Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2014–2015

A report from the Keeper of Public Records as required under section 21 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973

1 Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2014–2015

A report from the Keeper of Public Records as required under section 21 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973

Published by Public Record Office Victoria 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Tel (03) 9348 5600

Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2014–2015

© Copyright State of Victoria through Public Record Office Victoria 2015

Except for any logos, emblems, and trade marks, this work (Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2014–15) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia license, to the extent that it is protected by copyright. Authorship of this work must be attributed to the Public Record Office Victoria. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/.

Published on http://www.prov.vic.gov.au.

ISSN: 1320-8225

This Annual Report is printed on 100% recycled Australian made paper using vegetable inks.

Cover image: Grand Ridge Road : between Balook and Carrajung Country Roads Board, 1926. PROV, VPRS 17684/P1 unit 2, negative 25-15b.

3 CONTENTS

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA 6 Purpose and Objectives 7 Message from the Director 9 Public Records Advisory Council 10 Overview 13

REPORT ON PERFORMANCE 21 Highlights 2014–2015 22 Hon Gavin Jennings Special Minister of State Output Measures 2014–2015 33 Strategic Initiatives 2014–2015 35

Hon Gavin Jennings Build our Online Presence 35 Special Minister of State Increase Usability of the Collection 35 Level 1, 1 Treasury Place Increase the Engagement of Communities with their Archival Heritage 36 East Melbourne VIC 3002 Develop the Archival Collection to Increase its Value and Significance 40 Improve our Digital Transfer Capability 40 Enhance Government Recordkeeping Capability 41 Dear Minister Transform our Collection Managament Environment 41 Increase Organisational Capability 42 I am pleased to present a report on the carrying out of my functions under section 21(1) of the Public Records Act 1973 for the year ending 30 June 2015. APPENDICES 43

Yours sincerely Appendix 1: Assets, Financial Statement and Workforce Data 44 Appendix 2: Publications 46 Appendix 3: Standards and Advice Issued 47 Appendix 4: Approved Public Record Office Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS) 49 Appendix 5: VERS–Compliant Products 49

Justine Heazlewood Appendix 6: 2014 Victorian Community History Award Winners 50 Director and Keeper of Public Records Appendix 7: Local History Grants Program 52

GLOSSARY 55

4 5 VISION STATEMENT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES Public Record Office Victoria’s Vision Statement is ‘Public Records Publicly Available’. ‘Public Records Publicly Available’ seeks Purpose to inspire public servants to keep good records so that Public Record Office Victoria To support the effective management and use of the public records of the State of can fulfil its mission: to support the efficient Victoria, to ensure that the Government is accountable to the community and its management and use of public records in historical memory is preserved, secure and accessible. order that the Government is accountable Daily Operations Mission Statement to the community and the historical memory of the Victorian Government Public Record Office Victoria was established under To support the efficient management and use of is secure and accessible. section 3 of the Public Records Act 1973 (the Act), public records to ensure that the Government is ‘for the better preservation, management and accountable to the community and the historical utilisation of the public records of the State’. memory of the Victorian Government is secure and accessible. The Act provides the legal framework in which Public Record Office Victoria operates, and specifies Public Record Office Victoria has identified three the core functions of Public Record Office Victoria outcomes that represent the ongoing goals for the and the Keeper of Public Records with respect to organisation: government records. These functions, pursuant to • Preservation: The records of Government are sections 7, 11 and 12 of the Act include: preserved so that they are available and • Establish standards for the efficient accessible for as long as they are required. management of public records including • Management: The records of Government are creation, maintenance, security, selection of managed to enable accountability, efficiency those worthy of preservation, transfer for and innovation. archiving, and segregation or disposal of those not worthy of preservation. • Utilisation: The records of Government are used by communities to connect to their history and • Assist public officers to apply these standards culture. to records under their control. • Take public records into custody, preserve archives and provide security. • Classify records and publish indexes and guides to facilitate access. • Provide facilities for viewing, and make records in custody accessible. • Duplicate or reproduce and authenticate public records.

Left image: Soldier settler farming in Beaufort. J.Ellis, Beaufort, c1920s. Image courtesy Ray Ellis.

7 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Values 2014–2015 has been a year of great achievements for Public Record Office Victoria with a shift in our focus to online services and access to records. We’re looking The Public Administration Act 2004 requires that public sector employees demonstrate public service forward to continuing to grow in these areas over the next financial year. values as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees. Public Record Office Victoria actively implements, promotes and supports these values. Achievements A new structure We already know that our staff and volunteers 2014–2015 saw Public Record Office Victoria Public Record Office Victoria, as a public sector body, has developed the following set of values which are do an amazing job here at Public Record Office move from the Arts portfolio to the Department of based on, and are consistent with the Code of Conduct: Victoria, but it’s always fantastic to see their work Premier and Cabinet under the Special Minister of honoured outside the organisation. 2014–2015 State, the Hon. Gavin Jennings. This shift recognises • Responsiveness: Public Record Office Victoria • Respect: Public Record Office Victoria respects saw our volunteer program win a prestigious the significant role records play in ensuring provides accurate and impartial advice to its colleagues, public officials and members of Melbourne Award for Contribution to Community transparency and accountability in government. Government and delivers quality services to the Victorian community and treats them by a Corporation acknowledging the outstanding the Victorian community. Public Record Office fairly and objectively. Public Record Office Digital transformation work of our volunteers who spent more than 30,000 Victoria is open to new ideas and different Victoria is inclusive and does not tolerate Following funding in the May 2014–2015 State hours last year preserving Victoria’s history for approaches that will achieve the most effective harassment, bullying or discrimination. Budget, we’ve commenced work on building a future generations. results. new digital archive and new website that will • Leadership: Public Record Office Victoria The hard work of our volunteers contributed significantly improve our ability to provide access • Integrity: Public Record Office Victoria is open promotes best practice in recordkeeping and to the great success of our soldier settlement to records and our services online. This is especially and honest in dealing with colleagues, clients, innovation. Public Record Office Victoria leads digitisation project which came to completion in important for our users who are increasingly moving stakeholders and the Victorian community. by example by creating positive and productive April with the launch of the Battle to Farm website their research online. Public Record Office Victoria strives to provide working relationships. Public Record Office (soldiersettlement.prov.vic.gov.au). This important equal access to all products and services, act Victoria supports, motivates and strives to In response to this shift, we also began an online project allows Victorians to discover the history responsibly and avoid any real or apparent develop its staff to reach their full potential. enquiry service to assist researchers seeking of their World War One soldier settler ancestors conflicts of interest. access to our collection. In our first year we received • Human Rights: Public Record Office Victoria through files available online. It’s quite an incredible a staggering 9,000 online enquiries. We expect this • Impartiality: Public Record Office Victoria respects and supports the Charter of Human piece of work and something that we are all very trend towards online research to continue to grow makes decisions and provides advice that is Rights and Responsibilities in all decisions and proud of. exponentially over the next couple of years which fair, objective and without self-interest. Public advice and abides by all appropriate legislation. Our work to bring our records to more Victorians is why our digital transformation projects are so Record Office Victoria works to serve the public • Collaboration: Public Record Office Victoria through online technology has also included important. good. consults and engages with the Victorian forming digital partnerships with Ancestry, Find Acknowledgements • Accountability: Public Record Office Victoria community, clients and stakeholders. Public My Past and Google Cultural Institute. Sharing our I would like to extend a big thank you to all of our staff members operate transparently and take Record Office Victoria provides customer service collections with these online providers is a win- staff, volunteers, partners, and Public Records responsibility for their own actions. Public that most effectively meets the needs of clients win for everybody, including our partners and for Advisory Council members for their drive and Record Office Victoria maintains a sustainable and stakeholders. researchers who can access our records wherever dedication in 2014–2015. I look forward to workplace environment and seeks to achieve the they may be in the world. continuing our great work next year. best use of resources. This year we also developed our mobile technologies policy paper and refreshed our appraisal statement clarifying parameters with which we collect permanent records. We also published a guide book on researching historic homes in Victoria and saw a number of significant new transfers to our collection. The transfer of one of the most significant women’s health collections in the world, the Royal Women’s Hospital Collection, became the subject of a very popular talk at our Open Day in May. This year we’ve also transferred records relating to cemeteries dating back to the 1840s, which is part of a multi-year project set to continue into the next financial year. Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records

8 9 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT PUBLIC RECORDS ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Public Records Advisory Council continues to support Public Record Office Establishment and Functions Summary of Activities Victoria in preserving important Victorian public records and provide advice on the The Public Records Advisory Council is established The Council met on four occasions in 2014–2015: most up-to-date government record-keeping practices. under section 4 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973. • 24 July 2014 Victorian Archives Centre The functions of the Council, as specified in section As President I would like to commend Public Record The collaboration with the Old Treasury Building 5 of the Act, require that it: • 11 September 2014 Ballarat Town Hall Office Victoria (PROV) staff for implementing a which places on display hundreds of public records • 18 November 2014 Victorian Archives Centre number of new initiatives. This included a register from across Victoria will continue for another • (a) In consultation with the Keeper of Public Records, shall promote cooperation between of permanent value records, held outside of PROV, three years and I and my fellow Council members • 19 February 2015 Victorian Archives Centre which have been identified as at risk. This register commend Public Record Office Victoria in seeking Public Record Office Victoria and public offices. Public Record Office Victoria provides support to is updated regularly and PROV has pro-actively creative opportunities to share their archival • (b) May report and make recommendations the Council by preparing Council agenda papers, initiated communication with government agencies collection with the public. to the Minister on any matter relating to the coordinating the scheduling of Council meetings, to identify ways to ensure that these records at risk administration of the Act. A number of Council members have departed this providing assistance with the appointment are safeguarded. year and I’d like to acknowledge their contributions Council Membership of new Council members, as well as providing The digitising partnerships continue to grow over their many years on Council. To Kathryn Dan, assistance and administrative support for in scale, and I and my fellow Council members Anita Jack, Professor Andrew May, Professor Section 4 (1A) of the Act requires that the Council Council Subcommittees. The Council would like were excited to see digitised series of records Sue McKemmish, Debbie Prout, Susie Zada and consist of not more than ten members with to record its appreciation of the support provided now published and searchable on Family Search, Departmental representative, Andrew Abbott; I knowledge and experience in such areas as to it throughout the year by the Keeper of Public Find My past and Ancestry.com.au, as well as thank you for your guidance and the contribution public administration, local government, records Records, Justine Heazlewood and her staff and to photographic collections added to the global you have made to the Public Records Advisory management, business administration, historical especially thank Lucille Cutting and Rebecca Young platform Google Cultural Institute. All of these Council and to PROV. I’d also like to acknowledge my research and genealogical research. for their shared support in the role of initiatives match the government’s expectation fellow Council member Jim Berg for his continued Membership of the Council during 2014–2015 Council Secretary throughout the year. that public records be more easily available and support and assistance. comprised: accessible. Joanne de Morton, President. I was pleased to see renewed funding In the year ahead to support PROV in improving the public’s Kathryn Dan, Records management. access to online records through the delivery of (Council term ended 22 April 2015) a new Digital Archive, as well as ongoing work to Jim Berg, Indigenous heritage. update standards for digital record keeping. Anita Jack, Historical research (public history). (Council term ended 22 April 2015) Associate Professor Andrew May, Historical research (academic). (Council term ended 22 April 2015) Professor Sue McKemmish, Information and records management. (Council term ended 22 April 2015) Debbie Prout, Information and records management. (Council term ended 22 April 2015) Susie Zada, Genealogy and local history. (Council term ended 22 April 2015) Secretaries: Ms Lucille Cutting and Ms Rebecca Young.

