Public Record Offi ce Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2005–2006 Published by Public Record Offi ce Victoria 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Tel (03) 9348 5600 Public Record Offi ce Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2005–2006 September 2006 © Copyright State of Victoria 2006 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Also published on www.prov.vic.gov.au. Authorised by Department for Victorian Communities ISBN 0 9775335 6 5

Authorised by the Keeper of Public Records, 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne. Printed by Ellikon Fine Printers on 50% recycled paper. 1

Public Record Offi ce Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2005–2006

A report from the Keeper of Public Records as required under section 21 of the Public Records Act 1973 2

The Hon. John Thwaites, MP Minister for Victorian Communities

The Honourable John Thwaites, MP Minister for Victorian Communities Parliament House Melbourne VIC 3002

Dear Minister I am pleased to present a report on the carrying out of my functions under the Public Records Act for the year ending 30 June 2006. Yours sincerely

Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records 30 June 2006 Contents 3

5 Public Record Offi ce Victoria 6 Our purpose 6 What we do 6 Our objectives 6 Government policy 7 Message from the Director 8 Highlights 2005–2006 12 Public Records Advisory Council 14 Administration 15 Contacts 16 Organisational Structure 17 Output Measures 2005–2006 18 Community and Industry Leadership 18 Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) 19 Sir Rupert Hamer Awards 20 Records Management Network 20 Archives and Records Management Week 21 Archival Support Program 21 CHHA Family History Expo 22 Community Jobs Program 23 Volunteers program

25 Operations 26 Record Services 27 Archival Systems and Consultancy Services 28 Standards and Compliance 32 Documentation and Disposal 34 Custody – Archives and Records 35 Access Services 35 Records Access 38 Record Issues Offi ce 39 Community Access 43 Corporate 43 Organisational development 43 Finance and budgeting 44 Training 44 Facilities

45 Appendices 46 Appendix 1: Assets and Financial Statement 47 Appendix 2: Publications 50 Appendix 3: Current Public Record Offi ce Victoria Standards and Authorities 56 Appendix 4: Approved Public Record Offi ce Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS) facilities 57 Appendix 5: Approved Places of Deposit for temporary records of local rather than state signifi cance 61 Appendix 6: List of guides and advices 63 Appendix 7: VERS-compliant products 64 Appendix 8: VERS consultancy services 66 Glossary Our repositories hold more than 85 kilometres of records. Some of the treasures found there include…

Plans for buildings that were never built

…and some that were.

Records from the very big…

The 1862 Land Act map of Victoria, measuring 4.5 x 6 metres

The 260 metre-long women’s suffrage petition that holds almost 30,000 signatures

to the very small…

A bullet, a lock of hair, a sample of poison – all provide evidence of crimes past in our Inquest fi les.

Some of the state’s most fascinating documents

including the 1854 Ballarat Reform League Charter and Ned Kelly’s police reports.

Education Department fi les that include training material such as a sample book of sewing and needlework from the 1930s

5

Public Record Offi ce Victoria 6 Public Record Offi ce Victoria

Our purpose To support the effective management and use of the public records of the state of Victoria, in order that the government is accountable to the community and its historical memory is preserved, secure and accessible.

What we do Public Record Offi ce Victoria (PROV) was established under the Public Records Act 1973, which provides the legal framework in which we operate. PROV’s core functions are to: • provide best-practice records management and archiving advice, standards and specifi cations to the Victorian public sector • advise and assist agencies in achieving compliance with issued standards • preserve public records of permanent value as the state’s archives • ensure the archives are accessible to the people and government of Victoria

Our objectives • Records in PROV’s custody are more visible, accessible and secure. • Best-practice records management is implemented across the whole of Victorian government. • PROV’s services are better promoted to the community and government. • Staff knowledge and commitment is utilised and valued. • Excellent customer service is provided to clients. • The Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) introduces a coherent, effective and consistent whole-of-Victorian-government standard for the preservation and management of electronic records.

Government policy PROV is part of the Department for Victorian Communities, whose objectives centre on strengthening communities and streamlining government. By developing new approaches to records management, particularly with VERS and the Digital Archive, PROV exemplifi es the department’s objective ‘Government that is easier to work with’. By delivering a comprehensive recordkeeping framework and infrastructure, PROV supports government accountability. This contributes to the whole-of-Victorian-government objective ‘Greater public participation and more accountable government’. PROV’s emphasis on regional, Koorie and electronic access to its archives contributes to ‘A fairer society that reduces disadvantage and respects diversity’ by providing equity of access to groups with special needs, irrespective of location. PROV’s use of innovative information technology directly contributes to ‘Growing and linking all Victoria’. PROV’s focus on electronic delivery of services will assist with ‘Protecting the environment for future generations’ by reducing paper usage and waste production. Message from the Director 7

2005–2006 has been a year of great achievement for Public Record Offi ce Victoria. The most signifi cant achievement was the launch of the Digital Archive on 13 December by the Minister for Victorian Communities, John Thwaites. The $5.5m Digital Archive project is the culmination of the ten-year ground-breaking Victorian Electronic Records Strategy program at PROV. The Digital Archive was a resource-intensive – but ultimately highly successful – project and is an amazing testament to the project team and all those who helped in bringing it to fruition. Another highlight was the continued success of the exhibition Forgotten Faces: Chinese and the Law, which attracted many visitors and substantial media attention. Not only did the exhibition travel to Bendigo and Beechworth, but it also made newspapers and magazines in China and even a television program in New York! PROV also developed two new Advices to agencies that captured current issues within recordkeeping: the Advice to agencies on messaging technologies and recordkeeping, and the Advice to agencies on records of outsourced activity. Both Advices were written following extensive research and consultation and have been well received by government agencies. Having now been in operation for more than two years, the Harry Nunn Reading Room has received an overwhelmingly positive response from our users. Based on feedback received from the public, we continue to refi ne our systems to ensure we are providing the best service we can. PROV ran a third successful Community Jobs Program, which saw eight previously long-term unemployed people gain work experience, life skills and formal training in business management (with an emphasis on recordkeeping). We would not have been able to run such a successful project without the support of industry associations and the enthusiastic participation of our own staff. I would like to thank the Public Records Advisory Council for their ongoing support and contribution to the successful running of PROV. I would especially like to thank Joan Vickery, who resigned during the year, for her contributions to Council. Council has continued to hold successful meetings around regional Victoria, increasing awareness of public records and the services provided by PROV. I would also like to thank the other records and archival authorities around Australia, and representatives of government agencies, peak bodies and professional associations, who have partnered with or supported PROV throughout the past twelve months. PROV also continues to build relationships with archival institutions around the world and several delegations have visited us during the year. We have continued to build and strengthen our volunteers program. I thank all of the volunteers who have given so much of their time during the year to help improve the accessibility of the PROV collection – in particular their commitment to and enthusiasm for the volunteer-led tours through the Victorian Archives Centre reading room and repository. These tours have been enjoyed by several hundred visitors. Finally, I would like to congratulate the staff of PROV who have demonstrated their passion for and commitment to the archival industry. I thank them for their hard work and look forward to continuing our work together to deliver great services to our clients and users.

Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records 8 Highlights 2005–2006

Government records enter the digital age In 2005 PROV launched a world-class, government-wide initiative for storing and managing electronic public records. The Minister for Victorian Communities, John Thwaites, stated that records that could otherwise have been lost in a digital black hole would now be accessible through the $5.5m Digital Archive. Users of the Digital Archive have a secure, single point of access to the PROV collection (physical and electronic), as well as better searching capabilities and a simpler process for ordering public records. The new web interface allows Victorian government departments and agencies to transfer and retrieve their digital records online, while members of the public can view a growing number of ‘digitised’ physical records without having to visit a reading room. As well as wills and probate fi les (see story below), photographs from the Public Transport Collection and the Melbourne 1956 Olympics are now available through the PROV website. These photographs can also be searched through the National Library of Australia portal website Picture Australia. Since its launch, the Digital Archive website has received more than eight million hits. The Digital Archive is the culmination of a ten-year project that saw collaboration across the state government and with Fujitsu Australia, the CSIRO, Documentum and EMC, all of which were instrumental in achieving a world-leading solution for handling volumes of precious digital records. By converting different fi le types – for example text fi les, spreadsheets and word processing documents – into a single universal format that can be consistently managed and maintained, the Digital Archive solves the problem of continual technological updates that render electronic records inaccessible over time. The Digital Archive has the capacity to store 11.4 terabytes of data, which is equivalent to more than 40 kilometres of physical records. A secondary site has been established to provide a backup of all electronic records in the event of a disaster. At the end of the fi nancial year, PROV celebrated the storage of the 50,000th electronic record. This is still only a small fraction of the total storage available. The Digital Archive allows the secure transfer of digital records and automates the transfer process, including the checking of quality control standards.

Knowing who you are The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Gavin Jennings, MLC, visited the Victorian Archives Centre in June 2006 to formally accept a report to the state government from the Victorian Koorie Records Taskforce. wilam naling… knowing who you are… looks at ways of improving access to records of the Stolen Generations. Taskforce Chair Jason Eades (right) is pictured presenting the report to Minister Jennings. (See page 37 for information on the report.) 9

Wills and probate fi les go online In January 2006 the fi rst digital images of wills became available through our website, marking the start of a new service that will no doubt be of enormous benefi t to genealogists and other researchers – locally, interstate, and even internationally. Since 2004, PROV has been working with the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) to digitise wills, probate fi les and inquest fi les from settlement to 1925, and make them available online. GSU volunteers are progressively creating digital images of these records using an overhead camera system developed for their digitising projects worldwide. Copies of these images will be held in the GSU’s secure storage in Utah and published on PROV’s website. PROV staff and volunteers also convert the digitised images into VERS format for long-term storage in our Digital Archive. GSU volunteers are currently digitising some 1,500 documents per week. PROV staff perform quality assurance checks on the images and provide high level and practical archival, preservation and conservation advice. This gives the GSU volunteers a better understanding of the records, ensuring their preservation throughout the imaging process. As of June 2006, the GSU teams had digitised nearly the entire range of wills from 1853 to 1925, and probates from the 1840s to the 1890s. Digitised copies of wills up to the 1880s are now available through the PROV website, and new images are being published weekly. As well as benefi ting researchers, online availability will also help to protect the documents. These fi les are the most heavily used series at PROV and continued access to the original documents would have detrimental consequences for their long-term preservation.

