched
particular, were fully exploited during 2004–05
at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art
to make the remarkable stories about Australia
Gallery in Launceston. Following this, a
contained in the Archives’ collections better
Tasmanian Lighthouse Trail was created to
known to more Australians. For example:
tell the stories of local lighthouses through
• In the Northern Territory, the Archives
displays and exhibitions in museums,
cooperated with the Dhuruputjpi com-
schools and libraries across the island;
munity in eastern Arnhem Land and the
the Lighthouse Trail was accompanied by
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
a purpose-built website funded by the
to produce ‘In Memory of Dhakiyarr’, an
Tasmanian Education Department.
album compiled from the resources of
the Archives, celebrating the life story of Commitment to providing strong support
the Aboriginal warrior Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda. for the Archives’ exhibition program proved
The Dhakiyarr story was told in several successful. During the year the Australian
DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S REVIEW OF 2004–05 [  ]
Attending a digital preservation conference in Canberra, September 2004. From left to right: Justine Heazlewood
(Public Record Office Victoria), Dianne Macaskill (Archives New Zealand), Janet Prowse (Queensland State
Archives), Ross Gibbs (National Archives of Australia), Richard Marciano (San Diego Supercomputer Center),
Liz Reuben (Department of Family and Community Services), Fynnette Eaton (US National Archives and
Records Administration).
stories told in our various exhibitions, part- for the descendants of migrant Australians.
icularly in It’s A Dog’s Life! and Beacons by the The Making Australia Home kit has enabled
Sea, both funded by Visions Australia, became migrants and their families to locate and retrieve
even more popular in regional Australia, with information about their arrival in Australia. The
more venues taking the shows (21 venues service involves Archives’ staff searching our
across Australia), attendances increasing vast holdings of migration records for the
(43% up on 2003–04), and local media interest relevant records and providing copies in a
increasing. The Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser special presentation folder. The service helps
in particular has become fascinated by the migrants and their families piece together their
Archives’ exhibitions, providing pages of family history.
coverage to It’s a Dog’s Life!
A key event for the Archives every year is the
In recent years, the Archives has developed release under the 30-year rule of the records of
standards, policies and procedures that will Federal Cabinet. The Prime Minister of the day,
enable Australian Government agencies to the Hon. Gough Whitlam, spoke to journalists
create, keep and make appropriate use of at the release, presenting his view of the
their records in a digital environment. This events of 1974. The release caused interest
year, the full archival cycle was completed and comment in the media.
when we transferred ‘born digital’ records
The Archives is conscious of the Government’s
into our prototype secure digital vault. Having
– and the public’s – desire to see efficient
helped agencies create their records in an
management of cultural assets through
e-government world, we can now take those
appropriate collaboration with other cultural
records into our custody and care for them for
institutions.
as long as they are required by the Australian
people. We have continued our longstanding
collaboration on the Australasian Digital
In February, Senator Amanda Vanstone launch-
Records Initiative through our leadership of the
ed for the Archives a new service particularly
Council of Australasian Archives and Records
Authorities.
[  ] ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05