Joanne de Morton President, Public Records Advisory Council

10 11 OVERVIEW

Council Meetings Administration Protected disclosure In 2014–2015, Council members recommenced Executive The Protected Disclosure Act 2012 is designed to Council meetings in regional and outer- help people make disclosures about improper Headed by Justine Heazlewood, Director and metropolitan locations and, in September 2014, conduct within the public sector without fear of Keeper of Public Records, the executive team met at the Ballarat Town Hall. In conjunction reprisal. The Act aims to make the public sector is located at 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne, with the visit, Public Record Office Victoria staff more open and accountable by encouraging people Victoria, Australia; phone (03) 9348 5600. conducted a public information session on a range to make disclosures and protecting them when of topics including digitisation and preservation as Act administered: Public Records Act 1973 they do. well as property research. Public Record Office Victoria’s operations are Public Record Office Victoria is committed to the Support for Public Record Office Victoria governed by the Public Records Act 1973, which aims and objectives of the Act. In particular, Public defines the role of both the Keeper of Public Record Office Victoria does not tolerate improper Throughout the year, the Council provided advice Records and the organisation. The Act is available conduct by its staff or reprisals against those who and insights to the Keeper of Public Records in for inspection on the Public Record Office Victoria come forward to disclose such conduct. relation to the establishment of a risk register of website, www.prov.vic.gov.au and at our North The procedures for protecting people who make permanent value records yet to be transferred Melbourne and Ballarat offices. to Public Record Office Victoria. This included protected disclosures under the Protected identifying records outside of our custody that are Regulations made and administered Disclosure Act 2012 are available on Public Record Office Victoria’s website www.prov.vic.gov.au. at particularly high risk. As part of this work, we are Regulations are made under section 23 of the collaborating with departments and agencies on Public Records Act 1973 and are known as the Public Record Office Victoria standards and identifying and correcting major problems in their Public Records Regulations 2013. authorities archival practices. The Regulations prescribe fees for making and Public Record Office Victoria issues standards for In addition, the Council advised the Keeper on the supplying copies of public records and set out records management and authorities for retention creation of a transfer policy for local government conditions for the inspection of public records and and disposal under section 12 of the Public that outlines a process for transferring records use of facilities provided by Public Record Office Records Act 1973. A full list of current standards to Places of Deposit – which is a facility or area Victoria. and authorities is provided on Public Record appointed under s.14 of the Public Records Act Office Victoria’s website atwww.prov.vic.gov.au/ All Regulations are available for inspection on 1973, to store specified classes of records. A POD government and at both the North Melbourne and Public Record Office Victoria’s website at may be appointed to hold temporary records which Ballarat offices. would otherwise be destroyed; or certified by the www.prov.vic.gov.au/about-us and at both Keeper of Public Records as a POD Repository to locations. Department of Premier and Cabinet Annual Report hold State Archives on behalf of Public Record Portfolio responsibility Further information about Public Record Office Office Victoria. Records held in a POD are deemed to Victoria’s performance during 2014–2015, including The Department of Premier and Cabinet, through be under the custody and control of the Keeper of financial and staffing data, is included in the annual Arts Victoria, has portfolio responsibility for Public Records. report of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Public Record Office Victoria. Public Record Office available at www.dpc.vic.gov.au. Victoria is an administrative office under the Public Administration Act 2004. Freedom of Information Requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 are handled through the Department of Premier and Cabinet Freedom of Information Officer. For information about categories of documents maintained by Public Record Office Victoria, please refer to the Department of Premier and Cabinet website at www.dpc.vic.gov.au.

12 13 CONTACT

As at 30 June 2015 Public Record Office Victoria operated two public reading rooms and had 51.8 staff members (FTE) working across two operational areas. Public Reading Rooms Email: [email protected] Victorian Archives Centre Harry Nunn Reading Room 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia Phone: (03) 9348 5600 Ballarat Archives Centre State Government Offices Corner Mair and Doveton Streets Ballarat VIC 3350 Australia Phone: (03) 5333 6611

Government Services Assistant Director: David Brown Phone: (03) 9348 5621 Email: [email protected] Agency enquiries: [email protected] Access Services Acting Assistant Director: Alison McNulty Phone: (03) 9348 5711 Email: [email protected] Public enquiries: [email protected] Corporate Services Assistant Director: Graeme Hairsine Phone: (03) 9348 5727 Email: [email protected] Public enquiries: [email protected]

Right image: Portrait of soldier settlers Edward Lay and family. Courtesy Creswick Museum.

14 15 OVERVIEW

Organisational structure Government Services Corporate Services Government Services assists Victorian public sector Corporate Services supports staff across Public agencies in better managing their records. This is Record Office Victoria through the provision of the done through: following services: Special Minister of State • Developing and supporting the implementation • Budgeting and financial management and of best-practice records management processes reporting. and policies across the whole of Victorian Secretary • Risk management. Department of Government. • Facilities management. Premier & Cabinet • Building partnerships with stakeholders to improve information and records management. • Environmental planning and reporting. Deputy Secretary • Identifying and preserving records of permanent • Strategic planning and reporting. Department of value. Premier & Cabinet • Communications and online engagement. Governance, Policy & Coordinaton • Making records more visible and accessible • Information communication technology. through new technology and better-aligned documentation, transfer and disposal practices. • Information management. Director Public Records Public Record Office Victoria Advisory Council • Managing the Victorian Electronic Records • Human resource management. Strategy. • Organisational development. Access Services The goal of Access Services is to ensure that our unique collection is widely known and accessible Government Access Corporate to the people and Government of Victoria. This is Services Services Services achieved through: • A program of exhibitions, publications, Standards Finance & educational resources and outreach activities. Online Access & Policy Risk Management • The provision of public reading room services and online access to Public Record Office Victoria’s collection and research tools. Government Collection Facilities • Preserving archives within their region of origin, Recordkeeping Services ensuring equality of access for communities in regional Victoria.

Community Communications & • Providing culturally appropriate services, VERS Archives Online Engagement procedures and tools that enhance access by the Koorie community. • Transmitting information to clients about the Technology collection. Services • Issuing records in a manner that meets government needs and community expectations.

People & Culture

16 17 OVERVIEW

Corporate Plan 2013–2017 Guiding principles Five operating principles have been established to Public Record Office Victoria’s four-year Corporate Plan provides the strategic direction guide in the implementation of Public Record Office for the period 2013–2014 to 2016–2017. Victoria’s initiatives, both in decision making and the development of new programs and activities The plan articulates the mission, primary strategic objectives and values of Public within each initiative. Record Office Victoria; it also describes our current and emerging operating environment We will: in order to set the context for our new program of work over the next four years. The plan • Seek and take advantage of partnerships and introduces Public Record Office Victoria’s three overarching outcomes and our strategic alternative ways of working collaboratively in initiatives. It also details the guiding principles that we use when implementing our order to achieve our outcomes. initiatives. • Be open to new ideas and different approaches that will achieve the most effective results. Outcomes • Develop the archival collection to increase its value and significance: Develop the archival • Take advantage of our unique mandate to • Preservation: The records of Government are collection, increasing its value and significance provide leadership in those areas in which we preserved so that they are available and to the community by identifying records that have sector expertise. accessible for as long as they are required. have highest value to the Victorian community • Identify and consult with stakeholder and client • Management: The records of Government are and negotiating arrangements for their addition groups on matters of relevance to them, using managed to enable accountability, efficiency to the collection. the resulting feedback to shape and improve our and innovation. • Improve our digital transfer capability: Deliver strategies, products and services. • Utilisation: The records of Government are used a framework, systems and tools that will improve • Design our programs in such a way as to by communities to connect to their history and Public Record Office Victoria’s ability to support increase our stakeholders’ opportunity to culture a high-volume, automated digital transfer preserve and express their cultural heritage capability that minimises the costs and risks Initiatives and contribute to the social and cultural fabric involved in mass digital transfers. of Victoria. • Build our online presence: Build a new online • Enhance Government recordkeeping Detailed information about our activities can be presence for the organisation in alignment with capability: Undertake a range of activities to found under these headings in the next section of the development of Public Record Office measure the current status of recordkeeping this report. Victoria’s new collection management across the Victorian public sector. Deliver environment. This initiative will ensure the online specific information and services to maximise presence interacts effectively with Public Record recordkeeping capability, particularly in a Office Victoria’s systems and, through its digital paradigm. flexibility and scope, will support current and future service and product development and • Transform our collection management delivery. environment: Deliver an entirely new technology environment for Public Record Office Victoria’s • Increase usability of the collection: Pursue collection management environment to meet the opportunities to expose digital content and the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated structured metadata describing Public Record public sector and general populace. Office Victoria’s collection through multiple external channels. • Increase organisational capability: Increase the professionalism and diversity of employees • Increase the engagement of communities through a number of key activities including a with their archival heritage: Review community Management Development Program and partnership programs and approaches to refreshed mentoring for all staff. maximise opportunities and benefits to be achieved through community engagement initiatives. Soldier settlers farming in Beaufort. J.Ellis, c1920s. Image courtesy Ray Ellis, Beaufort Historical Society.

18 19 REPORT ON PERFORMANCE

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA

A demonstration of Mallee rolling arranged by the Murrayville District Reception Committee 1926 (soldier settlers cleared much of the Mallee) Image courtesy State Library of Victoria.