Multi–award-winning PROV PROV projects were honoured with several awards during the year. The online exhibition Tracking the Native Police (see page 41) was recognised with a Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Design Award in May 2006. The judges commented: ‘this information rich site has a good balance of text and imagery, clean navigation and innovative use of map overlays that uses the medium effectively and has given historical material a contemporary feel which will appeal to a wider audience’. Another online exhibition, Lucy: a private life revealed through public records, was highly commended by the judges of the 2004 Australian Society of Archivists Mander Jones Awards, presented in October 2005. PROV’s Digital Archive project was a surprise winner of a Sir Rupert Hamer Award for excellence in records management (see page19). Without the team knowing, the project was Online Projects team members (from left) Daniel Wilksch, nominated by Public Records Advisory Council members. Sebastian Gurciullo and Colin Kemp, and Community Access manager Diane Gardiner, with the Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Meanwhile, the dedication of Lucy Hastewell, manager of the Design Award won by the Tracking the Native Police online exhibition. project, was acknowledged by the Department for Victorian Communities with a staff Outstanding Achievement Award in 2005. 10

PROV records offi cially part of Australia’s heritage PROV’s collection of records relating to Ned Kelly was added to UNESCO’s Australian Memory of the World Register during the year. The register notes that the papers are ‘the largest and most intact collection of historic documents on the subject, and range from the earliest police reports in the Kelly saga, to the court records of Ned’s trial’. The register is part of a UNESCO international program established to protect and promote awareness of items of documentary heritage that record or refl ect important milestones and events. The fi rst record in PROV custody to be included on the Memory of the World Register was the Ballarat Reform League Charter, in 2004. In 2005 the charter also became the fi rst object to be listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, when the scope of the register was extended to include individual objects. The charter – a four-page manifesto of democratic rights, drafted and ratifi ed by the miners of Ballarat in 1854 – is one of the most historically signifi cant documents in PROV’s custody. On announcing its listing on the Heritage Register, the Hon. Rob Hulls, MP, Attorney-General and Minister for Planning, said it was ‘a key document in Australia’s political history, and the fundamental rights it contained are enshrined in our Constitution’. All of the historic places, shipwrecks and objects listed on the Heritage Register are protected under Victoria’s Heritage Act 1995.

Extra windfall for community history groups The Local History Grants Program supports community history groups across Victoria to record, preserve and share local historical information. On 3 August 2005, Minister for Victorian Communities John Thwaites announced to a capacity audience at the Victorian Archives Centre the 38 grants awarded under Round 4 of the program. These grants, totalling $140,000, were in addition to $250,000 of Round 4 grants awarded in December 2004: noting the large number of unfunded but high-quality applications to that round, the Minister had recommended additional funding. Projects undertaken with this funding include a scholarly commentary on the Chinese ‘Hung Men’ society on the Bendigo goldfi elds, conservation of records of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows in Yackandandah, preservation of the surviving records of the Box Hill North Primary School after a fi re in 2004, and an oral history of Myrtleford residents published in book form.

Minister for Victorian Communities John Thwaites (left) presents a Local History Grant to Russell Jack, Director of Bendigo’s Golden Dragon Museum. The grant is for a project to provide a commentary to an 1850s Chinese language handbook for a masonic-style mutual support society operating on the Victorian goldfi elds. 11

Exporting VERS to the world During the year PROV played host to a number of international visitors seeking to learn more about the development and implementation of the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS). As international archival organisations start to deal with the challenges of digital recordkeeping, there has been growing interest in the VERS approach. This year’s visitors included national archive directors and senior staff, information management professionals, academics and public servants. They attended detailed workshops on the implementation of the VERS program, with particular reference to the Digital Archive, gaining valuable insights for their own digital records programs from PROV’s ‘lessons learnt’. Visitors commented how impressed they were with the VERS program and by the fact that PROV was willing to share knowledge and expertise. Two organisations later advised they had begun electronic records projects, at least partly inspired by VERS. Delegates came from the San Diego Super Computer Centre, Korea’s Sang-Myung University and National Archives and Records Service, National Archives of Malaysia, People’s Republic of China Archives, Shanghai Archives, and Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat, as well as a delegation of Japanese academics and three Chinese delegations of directors and other senior staff from the State Archives Administration and numerous city/regional archives.

Town crier rings in 150 years of government City of Melbourne’s champion town crier, Neville Stonehouse, was on hand to greet the Hon. Mary Delahunty, MP, Minister for Women’s Affairs and the Arts, when she launched People and Parliament: Landmark Decisions 1855–2006 in December. The exhibition – which celebrated the 150th anniversary of responsible government in Victoria – featured many original records from PROV’s collection including correspondence between Governor Charles Hotham and William Haines, Victoria’s fi rst Premier; the Members’ Roll from the fi rst Parliament; and drafts and assent copies of ‘landmark’ Acts in Victoria’s legislative history. Twelve other history-loving parliamentarians accepted an invitation to visit the exhibition and tour the Victorian Archives Centre – and all were keen to pass on information about our services to their constituents. 12 Public Records Advisory Council

The Public Records Advisory Council was established under the Public Records Act 1973 to advise the Minister on matters relating to the administration of the Act and to promote cooperation between PROV and other agencies within government, in consultation with the Keeper of Public Records.

Members 2005–2006 Mr Ronald Beazley, President Mr Yehudi Blacher, Secretary, Department for Victorian Communities Ms Judith Ellis, Information Management Dr Meredith Fletcher, History Ms Alleyne Hockley, History Dr Peter Mansfi eld, Local Government Mr Michael Piggott, Information and Records Management Prof. Bill Russell, Management Ms Mary Sheehan, History Ms Joan Vickery, Genealogical Research / Koorie Heritage (resigned December 2005) Ms Genevieve Grieves, Genealogical Research / Koorie Heritage (appointed March 2006)

Departmental Nominee Mr John Watson, Department for Victorian Communities

Secretary 2005–2006 Ms Diane Brodie

Members of the Public Records Advisory Council: (from left) Meredith Fletcher, Peter Mansfi eld, Ron Beazley, Alleyne Hockley, Judith Ellis, Michael Piggott and Mary Sheehan. 13

Letter from the President One of the most enjoyable aspects of being part of the Public Records Advisory Council is having the opportunity to meet people all over Victoria who share a passion for history. This year Council hosted seminars in Melton, Warrnambool and Shepparton to help members of the local communities make better use of PROV’s services. In each town between 25 and 35 researchers, historians, archivists and other interested community members heard PROV staff present on a range of topics. Warrnambool guests were also lucky enough to hear from well-known historian and author Martyn Syme, who spoke about some of the diffi culties and joys he experienced in researching his shipping books. In Melton, we concurrently hosted our fi rst seminar for local government recordkeepers – an event we plan to repeat in other municipalities. Council members have taken a keen interest in, and advised on, the development of PROV’s appraisal policy over the past couple of years, and so were delighted to see it almost at completion by the end of June. We also spent some time on proposed amendments to the Public Records Act 1973, in order to improve security around state documents. This culminated in an amendment to the Act so that records that may pose a security risk can be closed to public access. Council again presented the annual Sir Rupert Hamer Awards, which give us the chance to honour achievements in records management in the public sector – efforts which are often under-appreciated. We reviewed Retention and Disposal Authorities for the records of VicUrban, the Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria, Business Licensing Function and Motor Car Traders Guarantee Fund Function, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, Department of Sustainability and Environment, and the Victorian Poisons Information Centre. We have all particularly enjoyed learning about PROV activities that directly help Victorians to explore the treasures of their past – whether through the Digital Archive and the fascinating wills and probate digitising project, local history grants, the Places of Deposit program, or the outstanding exhibitions held at the Victorian Archives Centre and travelling around the state. On behalf of Council, I would like to congratulate PROV’s staff and volunteers for their many achievements, big and small, over the past year, and thank them for the time taken to keep us informed.

Ron Beazley President, Public Records Advisory Council 14 Administration

Executive Headed by Justine Heazlewood, Director and Keeper of Public Records, the executive unit is located at 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; phone (03) 9348 5600.

Act administered - Public Records Act 1973 PROV’s operations are governed by the Public Records Act 1973, which defi nes the role of both the Keeper of Public Records and the organisation. The Act is available for inspection on the PROV website at www.prov.vic.gov.au and at our North Melbourne and Ballarat offi ces.

Regulations made and administered Regulations are made under section 23 of the Public Records Act 1973 and are known as the Public Records Regulations 2003. The Regulations prescribe fees for making and supplying copies of public records and set out conditions for the inspection of public records and use of facilities provided by PROV. All Regulations are available for inspection on the PROV website at www.prov.vic.gov.au/about/ corporate.asp and at both of our offi ces.

Portfolio responsibility The Department for Victorian Communities has portfolio responsibility for PROV.

Freedom of Information Requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 are handled through the Department for Victorian Communities Freedom of Information offi cer. For information about categories of documents maintained by PROV, refer to the Department for Victorian Communities website at www.dvc.vic.gov.au.

Protected disclosure The Whistleblower’s Protection Act 2001 promotes accountability and transparency in the public sector, which will in turn increase public confi dence in the workings of government. The procedures implemented by PROV in relation to protected disclosure can be found in the Department for Victorian Communities 2005–2006 annual report. In accordance with section 104 of the Act, PROV reports that no disclosures were made to it during the reporting year.

Public Record Offi ce Victoria Standards and Authorities PROV issues Standards for Records Management and Authorities for Retention and Disposal under section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973. A full list of current PROV Standards and Authorities is provided in Appendix 3. This list is also located on PROV’s website at www.prov.vic. gov.au/records/standards.asp and at both of our offi ces.