20 21 HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015

Public Record Office Victoria volunteers ANZAC Centenary: Battle to Farm: Dig the Archives Online Retention & Disposal Application honoured with a Melbourne Award Soldier Settlement Project launched On the 2nd of May we hosted our third annual Dig In 2015 we introduced an Online Retention and In November 2014, our volunteers became the In April 2015 we launched an important new the Archives open day with the National Archives of Disposal Application (ORDA) service to automate proud recipients of a Melbourne Award. website for historical and family research. Australia (NAA). and streamline the process of developing, approving, and publishing Retention and Disposal The Hon. Gavin Jennings, Special Minister of State, Volunteer program coordinators, Jack Martin and Battle to Farm enables public access to 10,000 Authorities (RDAs). Leigh Kinrade, attended the City of Melbourne’s digitised government records on the Victorian launched the day’s festivities which saw more gala event to accept the Award for Contribution to Soldier Settlement Scheme. The scheme helped than 400 people enjoy tours and workshops at the ORDA provides Public Record Office Victoria and Community by a Corporation on behalf of our more settle thousands of returned World War One Victorian Archives Centre, with 50 per cent surveyed our clients with a streamlined workflow process, than 120 volunteers. soldiers on farming land across Victoria through as new visitors. the ability to benchmark disposal decisions within a wider appraisal framework, capture appraisal government leases, drastically transforming the This year, we partnered with Ancestry to present Jack Martin told the audience that PROV volunteers reports in context, review draft RDAs and provide landscape of regional Victoria. Dig the Archives 2015. Award-winning journalist cover a broad demographic and wide range of feedback using tagged commenting fields. ORDA and author Gideon Haigh gave the keynote address backgrounds. The records are now searchable by soldier name also enables PROV to capture and store retention and geographic location, making the Battle to about his research into convicted murderer “But one thing they all have in common – and and disposal data in a machine readable form that Farm project an extraordinary achievement, John Bryan Kerr. This was followed by a series of in common with Leigh and myself – is their may be imported into agency systems and re-used placing online one of Victoria’s important military impressive talks and training seminars hosted by a passion for the State’s archives and for the stories for other purposes. collections. range of speakers from PROV, NAA and Ancestry as contained in the records. well as guest speakers from across Victoria. Topics ORDA was first developed by the State Records More than 90 volunteers spent two years digitising “Their work is making a permanent contribution included transformative women during colonial Office of Western Australia, and we have installed, these records to bring this important resource to to current and future researchers and enhancing Victoria, soldier settlement post WW1, crime and tested, and configured the software for use by life in time for the ANZAC Centenary. Melbourne’s reputation as a centre for research. family research, and the launch of our new guide to Victorian Government Agencies. The archival For recognising their work with this award, we’re Battle to Farm was funded by the Veterans’ Branch researching historical houses. We provided a range authorities of Western Australia, Tasmania and very grateful to the City of Melbourne and the of the Department of Premier and Cabinet as part of different topics to appeal to visitors new and old. Victoria have all now installed the application and sponsors of this awards ceremony tonight.” of the Centenary of Anzac commemorations. The are sharing upgrades, enhancements, and any project was supported by Monash University, the resources they develop.

ANZAC Commemorative Committee, Beaufort PROV currently has 14 registered active Agency

Historical Society, Stanhope Historical Society, editors, 11 RDAs under development and 65

Gippsland Historical Society, and more than 80 current RDAs in ORDA. volunteers. For more information visit soldiersettlement.prov.vic.gov.au.

Jack Martin and Leigh Kinrade accept the 2014 Melbourne Volunteers working on the Battle to Farm project. The Hon. Gavin Jennings MLC launched Dig the Archives New visitors loved the archive tours which ran throughout Award from Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley for the Public 2015 with a speech on the significance of the archives to all Dig the Archives 2015. Record Office Victoria volunteer program. Victorians.

22 23 HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015

Software Independent Archiving of Records Management Network Meetings PROV in the Media Recordkeeping Policy Mobile Relational Databases We delivered two Records Management Network Public Record Office Victoria has gained Technologies The Software Independent Archiving of Relational (RMN) events for government record keepers this considerable positive media attention this year The use of mobile technologies can improve and Databases (SIARD) software was developed by financial year. with more than 130 mentions across print, streamline government processes and also reduce television, radio and online. the Swiss Federal Archives and is based upon The first was held in March at the Victorian Archives operational costs. However, any uptake of new international standards. It extracts the content and Centre where we delivered a workshop on aspects To promote good government recordkeeping, technologies also creates new risks. With this in structure of relational databases and saves them of digital archiving, including an introduction to we partnered with Public Sector News for a ten mind, we released the Mobile Technologies and in the SIARD format. We have identified the SIARD transferring relational databases to Public Record part record keeping tips series attracting 10,000 Recordkeeping Issues Paper back in 2013–2014. format as appropriate for long term preservation, Office Victoria. readers between October and December 2014. With this groundwork completed, a policy paper and will accept them into the digital archive. Held in May, the second RMN event featured Our January Section 9 openings, records formerly on mobile technologies was formulated during Through 2014-15 we’ve successfully collaborated presenters from university, government and closed to the public, were used in two separate 2014–2015. The purpose of this policy document with the Department of Health and Human Services the private sector. Attracting over 170 records Herald Sun Online features reaching a monthly is to provide principles for making decisions and to establish the capability for preserving public and information management professionals, it audience of 1.9 million Victorians. implementing actions about the use of mobile records from relational databases using the SIARD covered topics such as understanding information technologies for recordkeeping across the Victorian Great efforts were also put into publicising School tools. This collaboration is an example for other culture, privacy and data protection, information Government. Days: Education in Victoria at Old Treasury Building. agencies. as a business asset and two case studies from The exhibition has so far been covered by 56 PROV’s Digital Partnerships government agencies. Highlights included a Victorian Electronic Records Strategy outlets including Channel 10 News, Postcards, ABC, breakdown of the Department of Health and In 2014 Public Record Office Victoria entered into Australian Teacher Magazine and Inside History. As Standards and Tools Refresh Human Services Ward Records Plan - a project a digitising agreement with DC Thomson (Find My a result, we’ve had more monthly visitors to School which involves the identification, indexation, Past), a leading online family history provider. This In 2000, Public Record Office Victoria was among Days than any other exhibition we’ve had with Old storage, management and digitisation of over agreement was for DC Thomson to work with Family the first organisations in the world to issue a Treasury Building. standard for the preservation of digital records. 180,000 original ward records. Attendees noted the Search to digitise and index agreed parts of our The standard underpins our digital preservation high quality of presentations and the invaluable The Battle to Farm website launch collection and publish these online, providing us activities, including the operation of our Digital opportunity afforded to engage with fellow records (soldiersettlement.prov.vic.gov.au) garnered with copies of the digitised images. This follows on Archive. This standard has now been thoroughly managers. considerable interest from regional and national from the highly successful agreement we entered revised and brought up to date. The new version outlets including Statewide Drive, The Weekly into with Ancestry last year. of the standard (PROS 15/03, Standard for the Times, The Australian, Melbourne Leader and By entering agreements such as these, we are encapsulation of digital information) was approved Australian Associated Press. The outstanding supporting our strategic aims of preserving records by the Director and Keeper of Public Records on media coverage attracted 8,413 people to the site and assisting communities to connect with their 1 June 2015. in the first month alone. history and culture. Working in partnership with The purpose of the revision was to 1) reduce the Our annual open day, Dig the Archives, was also family history providers to digitise and publish costs to government in preserving digital records, covered 39 times leading up to the event. significant parts of the collection online enables 2) make the application of the standard to complex researchers from around the world to easily digital objects easier and more efficient, 3) take discover and access our records. advantage of developments in digital preservation since the standard was last revised, and 4) be ready for the renewal of our digital archive. These goals were achieved while retaining the preservation principles of the original VERS standard. Tools to create and validate digital records according to the new VERS standard have been created. In accordance with State Government policy, these tools will be available to stakeholders (including vendors) under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. Atendees at the Records Management Network organised and The television crew from Postcards visited the School Days facilitated by Public Record Office Victoria staff. exhibition at Old Treasury Building to film a segment for their heritage episode (aired 31 May on Channel 9).

24 25 HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015

Publication of Historic Homes Environmental Sustainability 2011–2012 2012–2013 2013–2014 2014–2015 Research Guide Public Record Office Victoria is now in the second Energy (megajoules per m) 761 835 806 807 Public Record Office Victoria holds a wide range of year of a two year Environmental Strategy which records for researching buildings and properties spans 2013–2014 and 2014–2015. The core Water (kilolitres per FTE ) 15.6 34.6 29.6 22.79 in Victoria. In May 2015 we launched the Historic objectives of our Environmental Strategy are to: Paper (reams per FTE) 9.2 6.8 6.7 6.8 Homes Research Guide in collaboration with • Maintain a reduced carbon footprint at the Waste (tonnes per FTE) 0.82 0.83 0.82 0.61 Ballarat City Heritage Unit to provide Victorians Victorian Archives Centre. with an introduction to government records that Greenhouse gas emissions (tonnes CO2) 3834 4067 3607 3662 can help them when researching the history of • Maintain a reduced ecological footprint around their home (see appendix 2 Publications, page 46). our office based activities. Volunteers Program those who departed for the First World War from • Continue to support the sustainable Fremantle, Western Australia in 1914. Over the Google Cultural Institute Public Record Office Victoria’s team of over 120 course of the year, the Melbourne volunteer project management and use of government records. volunteers undertake work on under-utilised or This year we partnered with Google to publish a re-housed 2,400 boxes of records, indexed 43,400 During the year we focused on major facilities difficult to use areas of the collection, conserving collection of exhibitions featuring more than 250 repatriation case files, digitised the medical files projects that will deliver medium to long-term records and adding search metadata to allow individual records. The Google Cultural Institute, of 816 first departures, resulting in an estimated energy efficiencies to the Victorian Archives Centre: researchers to more easily discover and use 62,000 images uploaded. a global platform for collecting institutions to important records relating to Victoria’s history. showcase their digitised records, launched in • We installed a third new chiller unit as part of While the majority of our volunteers work on Australia in April. We published predominantly our multi-year chiller replacement program. Throughout 2014–2015, volunteers contributed a projects to support collection management, photographic records which have been viewed The new units are extremely energy efficient record breaking 30,000 hours of work between the they also manage the catalogue for our in-house more than 74,000 times since launch. and once the final chiller unit is installed next Victorian Archive Centre and the Ballarat Archives technical library and have undertaken projects year they will be configured to run in an energy- Centre undertaking work from all areas of our vast for our government services division, online optimal configuration. collection. engagement and exhibition teams. Excitingly, an • We replaced all of our office lights with energy In November 2014, our volunteers’ hard work was ongoing project, indexing the central register of efficient LED lights. rewarded with a Melbourne Award for Contribution female prisoners has now been completed as to Community by a Corporation from the City of part of this work, as has digitising and indexing of • We commenced an investigation into the Melbourne. numerous series from the Ballarat Archives Centre. development of a cogeneration facility at the Victorian Archives Centre. Cogeneration allows Battle to Farm, a major project for 2014–2015, saw While we have welcomed many new volunteers into for both electricity and heating to be generated volunteers identifying and digitising World War One our program we recognise the retirement of six from one system using a low cost fuel (in our soldier settlement land files for inclusion on the long-standing volunteers, who between them have case, gas). We hope to commence a pilot of this Battle to Farm website. The website now provides provided over sixty years of volunteer service at facility in the next year. access to the individual records of thousands Public Record Office Victoria. Julie Chippindall, Barb of World War One returned soldiers who leased Addie, Sandra Marshall, Beryl Mainon, Ken and We will also be undertaking a review of our two- farming land across Victoria between 1919 and Dawn Walduck, we thank you for your dedication year Environment Strategy and identifying new 1935, thanks to the work of approximately 90 and wish you all the best. opportunities to deliver further efficiencies at our individual volunteers. site. These will form the core of a new Environment Public Record Office Victoria acknowledges the Strategy that will underpin our commitment Public Record Office Victoria volunteers have also great contribution that all volunteers have made to continually reducing our carbon footprint by assisted the National Archives of Australia’s ongoing during the year and we look forward to an equally monitoring and improving the way the Victorian Albany Project: an on site project at the Victorian productive 2015–2016. Archives Centre operates. Archive Centre in 2014–2015. The volunteers’ work involves describing and indexing the repatriation series of personal case files of World War One returned soldiers and digitising a cross section of

Public Record Office Victoria items page from Google Cultural Institute 2015.