Department for Victorian Communities annual report Further information about PROV’s performance during 2005–2006, including fi nancial and staffi ng data, is included in the annual report of the Department for Victorian Communities, available at www.dvc.vic.gov.au. Contacts 15

As at 30 June 2006, PROV operated two public reading rooms and had 62 staff members working in three operational areas. The Operations section of this report details the activities of each area.

Public reading rooms

Victorian Archives Centre Harry Nunn Reading Room 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia Phone: (03) 9348 5600 Email: [email protected]

Ballarat Archives Centre State Public Offi ces Corner of Mair and Doveton Streets Ballarat VIC 3350 Australia Phone: (03) 5333 6611 Email: [email protected]

Record Services Senior Manager: David Brown Phone: (03) 9348 5621 Email: [email protected] Agency enquiries: [email protected]

Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) Director: Howard Quenault Phone: (03) 9348 5711 Email: [email protected] VERS compliance: [email protected]

Access Services Senior Manager: Shauna Hicks Phone: (03) 9348 5608 Email: [email protected]

Corporate Services Senior Manager: Greg Schinck Phone: (03) 9348 5615 Email: [email protected] 16 Organisational Structure

Executive Director, Local Government Victoria and Community Information

Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC)

Record Services Access Services Corporate Services

Standards and Organisational Community Access Compliance Development

Finance and Documentation Records Access and Disposal Administration

Custody – Archives Custody – Issues Information and Records Services

Archival Systems Facilities

Archives and Records Training

Volunteers Output Measures 2005–2006 17

Output Name: Records

Quantity Target Actual1 Accessions (groups of records received at one time from a single agency) 30 501 Retention and Disposal Authorities issued n/a 81 Retention and Disposal Authority variations issued n/a 101 Requests for appraisal completed n/a 3 1 Series created 600 5052 Corporate storage facilities, government agencies and community group 39 381 storage facilities (Places of Deposit) inspected Shelf metres of records archived 2,200 1,8253 Shelf metres of hard-copy records preserved4 84,500 85,3551 Electronic records preserved 50,000 52,0321 Participants in records management education, training and outreach programs 1,300 1,2611 VERS departmental consultations4 90 1225 VERS primary capability deployed in all departments4 626 Additional VERS software products certifi ed 2 57 Quality % Records stored in optimal environmental conditions for preservation 95 951 Timeliness % Agencies notifi ed of Retention and Disposal Authority expiry within specifi ed 90 1001 timeframe

Output Name: Access

Quantity Target Actual1 Records issued 57,000 57,5938 Visitors4 450,000 644,0509 Participants in Access Services education, training and outreach programs 8,000 8,7661 Quality % Client satisfaction (from user surveys)4 90 911 Timeliness % Records issued within specifi ed timeframes 95 951

1 Accessions were higher than forecast because of enhanced work practices. 2 The number of series created has been at a high level for several years owing to a special project. This project has now been completed and output has returned to normal levels. 3 Although agencies transferred more consignments than forecast, there were fewer items within those consignments. 4 These outputs are presented in the Department of Treasury and Finance Budget Paper No. 3 – 2005-06 Service Delivery. 5 VERS departmental consultations were 35% over target because departments made a signifi cant number of requests for assistance in the implementation of VERS projects and programs. 6 The timetable for delivery of primary VERS capability was delayed by Offi ce of the Chief Information Offi cer projects to standardise systems across the whole of Victorian government. It is expected a further three departments will have VERS primary capability in 2006–2007, with all departments having it by 2007–2008 as forecast. 7 More vendors than anticipated applied for VERS compliance, following extensive promotion of VERS and the launch of the Digital Archive. 8 This fi gure comprises records issued from the Harry Nunn Reading Room (55,019) and Ballarat Archives Centre (2,574). 9 Visitors comprised website (460,012), reading rooms (18,648) and exhibitions (165,390). Visitors were above target owing to new and increased coverage of travelling exhibitions; on-loan PROV documents exhibited in high-profi le galleries; and the continuing success of new online content initiatives. 18 Community and Industry Leadership

Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) The Victorian Electronic Records Strategy is a world-leading initiative of PROV designed to manage and preserve electronic records created by the state government.

VERS program delivery To sustain the continued adoption and implementation of VERS and compliance with its standards, Victorian government agencies require ongoing expert advice on the VERS standard and implementation models. Choosing an effective approach requires expertise in archival records management, information technology, information management and business processes.

VERS services Consultancy – Experts from PROV have been engaged as consultants for business case development and on a substantial number of strategic reviews and funding bids aimed at improving digital records management capabilities. Intellectual property – Existing intellectual property developed in the initial VERS projects has been successfully re-used as part of subsequent business-specifi c programs. This has reduced the costs of implementing VERS. Software and services vendors – As more business processes are supported by software applications, agencies want the certainty that these are compliant with VERS requirements. During the year there have been fi ve new commercial products certifi ed to one or more of the VERS Standard V2 specifi cation levels. National and international standards – PROV is a leading member of the Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative (ADRI) – a group made up of all government archival authorities in Australia and New Zealand – which is developing a digital recordkeeping framework for Australasia. Specifi c work undertaken by PROV within the ADRI framework includes the development of a Digital Record Export Standard (an agreed standard preservation format for use by all ADRI members) and the development of a number of generic business cases for digital recordkeeping. VERS annual departmental assessment – PROV conducts an annual assessment of agencies to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of their VERS capability. This assessment assists the agencies to address their own issues and allows PROV to tailor VERS services to meet the needs of customers. International and national relations – Internationally VERS is recognised as being at the forefront of digital recordkeeping research, development and practical implementation. During 2005–2006 PROV was invited to a digital recordkeeping conference in Singapore to give a presentation on VERS. In addition, a number of international bodies and government delegations visited PROV requesting information about VERS and its practical application. Workshops on the strategic aspects of VERS have been undertaken with the South Australian, Tasmanian and Queensland archives as they initiate their own digital records programs. Advice and guidance – PROV develops advice and guidelines for specifi c areas relating to digital recordkeeping. In particular, the development of authoritative and well-researched advice on legal and regulatory areas will be useful to agencies in a changing and dynamic legal environment. Research on digital preservation providing a whole-of-government benefi t – As more business processes start to use an ever-increasing number of digital formats and applications, there is value in undertaking a research program to determine effective solutions. During 2005– 2006 work has been undertaken to identify additional long-term preservation formats that will support the business needs of government. These formats will be included in the VERS Standard. 19

Sir Rupert Hamer Awards The annual Sir Rupert Hamer Awards for excellence in records management within the Victorian public sector focus on two key areas: preservation of records of permanent value and innovations in records management practices. The awards are an initiative of the Public Records Advisory Council and are judged by a subcommittee comprising members of Council and representatives of the Records Management Association of Australasia. This year the subcommittee agreed unanimously to award PROV a ‘Hamer’ for innovative and leading-edge work in the implementation of the Digital Archive. The subcommittee stated that the Digital Archive was a most important part of preserving the history of the state’s records into the future. Sir Rupert Hamer was Victorian Premier when the Public Records Act was passed in 1973, and when PROV opened its fi rst offi ce and repository in 1975.

2005 Sir Rupert Hamer Awards Inner Budget Agency Victoria Online, Multimedia Victoria: Victoria Online Thesaurus development Certifi cate of Commendation Department of Human Services, Capital Management Branch: E-Information Management, F: Drive Review Local Government Agency Yarra City Council: ‘City of Richmond – That Was Then.’ A Virtual Exhibition

Special Award for Signifi cant Innovation (nominated by Public Records Advisory Council sub-committee) Public Record Offi ce Victoria: Digital Archive Project

Regional/Rural Agency Certifi cates of Commendation Department of Primary Industries, Tatura: Review and Improvement of Community Surface Water Management Systems

Gannawarra Shire Council: Records Management Procedures and Strategy Development

Public Records Advisory Council member Professor Bill Russell addresses guests at the 2005 Sir Rupert Hamer Awards ceremony in Parliament’s Queen’s Hall. 20

Records Management Network The Records Management Network was established in 1996. It provides an opportunity for government records managers and archivists to meet regularly to discuss issues of interest and relevance to the profession. The Network met quarterly during 2005–2006, with more than 800 participants attending presentations on the following topics: • an update on PROV activities (including Digital Archive, transfer and disposal, departmental strategy, and VERS) • Hamer Awards conferral ceremony • 2005 Hamer winners review • ‘Privacy and identity management’ (part of Archives and Records Management Week)

Archives and Records Management Week PROV continued to provide leadership to recordkeeping communities in Victoria during the year through its support of Archives and Records Management (ARM) Week. This annual event promotes training and skills, and provides opportunities for recordkeepers to develop, extend and maintain networks within the professional community. This year ARM Week was part of Victoria’s inaugural Information Awareness Month, enabling the cross-promotion of events and exhibitions of interest to information professionals and hobbyists alike. Established in 1999, ARM Week is a collaborative venture between PROV, the Victorian offi ce of the National Archives of Australia, and the Victorian branches of the Australian Society of Archivists, the Institute of Information Management and the Records Management Association of Australasia. ARM Week 2006 was held in the fi nal week of May and included nineteen events attended by more than 200 people. Key events organised for the week included: • ‘Metadata and ephemera’ – presentation • ‘Ethics of information management and identity theft’ – presentation • ‘Personal stories: fact or fi ction’ – presentations on oral history • ‘Appraisal: a broad perspective’ – seminar and workshop • ‘Privacy and identity management’ – Records Management Network meeting • ‘Managing change’ – workshop • ‘Legal and social responsibility issues in recordkeeping’ – workshop Speakers included Paul Chadwick, Privacy Commissioner Victoria; Helen Versey, Deputy Privacy Commissioner; Helen Trihas, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages; Andrew Probert and David Hart, Offi ce of the Chief Information Offi cer; ephemera expert David Foot; Doug Hamilton, Monash University; David Moldrich, BHP; Debbie Prout, City of Whitehorse; Ruth Edge, City of Greater Dandenong; and Cameron Abbot, Middletons Lawyers. 21

Archival Support Program The Archival Support Program offers basic collection management and archival training for interested individuals and organisations. This year’s program consisted of one-day seminars and workshops held in Castlemaine and at the Victorian Archives Centre. The sessions were attended by 142 people, and covered topics including preservation and conservation issues; describing, arranging and managing collections; and the use of computers to manage archives. The program provides an opportunity for PROV to attract audiences who may never have visited an archive. Typical attendees come from family and local history groups, galleries, libraries, churches and schools. The Archival Support Program is a joint initiative of PROV and the Australian Society of Archivists Inc. and is conducted with the support of the National Archives of Australia and other smaller archival institutions.