26 27 HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015

Volunteers Adrianus Luca Edna Lowe Julie Christy Millicent Marsh Ahnya Chuah Eleni Lambropoulos Julie Cummings Mitch Grandell Alan Stevens Elise Fletcher Kate Monypenny Neil Barrie Amber Evangelista Emily Grant Katherine Bradstreet Neil Morris Andrea Stella D’Souza Fay Beslee Katherine Danford-Storey Neil Paddle Andrew Knopfelmacher Fiona Harbridge Kay Rust Neil Robinson Anita Smith Flora Walker Keng Chong Nicole El Sheik Anna Maree Malmgren Gail Thornthwaite Kerry Gutowski Noel Logan Anne Field Garry Ball Kevin Parker Pamela Baum Anne Jones Gayle Skipworth Kim Price Patience Grace Barbara Minchinton Geoff Currey Larae Dillingham Patricia Porigneaux Beth Codling Geoff Paterson Leanne Alden Peter Harvey Bethany Wheeler Gordon Lee Leonie Marshall Pulu Lupe Brian Dixon Grace Rennie Lesley Jeffrey Rebecca Williams Carmel Dundas Graeme Cardillo Lindsay Thomas Renee Weigard Carol Jenkins Graeme Dawson Liz Buckle Robert Thomas Caroline Wareham Graham Bence Liz Raven Rosemary Waghorne Catherine Rankin Helen Hargreaves Liza Hallam Ross Oberin Cathy Dodson Helen Rowe Lorraine Doig Sally Marsden Chelsea Gilliland Helena Nardi Louise Bailey Sandra Mazzocchi Cheryl Cox Ian Hazewinkel Lucy Davies Santo Rullo Chloe Powell Irene Kearsey Lyn Pecchiar Sara Hardy Christine Statham Irene McInnes Mansoora Syeda Shirley Turner Claire Fitzpatrick James Gaunt Maree Langley Sidonie Lowe Claire Wiltshire Jeanette Germon Marg Brown Simon Sorrentino Claudia Guli Jennifer Smith Margaret Pope Sue Dawson Danielle Ritchie Jessica Attard Margaret Wright Sue Maclellan Dannielle Ritchie Jill Cilia Marie Rogers Sue Rickard David Asquith Jim Freeman Marilyn Freeman Susannah Tindall David Morris Joanne Hawkesworth Marilyn Kenny Suzanne Napolitano Dawn Riddel John Killian Mark Huntersmith Tim Marriott Deanna Bardan John MacKinnon Mark Kennedy Val Sterling Deirdre Evans Jon Rennison Marvin Rust Vanessa Lau Delbert Dillingham Joy Herman Maureen Molloy Viranga Ratnaike Des Logan Judith Vardy Maxine Wagerman Vivienne McComb Dianne Carmody Judy Bennett Melisa Begg Wendy Griffin Don Beale Judy Johnston Michael Newsome Dot Skewes Judy Mason Michelle Rinaldi

28 29 HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015

Achievements of Staff Professional Committees Alan Kong: member, Institute for Information Management. Awards Aside from their roles at Public Record Office Victoria, a number of staff members made a Tracey Manallack: member, Bendigo Regional The work of Public Record Office Victoria staff and significant contribution to their professions through Archives Centre Operations Committee; member, volunteers was recognised in 2014–2015: membership of committees during 2014–2015: Collaborative Research Centre in Australian Melbourne Awards 2014 History, Federation University, Steering Committee; Tsari Anderson: acting editor, Provenance. member, Federation University Australian Historical The Melbourne Awards recognise the outstanding Lauren Bourke: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Association 2016 Conference Committee; member, achievements of organisations and individuals Centre Operations Committee; member, City of Geelong Heritage Centre Advisory Committee; whose passion and commitment makes Melbourne Ballarat Heritage Advisory Committee; member, member, Victorian Aboriginal Advisory Group. such a unique place to live, visit and do business. chair, Museums Australia Victoria Exhibitions Julie McCormack: chair, Council of Australian This year Public Record Office Victoria was the Services Advisory Committee; assistant editor, Archives and Records Authorities National Bodies recipient of the following Melbourne Award: Provenance journal. Working Group; member, Cabinet Records Working Contribution to Community by a Corporation: winner David Brown: deputy chair, Information Group. Management Working Group; observer, Chief Alison McNulty: member, Bendigo Regional Information Officers Council Meeting; member, Archives Centre Committee of Management; Department of Health and Human Services Records member, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Management Steering Committee. Initiative; member, Council of Australasian Archives Charlie Farrugia: member, Australian Women’s and Records Authorities; Public Access Working Archives Project Committee; member, ANZAC Group; member Council of Australasian Archives Commemorative Naming Project; member, Victorian and Records Authorities; Royal Commission into Association of Family History Organisations Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse Committee. Working Group. Sebastian Gurciullo: chair, Archives and Jennifer Rout: member, Open Minds Advisory Board. Manuscripts Editorial Board; general editor, Archives Eva Samaras: member, ALIA New Generation and Manuscripts; editor and chair, Provenance; Advisory Committee. webmaster, Committee of the Section on Literary and Artistic Archives of the International Council Nicole Tighe: member, Australian Human Resources on Archives. Institute; member, Department of Premier and Cabinet Human Resources Working Group; member, Graeme Hairsine: chair, Institute of Public People and Culture Community of Practice. Administration Australia (Victoria), ICT Community of Practice; member, Bendigo Regional Archives Andrew Waugh: member, Standards Australia, Centre Committee of Management; member, Records and Document Management Systems Department of Premier and Cabinet Information Committee (IT-21) Subcommittee on Recordkeeping Security Committee; member, Creative Victoria Metadata. Chief Information Officers Forum. Daniel Wilksch: member, Victorian Cultural Network Justine Heazlewood: chair, Australasian Digital Governance Committee. Recordkeeping Initiative; chair, Monash University Rebecca Young: coordinator, Australasian Digital Information and Knowledge Management Recordkeeping Initiative; secretary, Public Records Course Advisory Committee; member, Collections Advisory Council. Committee, State Library of Victoria; member, Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities; member, iPRES2014 Local Organising Committee; member, Monash University, Centre for Organisational and Social Informatics Advisory Volunteers scan soldier settlement files in the Public Record Office Victoria digitisation lab. L-R Gail Thornthwaite, Leone Marshall, Board; member, Standards Australia, Records and Barbara Minchinton, Anna Maree Malmgren, Margaret Wright. Document Management Systems Committee (IT-21).

30 31 HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015 OUTPUT MEASURES 2014–2015

Conference and Seminar Presentations 6th Annual Records and Information Officers’ Output: Records Forum 2015 In addition to Public Record Office Victoria’s formal February 2015 seminar programs, noted in the operations section Justine Heazlewood: Managing Digital Records in Quantity 2013-2014 2014-2015 2014-2015 of this report, staff expertise and knowledge the Victorian Government Actual Target Actual are shared through presentations at various Retention and disposal projects undertaken1 9 9 12 conferences and seminars. In 2014–2015 these Overcoming the Difficulties in Finding World War 1 2 included: Soldier Settlement Land Files at Women at War In Public Record Office Victoria records transferred 3887 2000 2,965 The Archives, Australian Women’s Archives Project Digital records preserved3 235,179 200,000 189,398 walata tyamateetj exhibition tour Melbourne, March 2015 Significant VERS Strategy projects completed4 5 5 4 Melbourne, July 2014, February 2015, March 2015 Charlie Farrugia Tsari Anderson, Jessica Reid and Carly Godden Number of participants undertaking records 809 400 613 Introduction to Public Record Office Victoria management training5 The Lads Who Came Home. Conducting Research Melbourne, March 2015 Transfer projects completed6 38 30 36 on the WW1 Discharged Soldier Settlement Kerry Harding Scheme at Public Record Office Victoria Quality Blackburn, September 2014 Adoption and Wardship Seminar Charlie Farrugia Ballarat, April 2015 % Collection storage meeting industry standard 96 92 96 Grace Baliviera Monash University Professional Practice Seminar % Client satisfaction (agency) 91 90 97 Caulfield, September 2014 Convicted and Neglected. Researching Victorian Response times (agency)7 1.4 2 0.9 Tsari Anderson: Ethics and Aboriginal records Wards Of State 1864 - c1960 Seminar Ballarat, April 2015 Output: Access Council of Australasian Archives and Records Charlie Farrugia Authorities Residential November 2014 Quantity 2013-2014 2014-2015 2014-2015 Justine Heazlewood: Cross Jurisdictional Actual Target Actual Opportunities & Challenges Visitors8 109,461 90,000 129,405 Appraisal and Disposal in the Digital Age Online visitors9 907,469 900,000 1,025,118 Canberra, November 2014 Volunteer hours10 20,908 19,500 35,337 Emma Fowler and Peter Francis Community training delivered11 946 1000 1,478 Battle to Farm. Identifying Files of the WW1 Discharged Soldier Settlement Scheme at Public Quality Record Office Victoria, Registry of Births, Deaths % Visitors satisfied with visit 97 95 96 and Marriages. Timeliness Melbourne, December 2014 Charlie Farrugia % Records issued within specified timeframes 93 95 91 1 High demand from agencies led PROV to undertake more than anticipated which was accommodated with process improvements. 2 A greater than anticipated number of agency transfer projects were completed. 3 A technology problem slowed down the rate of transfer of digital records in the latter part of the year. 4 Four projects fully completed. One projected delivered to final draft form but not finalised due to changes in Information Management governance subsequent to machinery of government changes. 5 Increased records management awareness due to increased Public Record Office Victoria engagement activities. 6 High demand from agencies combined with internal process improvements. 7 Results continously remain under the two-day target. 8 Significant increases in visitors to Old Treasury Building exhibitions as well as both Victorian Archives Centre and regional touring exhibitions. 9 Slightly improved website visitation over previous year and over target attributable to increased focus on social media promotion to new audiences. 10 A far larger number of volunteers than expected continue to deliver more hours than forecast, including a substantial increase in hours contributed by on-site FamilySearch volunteers. 11 Increase in numbers due to high attendance at Public Record Office Victoria’s Open Day where sessions included using the collection and outreach seminars.

32 33 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2014–2015

Reading Room and Record Retrievals Our Reading Room staff delivered a number of Build Our Online Presence Increase Usability of the Collection information sessions to the public on how to Public Record Office Victoria operates two public use the Public Record Office Victoria collection We have continued to make progress in our Battle to Farm: WW1 Soldier Settlement in Victoria reading rooms; one at the Victorian Archives Centre technology change program at Public Record Office and sessions focusing on specific areas of the As described in this year’s highlights, we in North Melbourne and the other at the Ballarat Victoria. collection. successfully completed the Battle to Farm website Archives Centre in Ballarat. Records can also be This year Public Record Office Victoria: project, increasing accessibility and usability of accessed at the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre In 2014–2015 our online enquiry system was World War One soldier settlement files. This project and Geelong Heritage Centre Reading Rooms, both launched to manage incoming reference queries. • Progressed with planning content migration was undertaken with funding received from the of which are Places of Deposit. Over a twelve-month period, the system dealt from the existing website into a new website Veteran’s Unit of the Department of Premier and with on average 759 queries per month; providing design. During 2014–2015, 15,542 visitors utilised the a more consistent and seamless approach to Cabinet as part of the centenary of celebrations of • Designed an entirely new research topic page Reading Rooms to view records. 48,949 records customer service. World War One. were issued to visitors and another 11,942 were and series description page model for the new Battle to Farm involved the digitisation of issued to Government Agencies and for internal website. documents from the land files relating to 9,000 Public Record Office Victoria use. • Created a new data visualisation tool to assist individual returned soldiers who leased land from Government users Public users researchers in navigating the functions and the Victorian Government under the scheme. A Records Issued agencies for which we hold records. This exciting website was developed and the records were new tool will be embedded into our new website. published on it as a searchable database. To provide 70,000 further context, we worked with regional community • Commenced procurement of a new Enterprise 60,000 groups to develop six case studies which explored Search tool that will enable government and 50,000 various aspects of the soldier settler experience public users to search across all of our data 40,000 through video, text and documents. stores in one unified search for the very first 30,000 time. This project was achieved with the help of 90 20,000 volunteers who identified individual soldiers and • Transferred eight static HTML exhibitions onto Number of records Number of digitised the records to create over 80,000 images. 10,000 interactive interface We also partnered with the National Archives of 0 • Commenced planning for the Digital Archive Year 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Australia to share resources with their Project Program, a three-year program to progressively Albany to digitise repatriation records of returned Visitors to Reading Rooms Victorian Archives Centre Bendigo Regional Archives Centre replace all of the components of our current soldiers. Digital Archive. This will deliver a flexible, Ballarat Archives Centre Geelong Heritage Centre The Battle to Farm website was launched on 8 April scalable and modular system that will be more by Shaun Leane MP, the Parliamentary Secretary adaptable to future changes in technology and for Special Minister for State. This has been a highly 18,000 in digital public record formats. successful project with the website receiving 4,400 16,000 Over the next three years our technology visits in the first month. We are now working to environment will be transformed to support a 14,000 ensure that the content is heavily promoted and more active, engaged, diverse and demanding linked to World War One sources published online 12,000 online user community. We will continue to consult by other cultural organisations. with our users to ensure that our online presence 10,000 meets their needs, in particular a more responsive 8,000 online enquiries process, efficient and streamlined Number of visitors Number of digitisation on demand service, a much improved 6,000 user journey, increased number of digitised records, 4,000 and a more comprehensive search tool, while also supporting our mandate to both preserve and 2,000 maximise the utilisation of our unique collection.

0 Year 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

34 35 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2014–2015

Metadata Publication Opportunities Olympic Sailing Medalist Mark Turnbull OAM. The The Victorian Archives Centre Gallery Touring Exhibitions exhibition showcased Melbourne’s fascinating port This year we became a content partner with the The Victorian Archives Centre gallery played host Public Record Office Victoria has a range of history as well as grand voyages, early migration, National Library of Australia. We are working with to a number of outstanding exhibitions throughout touring exhibitions, showcasing our collection devastating shipwrecks, and penal hulks. The them to extract metadata about the records in 2014–2015. This year’s exhibitions, featuring andrepresenting stories from across Victoria. public records on display included letters, shipping our collection and publish it to the Trove online records from our collection, included: All exhibitions are free to loan around the state. registers, passenger lists, photographs and plans. resource. This will increase the discoverability of Over 38,000 people visited the exhibition during its The walata tyamateetj: ‘carry knowledge’ exhibition, The 2014–2015 year saw a significant increase in our collection and greatly assist users by linking nine month run. which included a number of guided tours and was the number of visitors to our touring exhibitions our records to related records held by other cultural extended due to popular demand to April 2015. The including We Saw the Queen, Victoria: On Record and and heritage institutions. Trove received 1,604,485 School Days: Education in Victoria was launched exhibition received positive feedback from visitors Footprints: the journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper. visits in June 2015 alone. in March by the Hon. Daniel Andrews, Premier of such as; “insightful” “crucial to our history”, and Victoria with Nick Bastow, great great grandson of Around 31,000 Victorian’s experienced the Currently, metadata about our 14,000 series of “fantastic information for students”, and will now go Henry Bastow, Victoria’s first Architect and Surveyor. exhibitions on display at libraries, community records has been extracted and published to Trove. on to the free touring exhibition program. The exhibition featured the1872 Education Act, centres and museums including: MADE Ballarat, Work is being finalised to extract metadata from establishing Australia’s first public based school The Transporting Art exhibition was launched Wyndham, Dimboola, Melton, Deakin University, our system about the 2,500 agencies which have system on the principles of free, secular and as part of our Open Day festivities and features Bacchus Marsh, Moreland, Prahran, Quambatook, existed within the Victorian government over time compulsory education. In a first for Public Record artworks and photographs from the ‘Transporting Blackburn Lake, and Caroline Springs. and publish this information to Trove, to enable Office Victoria, we hosted two internship students Art’ project. relationships and linkages between records. Feedback from hosts has been extremely positive: from Monash University to assist with research Between 1978 and 1993 the Ministry for the Arts supporting the exhibition, Amber Evangelista and “The exhibition was great and really resonated Increase the Engagement of Communities commissioned upcoming Australian artists to Nina Sapountsis. The exhibition has attracted with our space and visitors. The film clips made with their Archival Heritage paint Melbourne’s iconic W class trams. The project extensive media attention across suburban to accompany the panels really helped to engage took contemporary art onto the streets exposing Exhibitions at the Old Treasury Building newspapers, nightly television news, lifestyle visitors on multiple levels.” (Footprints, MADE) Australian public art in a new and imaginative way, programs and ABC radio. The nostalgic displays Public Record Office Victoria continues to generating world-wide interest. present popular exhibitions in partnership seem to have struck a chord with Victorians as with the Old Treasury Building to showcase the more than 16,000 people have visited the exhibition Our exhibition features original artworks by some State’s collection. These exhibitions contribute in less than four months, making it one of the of the project’s artists including Merrin Eirth, Jenny to our commitment to engage the community most popular exhibitions we’ve ever held with Old Watson, Michael Leunig, Lesley Dumbrell, Robert with their archival heritage through the display Treasury Building. Jacks and even pop group ‘Mental as Anything’. The exhibition also includes a photographic history of and interpretation of the State’s fascinating Continuing this successful partnership a new Melbourne’s beloved trams, from images of horse documentary heritage. Memorandum of Understanding between Public drawn trams of the 1880s through to the iconic W Record Office Victoria and the Old Treasury Building July 2014 saw the launch of the Sailing into class tram. Melbourne exhibition by the Minister for the Arts Reserve Committee was signed during the year, Heidi Victoria with engaging keynote speaker, effective from 1 July 2015. Transporting Art is on show in the Victorian Archives Centre Gallery until November 2015.

School Days curator Kate Luciano with some of her favourite Children sit along the fence with their milk bottles Original concept designs by Merrin Erth and Lesley Dumbrell featured as part of the Transporting Art exhibition at the Victorian items from the exhibition. VPRS 14517, P1, Unit 17. Image featured in School Days at Archives Centre Gallery. Old Treasury Building. (School unknown)

36 37 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2014–2015

Bendigo Regional Archive Centre of Victoria. Awards are presented over several Community Training and Awareness Speakers included Charlie Farrugia; Grace Baliviera, categories with the Victorian Community History Koorie Records Unit; Sharon Guy, Child and Family Public Record Office Victoria continues its Public Record Office Victoria supports community Award 2014 awarded for the most outstanding Services; Edith Fry, Central Highlands Library partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo and organisations that care for and provide access to project submitted. Ballarat; and Kathleen Anderson, Forced Adoption the Goldfields Library Corporation in the Bendigo collections of importance to Victorians. History Project, National Archives of Australia. The Regional Archives Centre. During the year, we have Held this year at the State Library Victoria on 20 In April 2015 we developed a workshop to assist session was supported by local media including provided extensive advice and support to enable the October 2014, the Awards were attended by over people to understand and be able to research ABC Ballarat, who featured the event, highlighting centre’s storage facility to reach compliance with 230 community members. Hon Andrea Coote, MLC, adoption and wardship records held in Ballarat. the changing nature of public records and the mandatory standards and the research centre to representing the Minister for the Arts congratulated The program Adoption and Wardship: Research and ongoing impacts for people who were taken away substantially improve its level of compliance. all applicants. Keynote speaker, author Gideon Support Services was held at MADE, with our own from their family without explanation. Haigh, spoke of the importance of archives and A highlight of the year has been the first external Sebastian Gurciullo hosting a panel of experts on historical collections in researching his latest book transfer of state archives to the Bendigo Regional the records and resources available in the region. Certain Admissions and throughout his career. Archive Centre, consisting of historical records from the Swan Hill Rural City Council with other The Victorian Community History Award 2014 winner government record transfers including Campaspe was Anne Vale for her publication, Exceptional Shire and McIvor Shire. Australian Garden Makers. Another milestone has been the development and Winners in other categories included: approval of the Bendigo Regional Archive Centre History Publication Award: Gardens of Fire: an Collection and Acquisition Policy, which paves the investigative memoir by Robert Kenny. way for the donation of historical material to the centre from individuals, community organisations Multimedia History Award: Gun Alley: The Forgotten and local businesses. Story of Lilydale’s Back Streets 1880 to today by Lilydale & District Historical Society Inc. Local History Grants Historical Interpretation Award: The Garden at The Local History Grants Program provides small La Trobe’s Cottage, Kings Domain, Melbourne by grants to community organisations to support Friends of La Trobe’s Cottage. projects that preserve, record or publish Victorian local history. We administer the program, and this Local History - Small Publication Award: Cultured year delivered $350,000 in funding to 62 projects Colonists: George Alexander Gilbert and His Family, across Victoria, including book publishing projects, Settlers in Port Phillip by Margaret Bowman. oral history recordings, digitising collections, Local History Project Award: The Journal of William the creation of websites and apps, microfilming, Thomas, Assistant Protector of the Aborigines of training and education, heritage trails, exhibitions, Port Phillip & Guardian of the Aborigines of Victoria catalogues and historical collection preservation. 1839-1867, 4 volumes by Marguerita Stephens (and A full list of grant recipients and further information others for vol.4). on the Program can be found at prov.vic.gov.au Collaborative Community History Award: From (see appendix 7 Local History Grants, page 52). Apples…To Coffee, the first 90 years of the Victorian Community History Awards Heathmont shopping centre, 1923-2013 by Gerry Robinson and friends. The Victorian Community History Awards program has been celebrated annually since 1999 and is Judges Award: Postcards: Stories from the funded by the Victorian government. Managed Mornington Peninsula (DVD) by Mornington by Public Record Office Victoria, in partnership Peninsula Local History Network and Lavender Hill with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, these Multimedia. awards recognise the contributions made by A full list of winners is available at prov.vic.gov.au Victorians to the preservation of Victoria’s heritage (see Appendix 6, Victorian Community History and acknowledge works that contribute to the Awards page 50). development and appreciation of the history L-R Director and Keeper of Public Records, Justine Heazlewood with Victorian Community History Award winner for 2014, Anne Vale.