CHHA Family History Expo As part of its regional outreach program, PROV supports the Central Highlands Historical Association (CHHA) Family History Expo, held annually in Ballarat. This year’s expo theme was ‘Carrier pigeon to computers’, with PROV providing the awards for the local historical society with the best display based on the theme. Shauna Hicks, Senior Manager Access Services, was part of the judging panel and awarded $250 of archival supplies to the winner, Ballan Shire Historical Society. Encouragement awards went to Newstead and District Historical Society and Carisbrook Historical Society, both of which received $100 in archival supplies. The displays mounted by Bungaree and District Historical Society and the Ballarat Engine and Machinery Preservation Society were highly commended. PROV also participated in the expo’s workshop and lecture program, offering two presentations on our new website and upgraded online catalogue.

Helen Trihas, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, discusses privacy and identity during Archives and Records Management Week. 22

Community Jobs Program This year PROV ran a third Community Jobs Program (CJP), which aims to assist the long-term unemployed gain work experience and develop skills. Eight participants completed a successful 21-week program, undergoing hands-on training in processing records and registering fi les, and formal training conducted in conjunction with Swinburne University of Technology. Results of the program included: • All eight participants completed a Certifi cate III in Business (Recordkeeping). • All participants gained employment after fi nishing the program. • In excess of 31,000 maps and plans of various state departments were processed, increasing the quantity of records made available to the public and preserved for the future. • Qualifi ed recordkeepers were provided to the marketplace, addressing an industry shortage. CJP provided funding for the fi rst sixteen weeks of the program, with an additional fi ve weeks funded by PROV to enhance the participants’ work experience and to provide more work output for the organisation. The Victorian Government allocated $38.6 million to CJP over four years, to fund community organisations and government agencies employing disadvantaged job seekers on community projects. PROV has run CJP programs in 2002–2003 and 2004–2005.

Participants in this year’s Community Jobs Program. 23

Volunteers program PROV has 77 volunteers, who contributed 14,329 hours of work during 2005–2006. Volunteers are involved with a range of projects supporting PROV’s archival services. Last December the second instalment of the Victorian Outward Immigration Index 1856–1861, containing 124,127 names, was launched by Melbourne University historian and writer Keir Reeves. The listing of passenger names for this index had been a major project for PROV volunteers, who marked the occasion with a well-earned and much-enjoyed celebratory lunch. Other ongoing volunteer projects included the indexing of early Ballarat municipal records at the Ballarat Archives Centre and cataloguing of the PROV library. Several hundred visitors joined volunteer-led tours through the Victorian Archives Centre reading room and repository. Volunteers have assisted in digitising records, and in the conversion of wills, probate fi les and inquest data into a format that allows publication on the PROV website and storage in the Digital Archive. During 2005–2006 volunteers transcribed documents and edited material for various exhibitions and indexes including PROV’s People and Parliament exhibition, Ned Kelly’s school report, and the Ned Online exhibition; as well as for the New Zealand Genealogical Society ‘Victorian Outwards’ transcription project.

Volunteers (from left) Cally Martin, Robyn Luczynski, Ken Mackenzie and Liz Buckle at a training session where they learnt to conduct tours of the Victorian Archives Centre. 24

Throughout the year, PROV greatly benefi ted from these outstanding endeavours and the marvellous teamwork of our dedicated volunteers:

Alexandra Caceres Gauri Yardi Maggie Robinson Ann Wookey Gavin Faichney Manohara Rajamuthu Anna Farrell Geoff Currey Marjory Knight Anne Tan Graham Dawson Maria Baker Barbara Addie Graham Bence Mary Maxwell Barbara Gillies Harry Mason Maureen Molloy Barbara Minchinton Huong Nguyen Millie Marsh Barbara Tyler Irene Kearsey Myrna Willis Bernadette Griffi ths Janet Dobson Natalie Chan Beryl Mainon Jason Taylor Neil Robinson Betty Keay Jean Smith Noel Logan Brian Dixon John Bolt Pamela Weller Cally Martin John Campbell Patricia Morris Carole Field John Killian Penny Legge Christine Holmes John MacKinnon Peter Willis Claudia Gulli Jon Rennison Rachel Patrick Clive Haddock Judith Mason Raelee Chapman Constance Eastwood Julia Church Robyn Luczynski Daniel Bardella Judy Schulz Rosalind Faichney Dawn Walduck Kate Bilston Sara Arndt Dianne Hughes Kathleen Brown Sharmila Suthakaran Dorothy Dupuy Keith Thomas Shirley Krumnow Dot Skewes Ken MacKenzie Stephanie Vakadin Dulcie Burns Ken Walduck Sue Dawson Elayne Whatman Laurice Cross Sue Rickard Elizabeth Buckle Leonie Marshall Susan Minetti Emily Fitzgerald Les Sharf Val Connors Ettie Pullman Liz Denny Val Latimer Fleurette Cochaud Liz Raven Vicki Montgomery Gail Thornwaite Lorraine Poole Yasemin Hussein Lyle French 25

Operations 26 Record Services

Record Services supports the delivery of best-practice records management across the Victorian public sector, advice and guidance on retention and disposal, and the preservation of all records of permanent value. These goals are delivered through: • utilising and valuing PROV staff knowledge and commitment • communicating best-practice records management processes and policies across the whole of Victorian government • building partnerships with stakeholders to raise PROV’s profi le • making records more visible and accessible through new technology and better-aligned documentation, transfer and disposal practices

Customer service Record Services staff work closely with government records managers and the information industry to provide solutions to recordkeeping problems and issues. These issues are raised on a daily basis through telephone and email enquiries and agency visits. PROV has instigated the following initiatives to support a client focus: • The establishment of client liaison offi cers enables PROV to develop a closer business relationship with its clients and to promote its recordkeeping services and consultancies. • The annual completion of the VERS assessment route maps provides PROV with a forecast of new recordkeeping initiatives that inner budget departments intend to undertake during the following year. • The annual completion of the VERS departmental assessments assists PROV in developing and maintaining a map for the adoption and maintenance of recordkeeping initiatives across the ten inner departments. • The promotion of consultancy services provides clients with ongoing access to highly experienced consultants to support all aspects of digital recordkeeping. Staff have also delivered many presentations to agency staff on recordkeeping issues, the Public Records Act, and the role of PROV, while reference archivists provide expert advice to the community in PROV reading rooms.

Minister for Victorian Communities John Thwaites is shown PROV’s new Digital Archive by project manager Lucy Hastewell. 27

Archival Systems and Consultancy Services

Digital Archive The launch of the Digital Archive during the year offered improved online access to PROV’s collection, and the secure transfer, storage and retrieval of government electronic records. Best-practice records Using a simple internet web browser, anyone in the world can now browse through the catalogue of PROV’s physical management across the and digital collection. They can also view any open electronic records stored in the Digital Archive. Victorian public sector In August 2005 the fi rst phase of the Digital Archive introduced a more advanced search and browse capability across both physical and digital collections. PROV also delivered an improved ordering service for physical records. The second (and fi nal) phase of the Digital Archive was launched in March 2006, providing enhanced capabilities for accepting electronic records for permanent storage. PROV is now working with several Victorian government agencies on digital record transfers and has already taken receipt of electronic records from the Departments of Infrastructure and Justice. PROV has also embarked on an extensive program of digitisation. This involves taking physical records from the collection, making digital copies, and storing them in the Digital Archive. The records are then widely available: researchers can access them without having to physically visit one of PROV’s reading rooms. In 2006 we commenced our largest ever digitisation project (Wills, VPRS 7591 and Probate, VPRS 28), which will continue through 2007. Together these series include more than one million items. These records will be stored in and accessed from the Digital Archive. PROV has also placed digitised copies of records from the Public Transport Collection (VPRS 12800) and the Melbourne 1956 Olympics (VPRS 10742) into the Digital Archive. The online service can be accessed at www.access.prov.vic.gov.au.

Archival Systems The Archival Systems team is responsible for the support and maintenance of, and further enhancements to, the Digital Archive and Archives One systems. Together these systems manage PROV’s physical and electronic repositories. The team also provides expert technical assistance and business process analysis, and delivers business systems training. During 2005–2006 the team focused primarily on the smooth transition of the Digital Archive from development to operation. This included: • a comprehensive training program provided to PROV staff • development of system documentation, helpdesk processes and procedures, and a comprehensive Disaster Recovery plan • technical transition planning and execution – the Archival Systems team worked closely with the project team to ensure the Digital Archive was constructed and confi gured as per the original design, and undertook thorough acceptance testing • development of a new set of processes and procedures for helpdesk incident and change management, based on ITIL recommendations (a best-practice model for service delivery around the world) • establishment of a PROV User Group and Change Control Board to effectively manage all future changes across PROV archival systems 28

Standards and Compliance The Standards and Compliance team develops PROV’s regulatory framework, which provides a structure for the ongoing development of standards, advice and policies to support best-practice recordkeeping solutions across the Victorian government. Objectives for work units within the Standards and Compliance section are: Standards and Policy – to ensure records management standards and policies are relevant, useful, durable and widely adopted. Distributed Records Network – to ensure public records not in PROV custody are managed according to PROV standards and policies. Compliance – to increase state government compliance with PROV’s records management framework.

Standards and Policy The Standards and Policy unit is responsible for the development of relevant and useful recordkeeping standards and policies for the Victorian public sector, and for the development of advice to agencies on current issues in recordkeeping. In 2005–2006 key activities were: Advice to agencies on messaging technologies and recordkeeping PROV issued an Advice to Victorian public sector agencies about the recordkeeping implications of messaging technologies. These technologies are being used increasingly in the course of government business, and present particular recordkeeping challenges. The Advice assists agencies to identify issues relating to business conducted via messaging technologies, and to implement cultural and procedural changes to support this. 29

Advice to agencies on records of outsourced activities Extensive research and consultation led to the development of an Advice to agencies on the management of records created by contractors and other external providers. The Advice assists agencies to ensure contracts with service providers address recordkeeping requirements, and that records resulting from the work are managed in accordance with agency requirements. The Advice will be published in July 2006. Appraisal Policy The PROV Appraisal Policy will be published early in 2006–2007. The policy was developed in consultation with Victorian stakeholders, and with extensive input from national and international experts in the fi eld. It is a signifi cant step forward for PROV, as it is a statement about the rigorous analytical process that lies behind appraisal decisions. This will be developed further in the next fi nancial year with the publication of specifi cations and criteria for appraisal and disposal. Documentation framework As part of a push to ensure consistency in published material, PROV has developed a documentation framework to defi ne and control specifi c document types. This has led to the development of templates and standard elements for internal and external documents, and will ensure documents are consistent and easily interpreted. Newborn Screening Cards (Guthrie Cards) PROV continues to participate in the Victorian Newborn Screening Review Committee and in 2005–2006 provided expert advice in the development of a report to the Minister for Health. PROV also assisted in fi nalising storage and custody arrangements for the Guthrie Cards. An updated Retention and Disposal Authority has been developed and will be issued early in the new fi nancial year. Legislative developments PROV provided expert advice during the year to several reviews on the development of legislation, including the Crimes (Document Destruction) Act 2006. An Advice on the new Act will be issued later in 2006. 30

Distributed Records Network The Distributed Records Network has continued developing both the Approved Public Records Offi ce Storage Suppliers (APROSS) and Place of Deposit (POD) programs. Approved Public Record Offi ce Storage Suppliers (APROSS) APROSS storage sites are PROV-approved commercial facilities that have been inspected and found to comply with the storage and service conditions required for the safekeeping of temporary and unsentenced public records. Government records that are still required for administrative purposes, but are stored outside the direct control of agencies, must be stored with an APROSS provider. These facilities are appointed by the Keeper of Public Records, and offer storage solutions for public offi ces that do not wish to run their own extensive in-house records storage and retrieval program. They must comply with a number of minimum standards that ensure the safekeeping of records, such as fi re rating, disaster preparedness and security. Records placed in an APROSS facility remain under the custody and control of the agency. Three new APROSS facilities were appointed and one reappointed this year, bringing the total around Victoria to seventeen sites holding more than 45 kilometres of public records. The new facilities in Wangaratta, Bendigo and Ballarat extend the regional coverage of APROSS, with facilities already in Geelong, Traralgon and Wodonga. A full list of APROSS facilities is given at Appendix 4. Places of Deposit Public records that are not considered worthy of preservation as part of the state’s archives often contain information of historical interest to the local community. Community groups such as historical societies and libraries can apply to become a Place of Deposit (POD) to store and provide access to these records. During 2005–2006, PROV staff held forums with community groups in Melton, Mildura, Shepparton and Heyfi eld, to discuss benefi ts of becoming a POD and to help groups gain a better understanding of PROV’s role in preserving Victoria’s historical memory. As a result of these forums a number of community facilities were inspected and approved as PODs. This year thirteen PODs were appointed by the Minister for Victorian Communities, John Thwaites, bringing the total number of PODs across Victoria to 71. These new PODs represent a region of Victoria stretching from Hamilton to Portland and Casterton to Colac. Around 70 guests celebrated the appointments at an event at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool in May 2006. Warrnambool Mayor Glenys Phillpot presided over the event with PROV Director Justine Heazlewood, who presented certifi cates to members of each of the new PODs. These events and the Place of Deposit program continue to bring together many diverse community groups who share a common goal of preserving local history. A full list of Places of Deposit is given at Appendix 5. 31

Compliance Compliance staff continued to develop frameworks to help agencies comply with best-practice recordkeeping standards. PROV has been building closer working relationships with regulatory bodies including the Offi ce of the Ombudsman, Privacy Victoria and the Auditor-General’s Offi ce, with the aim of: • developing tools for records management compliance checking • reviewing records management standards to include compliance elements • having regular communication and interaction • developing support and advice mechanisms This year the Compliance unit provided support for the development and management of the 2006–2007 VERS Departmental Assessment, and the VERS compliance elements of the digital transfer for Melbourne 2006. VERS Compliance In 2005–2006, PROV continued to build on the successes of previous years in the area of products compliant with the VERS Standard. Five new products and one agency system were tested and demonstrated the capability of meeting all or part of the requirements of PROS 99/07: Standard for the Management of Electronic Records. This brings to a total of ten the VERS-compliant products from which agencies may select, with VERS-compliant recordkeeping systems installed in the Essential Services Commission, Department of Justice and Department of Infrastructure. As at 30 June 2006 there were nine products undergoing VERS compliance. The growth in the number of VERS-compliant products being certifi ed looks set to continue, with a steady increase in the number of vendors indicating their intention to test new products in 2006–2007. Two changes to the VERS Compliance Certifi cation Program will become operational from 1 July 2006: • Product testing will only be accepted for compliance against VERS version 2. • Vendor products will be removed from the ‘Products Undergoing VERS Compliance’ (www.prov.vic.gov.au/vers/compliance/undergoing.htm) website once a period of six months has elapsed since initial registration for compliance, unless a date for testing has been set. These changes will ensure that applications and the testing process are both current and that applications are actively working towards VERS compliance. See Appendix 7 for a full list of VERS-compliant products or visit the PROV website, www.prov.vic.gov.au/vers/compliance/certifi ed.htm, for further information.

At the Warrnambool Places of Deposit event, members of the Hamilton History Centre take the opportunity to present PROV Director Justine Heazlewood (second from left) with a bundle of permanent land fi les they had in their possession. Placing these records into the state’s archives ensures their preservation and safekeeping for future generations. (Hamilton members are Betty Huf, Helen Moore and Ian Black.) 32

Documentation and Disposal The Documentation and Disposal team works with government agencies to appraise government records, select records for permanent preservation as part of Victoria’s state archives, and establish retention periods for records not required as archives. The team manages the programmed transfer of permanent records to the custody of PROV, and creates and publishes archival documentation so that the state’s archives are preserved, understood and accessible. Over the past year, a major focus for the team has been a review of the archival documentation and transfer process. New guidelines to support the process and to assist agencies were developed. This documentation will provide agencies with an overview of the revised transfer and documentation process, procedures for physical and digital transfers, and new forms to use. The new guidelines will complement the existing formal PROS 97/004: Transfer and Storage of Public Records specifi cations and provide agencies with more up-to-date information.

Authorised disposal Staff appraise and authorise the disposal of public records through the preparation and review of Retention and Disposal Authorities, issued as Standards under the Public Records Act 1973. Retention and Disposal Authorities permit the lawful disposal of public records and normally apply for ten years from the date of issue. During 2005–2006 eight new Retention and Disposal Authorities were issued and ten variations made to existing authorities. See Appendix 3 for a list of authorities and variations issued during 2005–2006, and a full list of current authorities. Highlights of the year included the preparation of a Retention and Disposal Authority for records of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and the drafting of a new General Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Common Administrative Functions (to replace PROS 96/13). This authority is due to be issued in early 2007. In 2005–2006 staff improved the handling of expiring Retention and Disposal Authorities by introducing a practice of making contact with all agencies with expiring authorities up to a year ahead of the expiry date. This new practice resulted in the drafting of a number of new authorities and gave PROV better information for planning in the coming years. PROV also completed three ad hoc disposal authorities, known as Requests for Appraisal, during the year. These covered 441 metres of hard-copy records. All of the records were appraised as temporary, with some being eligible for immediate destruction and others to be destroyed when their retention periods expired or when administrative use concluded. A major Request for Appraisal was that for Project Rosetta, a government staff directory managed by the Department of Infrastructure. This was an appraisal of electronic records at the point of creation. 33

Archives created: records transferred to PROV Archival documentation is created to preserve records and their context, and to ensure the records may be accessed and understood in the future. Records series and their provenance are registered within Archives One (PROV’s archival control database) and ultimately published on PROV’s online catalogue at www.access.prov.vic.gov.au. During 2005–2006, 160 agency registrations and 1,568 series registrations were reviewed and approved for publication on PROV’s online catalogue, while 29 new agencies and 505 new series were registered. In preparation for the transfer of records, 1,168 new consignments were registered. Staff transferred and shelved 1,825 metres of records in 50 accessions during the year, a considerable increase over 2004–2005. Signifi cant record transfers were received from the following agencies:

Agency Metres transferred Department of Justice 287 Offi ce of Public Prosecutions 275 Department of Education and Training 205 Department of Premier and Cabinet 160 Melbourne City Council 149 Banyule City Council 78 Registrar of Probates, Supreme Court 71 State Coroner’s Offi ce 62

In February the fi nal section of the Victoria–New South Wales border – 180 kilometres from Cape Howe to the headwaters of the Murray River – was offi cially recognised by both states, more than 130 years after it was fi rst surveyed. Surveyor-General John Tulloch visited PROV to see the original survey maps in a public display. He is pictured with the Director and Keeper of Public Records, Justine Heazlewood, holding a copy of the map signed by the Governors and Surveyors-General of Victoria and New South Wales to offi cially mark the border proclamation. 34

Custody – Archives and Records The Custody area encompasses activities related to the storage and management of the PROV collection.

Repository management Considerable work has been undertaken in relation to the management and improvement of PROV repositories. The main outcome for the year was the development of a Five-year Storage Strategy, designed to ensure we gain the maximum use of our existing storage space.