38 39 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2014–2015

Develop the Archival Collection to Improve our Digital Transfer Capability Enhance Government Recordkeeping • Strategies and processes developed to ensure Increase its Value and Significance Capability the Public Records Advisor is engaged with and We are committed to delivering a framework, able to provide advice and guidance on appraisal Public Record Office Victoria has completed the systems and tools to improve our ability to support The Victorian Government operates within a large of records. first year of a strategy designed to develop the high-volume, automated digital transfer capability. and diverse information communications and archival collection and increase its value and Significant achievements in this area have been technology (ICT) environment. That environment is • Extension of information and records usability through digitisation. made in 2014–2015 including: rapidly changing, with greater expectations from management case studies. These case studies staff and the public to deliver online services and are a valuable resource for government agencies The highlight of the first year has been the • Online Retention and Disposal Authority activities. when implementing information and records undertaking of two large scale partnership software (ORDA) was developed and management projects and programs. agreements with organisations Family Search implemented to be part of normal business. In 2014–2015 we aimed to overcome these and Ancestry to digitise collection material. Both ORDA allows greater user control and improved challenges by enhancing government recordkeeping • The development and communication of a of these organisations are copying material for communication when agencies are developing capability in three ways: Mobile Technology Policy. This policy supports publication through their family history websites; disposal authorities. the use of mobile technology to improve 1. Improving records management standards and material will also be made available through the and streamline government processes, reduce • Commenced investigations of Software policy. Public Record Office Victoria website. operational costs and meet recordkeeping Independent Archiving of Relational Databases 2. Documenting whole of Victorian Government requirements. Family Search is copying additional records from (SIARD). The Swiss Federal Archives developed records management environment performance. our Wills, Probates and Inquests series, bringing SIARD as an approach and tools to support the Transform our Collection Management the date range of digitised material to 1937. Two archival management of relational databases. 3. Providing relevant advice to agencies. Environment teams from the United States, Delbert and LaRae This year Public Record Office Victoria started a Our key deliverables for the year were: During 2014–2015 we commenced work on Dillingham and Marilyn and Jim Freeman, arrived in pilot program with the Department of Health redevelopment of our digital archive and collection early 2013 to undertake the work. and Human Services. This pilot resulted in the • The revision and reissuing of two Records management environment. This work is based on a successful capture of a relational database as Management Standards and associated Ancestry will be copying microfilmed public records, 2013-2014 feasibility study and follows a modular an archival record and commenced records documentation and tools. The VERS Standard currently not available online, held in our Reading architecture. transfer to Public Record Office Victoria. and tool revision extended the functionality and Rooms. This project will make frequently consulted reduced the complexity of requirements for Following funding in the May 2014–2015 State records available on the internet and reduce our • Public Record Office Victoria undertook an digital archival records (VERS Encapsulated Budget, we have started on a full program that will reliance on microfilm technology. analysis of CenITex’s management of Lotus Objects VEOS). The Storage Standard and see the archive transformed over the next three Notes email. Lotus Notes is the most common specifications revision simplified the years. email platform across the Victorian Public requirements for the storage of government Service. Email records are held on a variety of records irrespective of format or location. The modular architecture we are engaging allows media dating back to the 1990s. The for staging of the work in discrete projects, management is based on back-up techniques • A variety of surveys and analysis extending our which enables better allocation of resources and reduces accessibility and increases costs of understanding of government records including and minimisation of disruption. As each project access. As a result of the analysis, we identified the extent of 19th century records still held completes, government, academic and public users a number of improvements to the management by government agencies, quantity of hardcopy will experience visible improvements in the range of the email back-up regime. These will be used records held by Approved Providers of Secondary and performance of online services. in 2015–2016 to assist CenITex and agencies Storage and the total hardcopy records held by The first project, Enterprise Search, commenced find solutions to email management. local government bodies. in May, and is due for delivery in November 2015. • Public Record Office Victoria and the Cabinet • A report on recordkeeping findings documented Enterprise Search will see us move to an improved Office undertook a major review of processes in the Ombudsman Victoria and Victorian Auditor website search tool that will enable greater managing Cabinet records, both prior and post General’s Office reports (four years 2010-14). access to the archive and the whole range of our the November 2014 election. This collaborative This report found extensive and significant information assets. This new interface will enable approach resulted in significant improvements deficiencies in government recordkeeping. both skilled researchers and casual visitors alike in timeliness and quality and was applied to • Release of the Appraisal Statement for Public to get the most out of their online search. digital and hardcopy records. Records required as State Archives. The Statement specifies the areas of government activity that require permanent retention as L-R: Family Search team members Jim, Delaine, Marilyn, Lupe, State Archives and guides the identification of LaRae, Sheila, Delbert, Mark Kelly (Asia Pacific Representative) and Garry. permanent records.

40 41 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2014–2015 APPENDICES

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Increase Organisational Capability Continuous Improvement Values and Behaviours The People and Culture team continues to take a proactive approach to reviewing and refining Throughout 2014–2015, the People and Culture policies, procedures and programs to ensure they team has continued working to embed Public align with Public Record Office Victoria’s values and Record Office Victoria’s values and behaviours into behaviours and meet our legislative obligations. all areas of the organisation. A Recruitment and Selection policy has been To ensure our values and behaviours underpin the introduced to ensure our practices are transparent work we do, staff are now required to demonstrate and that a consistent approach is taken across how they meet each value as part of their end of the organisation in line with the public sector year performance appraisal. Position descriptions employment principles. have also been updated asking all members of staff to model appropriate behaviours. The policy is also designed to ensure that recruitment processes actively enable applicants The People and Culture team has also updated from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander its Reward and Recognition program to enable backgrounds, people who are culturally and staff to informally reward their colleagues who linguistically diverse or who are disabled to apply demonstrate good behaviour and performance. for all advertised positions. This program has proven popular with staff, who most commonly recognise their colleagues for Closely aligned to the Recruitment and Selection collaboration and responsiveness. policy, the People and culture team also implemented a Higher Duties Framework. Public Public Record Office Victoria’s 2014–2015 Record Office Victoria aims to be fair and consistent Organisational Learning Program was also designed when managing the development of staff and this to further embed values and behaviours. Learning Framework sets clear parameters for advertising and Development included sessions on how to and selecting candidates for higher duties manage stress, build resilience and a detailed opportunities. session on how our values and behaviours interact with our legislative obligations. To help better capture data, we also reviewed and updated Public Record Office Victoria’s learning and Staff were also offered opportunities to partake in development data collection. We are now able to either an internal or an external mentoring program. report on learning and development spends based Aboriginal Awareness and Inclusion on a number of factors including grade and gender. An Aboriginal Awareness and Inclusion Action We’ve also updated the information we collect plan has been developed and rolled out across in exit interviews. This new data collection asks the organisation. This plan focuses on initiatives the employee questions around job satisfaction, which aim to embed Public Record Office Victoria’s management behaviours, organisational culture, commitment to Aboriginal awareness and inclusion remuneration and benefits. The information from into our every day activities. exit interviews is then used to update Public Record Office Victoria’s policies and programs. The implementation of the plan will be followed by a comprehensive Aboriginal Cultural Awareness training program in 2015–2016.

Right image: William Bradshaw’s letter to his mother while serving in WW1 expressing his interest in the Victorian soldier settlement scheme. 1918.

42 43 APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Assets, financial Plant and operating equipment Workforce data statement and workforce data Operating assets are used for the upkeep of the Ongoing Employees Fixed-term Assets physical and digital repositories so public records & Casual can be stored safely and made available for public The assets include both community and operating inspection. Number Full-time Part-time FTE FTE assets in the following four categories: (Headcount) (Headcount) (Headcount) Financial statement June 2014 66 43 23 52.4 7. 0 Community assets June 2015 59 37 22 48.6 3.2 These assets are the State’s archival collection. The 2013–14 2014–15 collection was re-valued in 2012 - 2013 at $258.3m. Operating 4,545,428 3,846,539 Building assets June 2014 June 2015 Salary and on-costs 5,347,236 5,292,128 Records repositories for storage of the State Ongoing Fixed-term Ongoing Fixed-term Sub-total 9,892,664 9,138,668 Archives and the State Government’s non-current & Casual & Casual 1 records are located at North Melbourne and Capital 586,810 483,867 Number FTE FTE Number FTE FTE Ballarat. The Victorian Archives Centre in North Depreciation 3,811,861 3,367,727 (Headcount) (Headcount) Melbourne, including land, was valued in 2012 Capital Assets Charge 4,452,000 4,482,000 Gender -2013 and is now valued at $59.9m. Total Expenditure 18,743,335 17,572,262 Female 42 31.9 4.4 35 26.8 2.4 Motor vehicles 1 Capital investment includes investment against the Male 24 20.5 2.6 24 21.8 0.8 Public Record Office Victoria operates two vehicles: PROV asset management plan. a sedan and a station wagon. Age Under 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 25-34 18 12.8 2.8 17 12.3 1.6 35-44 16 11.6 1.8 13 11.8 0 45-54 17 15.4 0.6 13 12.1 0 55-64 13 10.8 1.0 13 10.4 0.8 Over 65 2 1.8 0.8 3 2 0.8

Classification Executive 1 1.0 0 1 1.0 0 STS 1 0.8 0 1 0.8 0 Grade 6 6 4.9 0.8 6 4.9 0.8 Grade 5 9 7. 8 1.0 7 6.6 0 Grade 4 19 14.4 2.2 14 10.7 1.2 Grade 3 15 11.5 2.0 16 13.8 0.4 Grade 2 16 12.2 2.0 14 10.8 0.8