Archival Records Archival Records is responsible for a variety of activities associated with the management of the PROV collection, including the revision of archival documentation, review of access arrangements and records reprocessing. During the year work continued on the documentation and processing of 19th and 20th century records relating to the use and disposal of Crown lands. This incorporated the documentation of a signifi cant accession of records pertaining to the Victorian Geodetic Survey, and the drafting of a comprehensive guide to land records, due to be issued in late 2006. This is the culmination of a signifi cant project conducted over a number of years.

Reference offi cer Catherine Seccombe in the Victorian Archives Centre repository. Access Services 35

The goal of Access Services is to ensure the state’s archival resources are known and accessible to the people and government of Victoria. This is done through: Ensure that the state’s • a program of exhibitions, publications and outreach activities archival resources are • access to PROV’s collection both through reading room services and online known and accessible • the preservation of regional archives within their region of origin, ensuring equity of access for communities in regional Victoria to the people and • culturally appropriate services, procedures and tools that enhance access by the Koorie community government of Victoria. • the transmission to clients of knowledge about the collection • the issuing of records in a manner that meets business needs and community expectations

Records Access Reading Rooms Victorian Archives Centre A survey conducted in 2005 produced overwhelmingly positive responses from users of the Harry Nunn Reading Room, with more than 99% of visitors expressing satisfaction. As a result of suggestions made in the survey by members of the public, a number of changes were introduced to further enhance services. From August 2005, when PROV launched the Digital Archive, reference staff began training researchers to navigate the new online ‘Access the Collection’ catalogue and to order items of interest. The new system offers researchers several new methods of searching, and allows them to order more records than was previously possible. There has been a small decrease in the number of visitors to the Reading Room, although the quantity of original records issued to researchers has increased markedly. This could be attributed to a broader range of resources available online, and to the ability of researchers to order and view more records per visit. There has also been a decrease in requests for photocopies of original records. However, this is more than offset by the increasing popularity of personal digital camera use, introduced in the Reading Room in April 2004. This year researchers created almost four times as many digital images of records as they did in the previous twelve months. 36

Ballarat Archives Centre Attendance at the Ballarat Archives Centre (BAC) continued to climb steadily from 2,261 in 2004–2005 to 2,680 this year. Staff have taken part in a number of activities and projects to promote the BAC collection and assist researchers to access records. These included presenting seminars on local and family history research at PROV; a seminar and display on mining records at BAC; and various talks and tours given to secondary and tertiary history students from the Central Highlands region.

Visitors to reading rooms number of visitors 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000

5,000 Ballarat Archives Centre 0 Melbourne reading rooms 2004/05 2005/06

Reference Services Reference staff provide assistance to researchers and government agencies wishing to access their records through a range of activities: • providing advice in response to telephone, email and correspondence enquiries • developing hard-copy and online resources such as PROVguides, Research Pathways, Indexes and other archival fi nding aids • preparing and delivering public talks, seminars and tours • participating in conferences, family and local history fairs and expos This year the team received 8,926 enquiries from researchers, compared to 7,480 in 2004–2005, with correspondence and email enquiries increasing signifi cantly. 37

Koorie Records wilam naling…knowing who you are… wilam naling…knowing who you are…is a report to the state government from the Victorian Koorie Records Taskforce. Developed in a partnership between PROV and Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, it looks at ways of improving access to records of the Stolen Generations. PROV staff wrote the report and coordinated its production and distribution – 750 copies were published in May 2006 and an electronic version is available on the PROV website at www.prov.vic.gov.au/publications/ wilamnaling. The name wilam naling comes from the Boon wurrung/Woi wurrung language of one of the members of the Kulin nations, the traditional owners of the land where Melbourne is now situated. The word wilam means ‘place/family/kin’ and naling means ‘to know’. Aboriginal Affairs Victoria has provided funding for PROV to begin implementing the report’s recommendations in 2006–2007. Outputs will include: • common access guidelines for records of the Stolen Generations • small grants for non-government record-holders • training for non-government record-holders • cultural awareness training for government record-holders • promoting good recordkeeping in Koorie communities • indexing of PROV’s Koorie records Koorie outreach Two archival workshops for Aboriginal organisations and family researchers were held during the year in conjunction with Museum Victoria and the National Archives of Australia. The workshops, in Warrnambool and Melbourne, provided information on how to manage and archive records. The Koorie Records unit also organised tours of PROV for two groups. Students of Morwell TAFE were shown land records relevant to their Aboriginal studies; while Bringing Them Home workers from Mildura, Dandenong and Ballarat were given an introduction to records held at PROV, and how they can be used to assist members of the Stolen Generations. The unit plans to arrange more tours by Indigenous groups in 2006–2007.

PROV Koorie Records Name Index Since January, project offi cer Simon Flagg has been indexing names found in early records relating to the administration of Aboriginal affairs in Victoria. As at 30 June there were 985 names in the index, from 22 items. 38

Record Issues Offi ce The Record Issues Offi ce provides a fundamental service to client groups by: • locating and retrieving records • issuing the records through PROV’s automated systems • returning the records once they have been consulted Record Issues Offi ce staff use a sophisticated automated fi le tracking and issuing system to manage online orders of physical records. Radio frequency scanners and bar-coded labels assist in tracking records that have been issued to our primary client groups – government agency staff and public users. During 2005–2006, the Record Issues Offi ce introduced an improved level of service by providing an additional daily delivery of ordered records to the Victorian Archives Centre reading room. Other changes saw government agency clients being required to attend the reading room to view records on open access. This year 57,593 records were provided to clients: Victorian Archives Centre – 55,019 records were issued, with the majority (47,888) issued to public users, and 7,131 provided to government agencies. Ballarat Archives Centre – of the 2,574 records issued, 2,547 were provided to public users and 27 to government agencies.

Records Issued number of records 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 Government agencies 0 Public users 2004/05 2005/06 39

Community Access Regional Archives The Regional Archives unit was established as part of PROV’s regional initiative, which recognises the desire communities have to retain the history and records of their local area in their own locality. Recognises the desire Bendigo Regional Archives Centre communities have to During the year progress has been made in the development of a proposed Bendigo Regional Archives Centre in partnership retain the history and with the City of Greater Bendigo Municipal Council and the Goldfi elds Regional Library Corporation. A working party comprising representatives from the three partner organisations plus Bendigo records of their local Historical Society, Bendigo Health Care Group, La Trobe University Bendigo, and Bendigo Genealogical Society commissioned area in their own locality a feasibility study to investigate options for establishing and maintaining an Archive in Bendigo. The working party selected a recommended option consisting of a records access point in central Bendigo and a storage repository to be located in an outlying suburb. It is expected that a fi nal decision on the proposed Archives Centre will be announced early in 2006–2007. Geelong Heritage Centre Geelong Heritage Centre was appointed in 1988 as an approved place of deposit for both permanent and temporary records of the Geelong region. In 2004–2005 the Centre commenced a PROV-funded project as part of PROV’s regional support initiatives. A grant of $50,000 was awarded to ensure records of enduring state and local value were captured, documented and preserved. Since then approximately 300 series of records created by municipalities in the Geelong region and held by the Centre have been documented to PROV standards and will soon be searchable through the PROV website. A further 84 series of records created by other government agencies in the region are in the process of being documented. As a continuing gesture of support for regional archives, PROV responded to a request from the Geelong Heritage Centre for a senior archivist to assist while the Centre’s Director took a leave of absence. PROV’s Manager of Public Programs, James McKinnon, commenced a four-month secondment as Acting Director of the Centre from 18 April 2006. 40

Exhibitions and displays PROV received a grant from the Museums Australia (Victoria) Regional Exhibition Touring Initiative for the purchase of audio-visual and environmental monitoring equipment. The equipment will make it possible to include video presentations in exhibitions and to track temperature and humidity in the exhibition space – thus ensuring original records are exhibited in museum-standard conditions. In-house exhibitions at Victorian Archives Centre Forgotten Faces: Chinese and the Law, an exhibition of photographs of Chinese men imprisoned in Victoria in the late 1880s, attracted many visitors and substantial media attention during its four months at the Victorian Archives Centre. The exhibition then travelled to the Golden Dragon Museum Bendigo, a partner in the development of the exhibition, where it was viewed by more than 11,000 visitors. Forgotten Faces also travelled to the Burke Memorial Museum in Beechworth. PROV hosted the National Archives of Australia travelling exhibition It’s a Dog’s Life: Animals in the Public Service from September to October 2005. The exhibition was an in-depth and entertaining look at the contribution of animals to road construction, Antarctic exploration, customs and quarantine, the military and other federal government activities.

A major exhibition with educational resources was mounted in partnership with the Department of Premier and Cabinet as part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of responsible government in Victoria. People and Parliament: Landmark Decisions 1855–2006 featured a number of important records relating to the founding of Victoria’s parliamentary democracy. Town of North Melbourne 1905 was developed with the City of Melbourne in partnership with the Hotham History Project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the re-incorporation of the Town of North Melbourne into the City of Melbourne. Exhibited initially at City Gallery in 2005, the exhibition was extended and re-mounted at the Victorian Archives Centre in June 2006. Travelling exhibitions PROV’s travelling exhibitions are being widely promoted to libraries and historical societies throughout the state. As a result, the exhibitions Lucy: a private life revealed through public records, Bigamy, Theft and Murder: the extraordinary tale of Frederick Bailey Deeming and Transported Back: the Public Transport Corporation photographic collection were exhibited at seventeen venues across regional and metropolitan Victoria and attended by more than 70,000 visitors during the year.