44 45 APPENDICES

Appendix 2: Publications Appendix 3: Standards and Advice Issued Public Record Office Victoria produces a range Section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973 requires the Keeper of Public Records to establish standards of publications including books, newsletters and for the efficient management of public records and to assist public offices in the application of journals. For a full list of current Public Record those standards to records under their control. The Act requires public offices to implement records Office Victoria publications see: management programs in accordance with the standards established by the Keeper. www.prov.vic.gov.au/publications For a complete list of standards see www.prov.vic.gov.au/government/standards-and-policy Hardcopy publications are also available from Public Record Office Victoria’s online shop which Standards you can access online or by contacting: Public Record Office Victoria’s standards and specifications establish requirements for the creation, Publication Sales management and use of Victorian public records. Public Record Office Victoria Standards issued in 2014–2015 PO Box 2100 North Melbourne VIC, 3051 PROS Title of authority Issue date Expiry date PROS 11/01 Agency Records Storage Specification 08/07/2014 08/07/2019 Publications 2014–2015 S1 Public Record Office Victoria produced the PROS 11/01 Storing and Managing State Archives Specification 08/07/2014 08/07/2019 following publications during 2014–2015: S2 Historic Homes PROS 11/01 APROSS Specification 08/07/2014 08/07/2019 A research guide to help Victorians discover the S3 history of their home through public records. PROS 11/01 Records Storage Guideline 08/07/2014 08/07/2019 This is also available online at prov.vic.gov.au G5 Finding your Mob PROS 11/01 Records Storage: Authorisation and Inspection Programme 08/07/2014 08/07/2019 Researching Aboriginal family history at the G6 Guideline Victorian Archives Centre. PROS 11/01 Becoming an APROSS Fact Sheet 08/07/2014 N/A This is also available online at prov.vic.gov.au FS1 Newsletters and journals PROS 11/01 Maintaining APROSS Certification Fact Sheet 08/07/2014 N/A Government Services Record FS2 A quarterly e-newsletter of information and PROS 15/03 Standard for the encapsulation of digital information 01/06/2015 01/06/2020 resources for records management professionals. http://prov.vic.gov.au/government/vers/standard-2/manage- Koorie Records Unit Newsletter ment-of-electronic-records A bi-annual e-newsletter from Public Record Office PROS 15/03 Constructing VERS Encapsulated Objects 01/06/2015 01/06/2020 Victoria’s Koorie Records Unit. S1 Provenance: The Journal of PROS 15/03 Adding metadata to VEOs 01/06/2015 01/06/2020 Public Record Office Victoria S2 Public Record Office Victoria’s refereed scholarly PROS 15/03 Long term preservation formats 01/06/2015 01/06/2020 journal, published annually in October, latest issue S3 published 2014, issue 13, ISSN: 1832-2522. Public Record Office Despatch Public Record Office Victoria’s monthly e-newsletter of events and activities.

46 47 APPENDICES

Advice Appendix 4: Approved Public Record Office Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS) These assist Victorian government agencies with applying the standards and provide guidance on specific issues. APROSS sites are commercial facilities that have been inspected by Public Record Office Victoria and approved for the storage of temporary and unsentenced public records. Policies issued in 2014–2015 For a complete list of APROSS sites see http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/government/archival-supplies-and-storage Number Title of advice Issue date Expiry date APROSS facilities approved in 2014–2015 - Nil Mobile Technologies Policy 13/10/2015 N/A Reappointments - Nil Appraisal Statement for Public Records required as State 17/02/2015 N/A Archives Appendix 5: VERS-Compliant Products

Retention and Disposal Authorities After testing conducted by Public Record Office Victoria, the following systems have demonstrated a Authorities issued in 2014–2015 capability of meeting either all or part of the requirements for long-term electronic records management outlined in PROS 99/007: Standard for the Management of Electronic Records (also known as the VERS standard). Systems may be certified against some or all of the specifications listed in the standard. PROS Title of authority Issue date Expiry date 14/01 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 15/08/2014 15/08/2024 Please note the products listed below were certified as VERS-compliant in 2014–2015. For a complete list Transport Accident Prevention and Assistance Functions please refer to the VERS compliance page on the Public Record Office Victoria website: 14/03 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 06/10/2014 N/A prov.vic.gov.au/government/vers/implementing-vers/vendor-assessment. Transport Asset Management Function 14/04 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 06/10/2014 N/A Product Vendor Spec 1 Spec 2 Spec 3 Spec 4 Spec 5 Telecommunications Asset Management Function Alfresco VERS Parashift Pty July 2014 July 2014 August 2014 August 2014 August 2014 15/01 Retention and Disposal Authority for Cemetery and 26/02/2015 N/A (version 1) Ltd Crematoria Records Records AvePoint, Inc. February February May 2015 April 2015 May 2015 Automation 2015* 2015* 15/02 Retention and Disposal Authority for Medico-Legal 02/04/2015 N/A (version 3) Death Investigation Records ELOprofessional/ ELO Digital March 2015* March 2015* March 2015 March 2015 March 2015 15/04 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of 24/04/2015 N/A ELOenterprise Office AU/NZ Alternative Dispute Resolution Services (version 9) Pty Ltd Total Number of Authorities issued: 6 RecFind 6 Knowledgeone September September September September September (version 2.6) Corporation 2014# 2014# 2014# 2014# 2014# Variations to existing authorities issued in 2014–2015 Technology One Technology July 2014# July 2014# July 2014# July 2014# July 2014# ECM One PROS Title of authority Issue date Expiry date (version 4.03)

02/01 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records for Higher and 18/11/2014 30/09/2015 * Denotes conditions associated with certificate. Further Education Institutions - Variation 7 - Extension of the # Denotes a product that was self-certified by the vendor, attesting that the VERS functionality remains unchanged from a previous application of this Standard until 30/09/2015 version of the product that was assessed by PROV staff members. 13/07 Retention and Disposal Authority for Administrative Records 04/02/2015 N/A of National Bodies - Variation 1 - inclusion of classes to authorise of cardholder data to meet the requirements of the Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). 05/05 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 26/02/2015 N/A Mental Health Tribunal – Variation 2 – title broadened to cover records of the Mental Health Review Board (1987- 2014), Mental Health Tribunal (2014-ct) and Psychosurgery Review Board (1987-2014); amendment of classes 1 and 2, inclusion of class 3

48 49 APPENDICES

Appendix 6: 2014 Victorian Community History Award Winners Multimedia History Award Victorian Community History Award Local History Project Award For the best presentation of history which uses non-print media ($2000). Recognising the most outstanding community Award recognising activities that enhance access history project submitted in any category ($5000). to records of significance to local communities Gun Alley: The Forgotten Story of Lilydale’s Back ($2000). Streets 1880 to today, Lilydale & District Historical Exceptional Australian Garden Makers, Anne Vale Society Inc. (Lothian Custom Publishing) The Journal of William Thomas, Assistant Protector of the Aborigines of Port Phillip & Guardian of This remarkable website (www.lilydalehistorical. Many great gardeners have also been great writers. the Aborigines of Victoria 1839-1867, 4 Volumes, com.au/gunalley) is the result of an ambitious In this beautifully presented book which focuses Marguerita Stephens (et al. for vol.4) (Victorian project to capture online the history of the people heavily on Victoria, the author concisely explores Aboriginal Corporation for Languages) and buildings in John Street, Lilydale. the major influences on Australian gardening and designs. Described in the foreword as ‘the best white man Historical Interpretation Award any Aboriginal was likely to meet in Melbourne This Award recognises unique formats of History Publication Award in 1839’, Thomas left very substantial journals historical representation, such as exhibitions, Award for the best non-fiction publication or covering nearly 30 years of almost constant contact artistic interpretation, history walks and tours e-publication on Victorian history ($2000). with Aborigines in Victoria. ($2000). Gardens of Fire: an investigative memoir, Robert Collaborative Community History Award The Garden at La Trobe’s Cottage, Kings Domain, Kenny (UWA Publishing) Recognising the best community collaborative Melbourne, Friends of La Trobe’s Cottage Gardens of Fire: an investigative memoir is a moving work which involves significant contribution from This is an intriguing historical project - the account of the author Robert Kenny’s experiences several individuals, groups or historical societies recreation of the garden that surrounded Charles during and after the devastating Black Saturday Key note speaker Giedon Haigh at the 2014 Victorian Community ($2000). and Sophie La Trobe’s Jolimont cottage 1839-1854. bushfires of 2009 in the small central Victorian History Awards. From Apples…To Coffee, the first 90 years of the community of Redesdale. Heathmont Shopping Centre, 1923-2013, Gerry Judge’s Special Prize for Excellence Local History - Small Publication Award Robinson and friends (Penfolk Publishing) Judges Choice Award ($1000). Award for the best small publication ($1500). This substantial book, the product of the author and Postcards: Stories from the Mornington Peninsula a group of four friends, is the result of an admirable (DVD) Mornington Peninsula Local History Network Cultured Colonists: George Alexander Gilbert and collaborative effort. Focused on the Heathmont and Lavender Hill Multimedia Local History Touring his family, settlers in Port Phillip, Margaret Bowman Shopping Centre, it tells much about its area and Exhibition (Australian Scholarly Publishing, Melbourne people over the past 90 years. Athenaeum & State Library of Victoria) Postcards: Stories from the Mornington Peninsula is a travelling exhibition that brings together stories George Gilbert and his family arrived in Melbourne from eight local historical societies. Each society in 1841. This book skilfully reconstructs the lives focused on a local heritage theme, for example of these ‘cultured colonists’ as they try to make the development of holiday attractions and local their way in the developing society of Port Phillip, industries in the Mornington Peninsula. Victoria, in the 1840s and 1850s.

Winner, Victorian Community History Award 2014, Exceptional Australian Garden Makers, Anne Vale, Lothian Publishing.