Former Governor of Victoria and long- time North Melbourne resident John Landy was given a special preview of the Town of North Melbourne 1905 exhibition by curator Daisy Searles before he offi cially launched the exhibition in June 2006. 41

Loans A new avenue for providing wider access to PROV’s records has been explored through loans of original material to museums and galleries for use in their exhibitions. In 2005–2006, PROV records appeared in a number of major historical exhibitions, two of which travelled nationally. As a result, more than 80,000 exhibition visitors had an opportunity to view a selection of our state archives. Records were lent for: • Eureka Revisited – a Ballarat Fine Art Gallery exhibition developed in 2004 examining the many different stories of the Eureka Stockade rebellion. The exhibition travelled to Old Parliament House, Canberra and the State Library of Victoria. As part of the 150th anniversary of responsible • Exiles and Emigrants: epic journeys to Australia in the Victorian government in Victoria, PROV organised the digitisation era – a National Gallery of Victoria exhibition tracing the of the 1891 women’s suffrage petition. The document journeys and experiences of migrants from the British Isles. (pictured) is 260 metres long and holds the signatures After its season at the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square, of almost 30,000 women claiming the right to vote. this exhibition travelled to the National Museum of Australia. These names can now be searched on the Parliament of Victoria website at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/ • Read all about it! Melbourne’s newsboys and Flush: the quest WomensPetition/PetitionSearch.cfm. for Melbourne’s best public toilet – two exhibitions in the City Gallery.

Online Projects PROV’s Online Projects section is responsible for the digital imaging of records and for the development of the website, including educational content. In November 2005 we launched our latest online exhibition, Tracking the Native Police, which includes extensive educational resources. The exhibition tells the story of one of Victoria’s fi rst police forces, composed mainly of men recruited from the Koorie people around Port Phillip Bay. Tracking the Native Police received a Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Design Award in the large institutions websites category. Educational resources were also published online for the physical exhibitions People and Parliament: Landmark Decisions 1855–2006 and Town of North Melbourne 1905. In March 2006 PROV joined the National Library of Australia portal website Picture Australia. PROV’s photographic images online can now be searched and ordered through this national website. Issue 4 of Provenance, PROV’s refereed historical journal, was published in September 2005. The online journal features peer-reviewed articles that draw at least in part on records held at PROV. Large portions of the website have been reorganised as part of the introduction of PROV’s new online catalogue and Digital Archive. Existing digitised records and indexes have been refreshed and a number of new tools have been introduced to assist researchers trying to locate information in a particular series. Some 2,500 additional digitised images relating to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and around 11,000 digitised images from the Public Transport Corporation series (VPRS 12903/P1) were published on the website. 42

Publications Access Services produces two newsletters primarily for people interested in researching and using public records. PROactive is a print publication, with three issues printed annually. Numbers 35, 36 and 37 were published during 2005–2006 with a combined print-run of 16,500 copies. PROactive is provided free to a mailing list of 3,600 with remaining copies being distributed through PROV outreach activities. PROactive is also available on the PROV website, where it can be downloaded for free. rEsearch is the Access Services email newsletter and is published every second month. rEsearch is a text-only publication emailed to people who subscribe by submitting their email addresses. It is also posted on the PROV website. This newsletter contains timely and abbreviated news about PROV activities and events of interest to researchers. The six editions published during 2005–2006 were emailed to approximately 1,100 subscribers. A full list of publications is given at Appendix 2.

Seminars PROV continued to provide a range of subject-based seminars and workshops for the public at the Victorian Archives Centre and Ballarat Archives Centre, as well as at external venues. Twenty-one programmed seminars and training sessions in the use of PROV’s online resources were attended by 632 people. In response to requests and invitations, Access Services staff provided a further 53 seminars and speaking addresses and presented conference papers to a total audience of almost 4,000 members of the public. PROV also offers the Archival Support Program, a series of basic training workshops and seminars aimed at small archives and other collecting bodies. (See page 21 for further details.) In addition to the programs and seminars offered by PROV, 696 people took advantage of the opportunity to go behind the scenes at PROV’s Victorian Archives Centre facility, with 59 free tours conducted by staff and volunteers. PROV special events and launches were attended by more than 1,000 invited members of the public, while around 2,400 people consulted PROV staff at information stalls at eleven conferences and fairs.

Errol Street Primary School student Victoria Thomson seems unsure what to make of ‘Shep’, one of the last huskies to serve in Antarctica – part of the exhibition It’s a Dog’s Life: Animals in the Public Service. Corporate 43

Corporate Services is responsible for the operations of fi nance and budgeting, organisational development, training, volunteers, registry and the management of PROV facilities. The following initiatives were supported throughout 2005–2006.

Organisational development The change management program introduced at PROV during 2004–2005 continued, and in April 2006 a second cultural assessment was conducted. PROV offi cers noted a signifi cant change in the organisation from 2004. In particular, PROV has achieved a far more outcome-focused and measurable approach to its business, and our culture is now identifi ed as one of engagement. PROV offi cers have been supported through a wellbeing program that aims to provide a healthy and safe work environment.

Finance and budgeting Budget management operations focused on supporting key initiatives such as the commissioning of the Digital Archive and the PROV Asset Management Strategy. The Asset Management Strategy aligns with the business plan and ensures that the asset base supports government policy. Key outcomes for the year were: • continuation of building works that include the installation of 23 kilometres of compactus on level two of the Victorian Archives Centre to house expected archival transfers over the next eight years • upgrading of the business system Archives One to improve functionality and support its merging with the Digital Archive • conservation of archives closed under section 10 of the Public Records Act, and archives identifi ed as requiring preservation to enable their inclusion in PROV’s exhibition program • minor works including improvements to the accessibility of the Victorian Archives Centre as part of the Department for Victorian Communities disability action plan; extension of the fi re prevention sprinkler system; and renewal of some furniture, fi xtures and equipment 44

Training PROV recognises that implementation of best-practice records management must include a suitably trained and skilled public sector. In 2005–2006, 711 participants attended 55 records management training sessions. The year saw the launch of two new records management training programs: Records Management Concepts: This is a ‘back to grass roots’ program focusing on the fundamentals of records management, and is designed for people with little or no formal records training. It has proven to be ideal for those just starting out in the industry or taking on the records management responsibilities of their organisation. The program comprises two half-day training sessions on ‘Records’ and ‘Systems, storage and disposal’. The Regional Roadshow: This two-day intensive records management course is especially designed for regional Best-practice records recordkeepers, and focuses on the practical day-to-day aspects of recordkeeping and information management. management must The Roadshow has quickly become a favourite regional event, giving attendees the opportunity to participate in training not normally available as well as providing an avenue for regional include a suitably networking and discussions. trained and skilled PROV continued to provide certifi cate training in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology. The Certifi cates III public sector. and IV and Diploma in Business (Recordkeeping) facilitate the development and honing of industry-specifi c competencies recognised throughout Australia. Victorian Electronic Records Strategy training also continued, in the form of the ‘Getting ready for VERS’, ‘VERS technical’ and ‘VERS-on-a-plate’ programs, centred around the many issues associated with digital records management and its impact on the records management requirements and responsibilities of organisations.

Facilities PROV’s offi ces at North Melbourne and Ballarat were the subject of reviews during the past year. Both offi ces were audited for disability access as part of a whole-of-government initiative. In addition, the Victorian Archives Centre was audited by VMIA (Victorian Managed Insurance Authority) to ensure its compliance with relevant health and safety regulations. In all cases, while minor defects and compliance issues were raised and actioned, we continued to receive plaudits from independent assessors on the management of our facilities as a safe and compliant workplace. 45

Appendices 46 Appendix 1: Assets and Financial Statement

Assets The assets include both community and operating assets in the following four categories:

Community assets These assets are the state’s archival holdings. The holdings have been valued at $181 million.

Buildings Records repositories for storage of the state archives and the state government’s non-current records are located at North Melbourne and Ballarat.

Motor vehicles Public Record Offi ce Victoria operates two vehicles: a station wagon and a light van.

Plant and operating equipment Operating assets are used for the upkeep of the repositories so that public records can be stored safely and made available for public inspection. They include microform readers and printers, photocopiers, computer equipment, buggies and forklift vehicles, compactus shelving, general offi ce furniture and equipment and stores.

Financial Statement 2004–2005 2005–2006 Operating $3,539,523 $2,702,030 Other operating1 $6,707,735 $7,371,785 Salary $3,517,296 $3,830,008 Sub-total $13,764,554 $13,903,823 Capital $4,174,0002 $2,899,925 Total expenditure $17,938,554 $16,803,748

1 This includes capital asset charge and depreciation expense. 2 Capital investment includes progress payments for the building of the Digital Archive and investment against the PROV asset management plan. Staff profi le

Total Female Male Number of employees At 30 June 2005 68 44 24 At 30 June 2006 62 40 22 Number of staff members, by position type Executive 1 Professional 54 Administration 7 Number of staff members, by employment type Permanent full-time 50 Permanent part-time 9 Fixed term 3 Number of male and female directors and managers Director 1 1 0 Managers 3 1 2 Appendix 2: Publications 47

A full list of current PROV publications is available on the PROV website. Publications are available from: Publication Sales Phone: (03) 9348 5600 Public Record Offi ce Victoria Fax: (03) 9348 5656 PO Box 2100 Email: [email protected] North Melbourne VIC 3051

Publications PROV produced the following publications during 2005–2006:

wilam naling … knowing who you are… Improving Access to Records of the Stolen Generations: A report to the Victorian Government from the Victorian Koorie Records Taskforce ISBN 0 9775335 0 6

Digital Recordkeeping@PROV A special three-issue newsletter providing news from VERS and the Digital Archive project. Issue 2, August 2005 Issue 3, December 2005

PROactive Access Services newsletter. September 2005, No. 35 Summer 2005/06, No. 36 June 2006, No. 37 ISSN 1321-9545

Electronic publications rEsearch rEsearch is a bi-monthly newsletter published simultaneously by email to subscribers and on the PROV website. August 2005, No. 12 October 2005, No. 13 December 2005, No. 14 February 2006, No. 15 April 2006, No. 16 June 2006, No. 17 ISSN 1499-0331

PROvenance: the Journal of Public Record Offi ce Victoria An annual online journal presenting research from the records held at PROV. Issue 4, September 2005 ISSN 1832-2522 48