50 51 APPENDICES

Appendix 7: Local History Grants Program Funded Organisation Project Funding The Local History Grants Program provides small grants to community organisations to support the cost of projects that preserve, record or publish Victorian local history. For more information on the program Friends of Flagstaff Hill Flagstaff Hill Collection cataloguing $3,000.00 visit: www.prov.vic.gov.au/community-programs/grants-awards/local-history-grants. Geelong Heritage Centre Digitising and indexing of the Geelong Valuation and $9,000.00 Rate Books Records Local History Grant Recipients 2014–2015 Gippsland Heritage Park Cataloguing of Buildings and Collections at Old $1,340.00 Gippstown Funded Organisation Project Funding Harrow Bush Nursing Centre Pathways to Harrow 2015 $3,238.00 3CR Community Radio Radical Radio - 40 Years of 3CR $8,500.00 Heidelberg Historical Society Inc. Map Backlog Completion Project $1,063.70 Axedale Our Town - Our Future Inc. ‘A Town Once Divided, Now United’ - Axedale $12,051.60 Horsham Historical Society Inc. Digitise old Films $1,100.00 Historical Loop App Horsham Saints Cricket Club Horsham Saints Cricket Club Premiership Photos $931.70 Ballarat and District Genealogical Taking Ballarat Courier to the world $7,500.00 Refurbishment Society Inc. JOY 94.9 History of JOY 94.9 $14,357.00 Ballarat Base Hospital Trained Ballarat Base Hospital, School of Nursing Educator $3,300.00 Kerang Pony Club Inc. 55 Year History of the Kerang Pony Club $3,520.00 Nurses League Project 1888-1988 Kew Historical Society Inc. Survey Maps of Kew $3,081.10 Beaumaris Primary School Retracing Beaumaris Primary School’s lost history - a $10,956.00 Knox Historical Society Inc. Audio Recording Digitisation $2,057.00 preservation, publication and heritage panel project Korumburra & District Historical Digitising the Great Southern Advocate $8,250.00 Bellarine Historical Society Inc. Digitise Shire of Bellarine Rate and Valuation books $3,520.00 Society Inc. Benalla Historical Society Inc. Conservation of Edward Harcourt Paintings $8,584.40 Korumburra Golf Club Inc. A History of the first 100 years of the Korumburra $3,000.00 Birchip Historical Society Inc. Purchase of archival quality storage products and $397.10 Golf Club display cabinets for railway research Lalbert Progress Association Inc. Lalbert Primary School 2990 History Preservation $1,650.00 Bruthen & District Citizens Bruthen Heritage Precinct - Development of historic $6,930.00 Melbourne Library Service Graeme Butler Heritage Image Collection $12,632.00 Association Inc. displays Mount Evelyn RSL Sub-branch The Vagabond in the Yarra Valley Publication $6,000.00 Burke Memorial Museum The Early Beechworth Potteries $2,556.00 Multicultural Arts Victoria Stories from The Pier $9,956.00 Castlemaine Historical Society Inc. Fryerstown Court Records $1,430.00 North Wangaratta Community North Wangaratta’s Walking/Bike Trail from Reedy $10,326.00 Chinese Museum Cantonese opera in Australia: Bridging communities $10,200.00 Group Creek to The Vine - reliving indigenous & early and cultures European stories City of Warrnambool Rowing Club Warrnambool Rowing Club- 140 years on the Hopkins $2,812.70 Nyah District Primary School Memories of the Rail School $5,475.00 River Poowong Football & Netball Club Poowong Football & Netball Club - Celebrating 125 $5,500.00 Cohuna A. P. & H. Society 100 Years of Showing Off $9,159.70 Inc. Years The Committee for Drouin ‘Stories of Drouin’ from our Local Knowledge $10,454.40 Pyramid Hill & District Historical Preservation of fantastic old photographs $2,411.20 Identities Society Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse The Centenary of Clydesdales at the Royal Melbourne $6,930.00 Riddells Creek Social History Group Heritage Walk $5,401.00 Society Victorian Branch Show 1914-2014 Scout Association - Victorian Digitisation of Australia Jamboree Newspapers/Book $4,455.00 Darebin Libraries Digitising Darebin - 1980’s Northcote images $6,700.00 Branch (Scout Heritage Victoria) Conservation Devon Meadows Primary School DMPS Centenary Celebrations $5,500.00 Societa’ Isole Eolie 90th Anniversary Aeolian Commemorative Project $6,325.00 Emerald Community House Inc. Emerald Heritage Walk - Stage 2 $8,680.00 Southern Sherbrooke Historical Oral History Preservation And Access $5,500.00 Euroa Agricultural Society The publication of 130 years of the Euroa Agricultural $6,050.00 Society Inc. Incorporated and Pastoral Society 1885-2015

52 53 GLOSSARY

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA

Funded Organisation Project Funding St Anthony’s Parish Preserving the Past $600.00 Stratford and District Historical Tyers Street Walk Book $1,400.00 Society Theatre Heritage Australia Inc. Digitising J C Williamson Ltd Scene Books c. $9,894.50 1890s-1930s Toora Bowls Club History of the Toora Bowls Club publication $2,200.00 Toorak College Toorak College Archive Image Digitisation Project $2,076.00 Travellers Aid Australia Travellers Aid Australia’s 100th Anniversary $15,000.00 United Jewish Education Board UJEB 120 $4,880.00 Upwey Belgrave RSL Inc Museum Workshop Archive Project $2,684.00 Victorian Women’s Cricket Umpires Victorian Women’s Cricket Umpires Association $2,979.90 Association Inc. 80 Seasons 1936/37 - 2015/16 West Gippsland Relic, Mining and Aberfeldy Tracks $5,500.00 Heritage Protection Inc. Winters Flat Junior Football Club Honor Boards for Junior Football in Castlemaine $2,167.00 Wodonga District Girl Guides The Past, the present and the Future: Protecting & $3,477.00 Preserving our History Yaapeet Community Club Yaapeet History Trail Stage 1 $4,985.20 Yackandandah & District Historical Unlocking the Yackandandah Primary School $2,035.00 Society Inc. WW1 Memorial Journal Yallourn Association Yallourn - Open Cut Timeline, Contour Lines on Map $10,725.00 & Housing Yarra Ranges Regional Museum Oil Paint and Ochre: The Story of William Barak and $14,080.00 the de Purys Yarrambat Heritage Museum Yarrambat Heritage Museum Development $3,520.00

Right image: A photographic memento of the Fire Brigade Dance at the Beaufort Hall. 1936. J. Ellis. Courtesy Ray Ellis.

54 55 GLOSSARY

Please refer to the Master Glossary for records management terms used by Public Record Office Victoria: disposal authority A legal document that defines the retention periods and consequent disposal prov.vic.gov.au/government/standards-and-policy/all-documents/master-glossary. actions authorised for specific classes of records (AS 4390.1 -1996). Retention and Disposal Authorities (RDAs): Standards issued by the Keeper advice A document issued by Public Record Office Victoria providing advice to under section 12 of the Act that defines the minimum retention periods and Victorian agencies on a recordkeeping issue. (Includes formal advice about consequent disposal action authorised for classes of records which are standards, policies, as well as forms and other tools to help Victorian described in it. RDAs provide continuing authorisation for the disposal of government agencies manage and use public records.) these classes of records. RDAs may be specific to an agency or applicable to Approved Public Record A commercial storage facility which has been appointed by the Keeper more than one agency. Office Storage Supplier of Public Records under s.12 of the Public Records Act 1973 following an (APROSS) inspection regarding its suitability for the storage of public records. Records Single Instance Disposal Authorities (SIDAs): A formal instrument issued by held in an APROSS are deemed to be under the custody of the controlling the Keeper in accordance with this Standard that authorises the retention agency. period and consequent disposal action for the records which are described in it. Unlike an RDA, a SIDA does not authorise continuing disposal of the archives Records that are considered to have continuing or permanent value that classes of records that have been appraised within it. have been, or will be, transferred to the custody of an archival organisation; also used to refer to the buildings in which archival records are stored and to permanent records A public record which has been appraised by the Keeper of Public Records as organisations that have responsibility for archival records. required to be kept as part of Victoria’s State Archives. Permanent records are specified in Retention and Disposal Authorities issued by the Keeper. digital / electronic A record produced, housed or transmitted by electronic means rather than record physical means. A record expressed in an electronic digital format. A record place of deposit (POD) A facility or area appointed under s.14 of the Public Records Act 1973, to store stored in a form that only a computer can process. specified classes of records. A POD may be appointed to hold temporary records which would otherwise be destroyed; or certified by the Keeper of digitised record / digital An electronic reproduction of a picture, photograph or physical item (e.g. Public Records as a POD Repository to hold State Archives on behalf of Public image letter or document) that can be stored on computer or disk, and can be Record Office Victoria. Records held in a POD are deemed to be under the viewed, transmitted, manipulated and/or printed via computer. A subset of custody and control of the Keeper of Public Records. digital records. public record (a) Any record made or received by a public officer in the course of his duties; disposal A range of processes associated with implementing appraisal decisions and which are documented in disposal authorities or other instruments. These include the retention, destruction or deletion of records in or from (b) any record made or received by a court or person acting judicially in recordkeeping systems. They may also include the migration or transmission Victoria— of records between recordkeeping systems, the transfer of ownership or the but does not include— transfer of custody of records, e.g. to Public Record Office Victoria. (c) a record which is beneficially owned by a person or body other than the Within the Victorian public sector, records are appraised to determine their Crown or a public office or a person or body referred to in s. 2B [of the Public significance (business, legal or historical) and then judged to be either of Records Act 1973]; or temporary or permanent value to the state. Government bodies are guided by standards or schedules issued by Public Record Office Victoria to regulate (d) a prescribed record held for the purpose of preservation by a public office the disposal of records. to which it was transferred before the commencement of the Arts Institutions (Amendment) Act 1994 by a person or body other than the Crown or a public office; or (e) a record, other than a prescribed record, held for the purpose of preservation by a public office to which it was transferred, whether before or after the commencement of the Arts Institutions (Amendment) Act 1994, by a person or body other than the Crown or a public office. Public records may be divided into business records, ephemeral records and personal records.

56 57 GLOSSARY

reading room Area set aside at Public Record Office Victoria centre for public access to temporary records A public record which has been appraised by the Keeper of Public Records as records. being required to be kept for a specific period of time for legislative or other record Something that documents a particular event or decision, or a document and requirements, before it can be destroyed. Destruction must be in accordance its contents that have some evidentiary value. with standards issued under section 12 of the Public Records Act. Temporary records are specified in Retention and Disposal Authorities issued by the A record can take many forms: Keeper. A document in writing transfer The removal of public records from the offices which have created or A book, map, plan, graph or drawing inherited them to another location or body. Change of custody, ownership A photograph and/or responsibility for records. (e.g. from the agency to Public Record Office A label marking or other writing which identifies or describes anything of Victoria). which it forms part, or to which it is attached by any means whatsoever A disc, tape, soundtrack or other device in which sounds or other data (not unsentenced records Records which have not yet been appraised and whose status is therefore being visual images) are embodied so as to be capable (with or without the not yet determined (Public Records Act 1973). aid of some other equipment) of being reproduced therefrom VERS Victorian Electronic Records Strategy: a framework of standards, guidance, A film, negative, tape or other device in which one or more visual images is training, consultancy and implementation projects, centred on the goal of embodied so as to be capable (as aforesaid) of being reproduced therefrom reliably and authentically archiving electronic records Anything whatsoever on which is marked any words, figures, letters or VERS Encapsulated A record which has been encapsulated using eXtensible Markup Language symbols which are capable of carrying a definite meaning to persons Object (VEO) (XML) as outlined in PROS 99/007 Specification 3, conforms to the VERS conversant with them (AS ISO 15489.1). metadata scheme as outlined in PROS 99/007 Specification 2 and which recordkeeping ‘Making and maintaining complete, accurate and reliable evidence of contains documents expressed in a long term preservation format as business transactions in the form of recorded information.’ outlined in PROS 99/007 Specification 4. records management ‘Field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of VPRS An abbreviation for Victorian Public Record Series. A VPRS number is the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including allocated to each record series when it is transferred to Public Record Office processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about Victoria. business activities and transactions in the form of records.’ repository The building (or part of the building) in which the archival collection or holdings are housed. retention and disposal See Disposal Authority authority series ‘A group of records which are recorded or maintained by the same agency (or agencies) and which: Are in the same numerical, alphabetical, chronological or another identifiable sequence; or Result from the same accumulation or filing process, perform the same function or may be of similar physical shape or information content.’ standard A set of criteria that states a level of requirement for Victorian agencies. Standards are established by the Keeper of Public Records under the Public Records Act 1973. Standards can be compliance-oriented or oriented towards best practice.

58 59 Victorian Archives Centre 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne 10am–4.30pm Monday to Friday (and 2nd and last Saturday of the month)

Ballarat Archives Centre Cnr Mair and Doveton Streets Ballarat 9.30am–4.30pm Monday and Tuesday

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre 1st Floor Bendigo Library 251–259 Hargreaves Street Bendigo 10am–4.30pm Wednesday and Thursday

Geelong Heritage Centre

CONTACT US prov.vic.gov.au [email protected] 03 9348 5600