PROV record guides

Coming South: Victorian Archives of Immigration 1839–1923 $9.85 Eureka: From the Offi cial Records. The Story of the Ballarat Riots 1854, $18.65 and the Eureka Stockade, from the Offi cial Documents in the Public Record Offi ce of Victoria My Heart is Breaking: A Joint Guide to Records about Aboriginal People in the Public $15.35 Record Offi ce and the Australian Archives, Victorian Regional Offi ce Ten Victorian Women $10.95 Private Lives, Public Records: Family History Resources at $25.00 Public Record Offi ce Victoria A Matter of Record: A History of Public Record Offi ce Victoria $49.95 Finding Your Story: A Resource Manual to the Records of the Stolen Generations in $34.95 Victoria

Ships’ passengers arrivals 1852–1923

CD-Rom Immigration to Victoria 1852–1879, Index to Inward (unassisted) Passenger Lists, $181.50 British and Foreign Ports 49

Microfi che Register of Inward Shipping and Index (Overseas and Colonial Ports) 1846–1852 $44.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from Foreign Ports 1852–1859 $44.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from Foreign Ports 1860–1869 $44.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from Foreign Ports 1870–1879 $44.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from Foreign Ports 1880–1889 $44.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from Foreign Ports 1890–1899 $44.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from British Ports 1852–1859 $88.50 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from British Ports 1860–1869 $71.50 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from British Ports 1870–1879 $55.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from British Ports 1880–1889 $80.00 Index to Inward Overseas Passengers from British Ports 1890–1899 $75.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, Foreign Ports 1852–1859 $110.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, Foreign Ports 1860–1869 $99.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, Foreign Ports 1870–1879 $88.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, Foreign Ports 1880–1889 $115.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, Foreign Ports 1890–1899 $120.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, British Ports 1852–1859 $220.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, British Ports 1860–1869 $165.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, British Ports 1870–1879 $132.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, British Ports 1880–1889 $200.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, British Ports 1890–1899 $180.00 Assisted German Immigrants Passenger List and Index 1849–1850 $11.00

Available August 2006:

Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, British Ports 1900–1923 $250.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, Foreign Ports 1900–1923 $180.00 Inward Overseas Passenger Lists, New Zealand Ports 1852–1923 $280.00 Register of Assisted Immigrants $160.00 50 Appendix 3: Current Public Record Offi ce Victoria Standards and Authorities

Retention and Disposal Authorities issued during 2005–2006

PROS 05/01 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Ombudsman Victoria PROS 05/04 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Offi ce of Police Integrity PROS 05/05 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Mental Health Review Board PROS 05/06 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of VicUrban PROS 05/07 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria PROS 05/09 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Department of Sustainability and Environment PROS 05/10 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Business Licensing Function and the Motor Car Traders Guarantee Fund Function PROS 06/02 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Victorian Poisons Information Centre

Variations issued:

PROS 88/14 Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Board – Variation 4 PROS 91/05 Juvenile Corrective Services – Variation 4 PROS 92/02 Child at Risk Register – Variation 6 PROS 92/05 Magistrates’ Court – Post 01/09/1990 – Variation 4 PROS 93/02 Perinatal Data Collection Unit – Congenital Malformations Register – Variation 3 PROS 93/06 Intellectual Disability Services – Variation 3 PROS 94/02 Police Station records – Variation 7 PROS 95/05 Magistrates’ Court – Pre 01/09/1990 – Variation 1 PROS 96/08 County Court Records – Variation 1 PROS 00/02 Department of Infrastructure – Variation 2 51

Standards Establishment of standards Section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973 requires the Keeper of Public Records to establish standards for the effi cient management of public records and to assist public offi ces to apply those standards to records under their control. The Act requires public offi ces to implement records management programs in accordance with the standards established by the Keeper.

Standards and specifi cations The standards and specifi cations establish requirements for the creation, management and use of public records. They are subject to periodic review and will be kept up to date by the issue of new or amended editions.

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 97/001 Management of Public Records; 02/02/1998 02/02/2008 Records Management Standard 97/002 Creation and Maintenance of Public Records; Records 02/02/1998 02/02/2008 Management Standard Specifi cation 1: Storage of Public Records in Agencies 97/003 Destruction of Public Records; Records Management 02/02/1998 02/02/2008 Standard Specifi cation 1: Destruction of Records Covered by a Disposal Schedule Specifi cation 2: Destruction of Records Not Covered by a Disposal Schedule 97/004 Transfer and Storage of Public Records; Records 02/02/1998 02/02/2008 Management Standard Specifi cation 1: Documentation of Public Records Specifi cation 2: Transfer of Records to Public Record Offi ce Victoria Specifi cation 3: Transfer of Records to an APROSS – see the APROSS kit Specifi cation 4: Access to Public Records Specifi cation 5: Processing and Listing Public Records 99/007 Management of Electronic Records; Records 26/04/2000 26/04/2010 Management Standard 52

Retention and Disposal Authorities Common

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 96/13 Common Administrative Records; General Disposal 10/10/1996 10/10/2006 Schedule includes Variations 1 and 2

Auditor-General

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 01/03 Victorian Auditor-General’s Offi ce; Records Disposal 31/07/2001 31/07/2011 Schedule

Education, Employment and Training

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 88/14 Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Board 02/05/1989 30/06/2006 – Examination and Assessment; Records Disposal Schedule 96/15 Department of Education, Offi ce of Further Education 22/10/1996 22/10/2006 – Adult, Community and Further Education Division; Records Disposal Schedule 96/21 Department of Education – Apprenticeship and 05/08/1997 05/08/2007 Traineeship; Records Disposal Schedule 98/02 Department of Education; Records Disposal Schedule 10/08/1998 10/08/2008 includes Variation 1 01/01 School Records; General Disposal Schedule includes 02/03/2001 02/03/2011 Variation 1 02/01 Higher and Further Education Institutions; Records 26/05/2002 26/05/2012 Authority includes Variations 1 and 2 53

Human Services

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 91/05 Records Relating to Juvenile Corrective Services; 24/09/1991 30/06/2006 Records Disposal Schedule includes Variations 1–4 92/02 Child at Risk Register; Records Disposal Schedule 11/05/1992 30/06/2006 includes Variations 1–6 93/02 Perinatal Data Collection Unit – Congenital Malformations 21/07/1993 30/06/2006 Register; Records Disposal Schedule includes Variations 1–3 93/06 Intellectual Disability Services Program; Records Disposal 10/01/1994 30/06/2006 Schedule for client and administrative records includes Variations 1–3 98/08 Ambulance Services Victoria; General Disposal Schedule 01/10/1998 01/10/2008 includes Variation 1 99/04 Public Health Services Patient Records; General 19/05/1999 19/05/2009 Disposal Schedule includes Variations 1 and 2 00/03 Pharmacy Board of Victoria; Records Disposal Schedule 03/11/2000 03/11/2010 includes Variation 1 04/04 Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry Records Authority 17/06/2004 17/06/2014 04/06 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 17/11/2004 17/11/2014 Nurses Board of Victoria 05/05 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 23/08/2005 23/08/2015 Mental Health Review Board 06/02 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 21/02/2006 21/02/2016 Victorian Poisons Information Centre

Infrastructure

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 96/20 Public Transport Corporation; Records Disposal Schedule 06/02/1997 06/02/2007 includes Variation 1 97/07 VicRoads Vehicle Registration and Driver Licensing; 16/01/1998 16/01/2008 Records Disposal Schedule includes Variation 1 99/06 Offi ce of Gas Safety; Records Disposal Schedule 05/05/1999 05/05/2009 00/02 Department of Infrastructure; Records Disposal Schedule 31/12/2000 31/12/2010 05/06 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of VicUrban 16/09/2005 16/09/2015 54

Justice

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 92/05 Magistrates’ Court – Post 01/09/1990; General Records 09/10/1992 30/06/2007 Authority includes Variations 1–4 94/02 Police Station Records; General Disposal Schedule 14/11/1994 31/12/2006 includes Variations 1–7 95/05 Magistrates’ Court – Pre 01/09/1990 Records; General 20/11/1995 20/05/2007 Disposal Schedule includes Variation 1 96/08 County Court; Records Disposal Schedule includes 21/11/1996 21/11/2007 Variation 1 96/09 Victoria Police – Central Data Entry Section; Records 15/08/1996 15/08/2006 Disposal Schedule includes Variation 1 96/10 Prison Records; General Disposal Schedule includes 23/08/1996 23/08/2006 Variations 1 and 2 96/11 Victoria Police – Penalty Notice Books; Records Disposal 13/01/1997 13/01/2007 Schedule 99/05 State Coroner’s Offi ce Coronial Investigations; Records 04/05/1999 04/05/2009 Disposal Schedule 99/08 Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority; Records 11/12/1999 11/12/2009 Disposal Schedule includes Variation 1 01/02 Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board; 01/03/2001 01/03/2011 Records Disposal Schedule 02/02 Records Authority for the Victoria Police Ethical 03/10/2002 03/10/2012 Standards Department includes Variation 1 03/01 Records Authority for the Legal Aid Function 11/04/2003 11/04/2013 03/02 Offi ce of the Public Advocate Records Authority 11/07/2003 11/07/2013 04/02 Residential Tenancies Bond Authority Records Authority 18/06/2004 18/06/2014 04/05 Victoria Police – Communications Records Authority 06/07/2004 06/07/2014 04/07 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 17/11/2004 17/11/2014 Offi ce of Gaming and Racing 04/08 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 01/12/2004 01/12/2014 Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal 05/02 General Retention and Disposal Authority for 24/05/2005 24/05/2015 Victoria Police 05/03 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 01/06/2005 01/06/2015 Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal 05/07 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 21/09/2005 21/09/2015 Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria 05/10 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 21/02/2006 21/02/2011 Business Licensing Function and the Motor Car Traders Guarantee Fund Function

Ombudsman

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 05/01 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of 06/12/2005 06/12/2015 Ombudsman Victoria 55

Police Integrity

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 05/04 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Offi ce of 06/12/2005 06/12/2015 Police Integrity

Premier and Cabinet

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 96/16 Arts Victoria – Cultural Development Grant Program; 16/06/1997 16/06/2007 Records Disposal Schedule 97/06 Victorian Arts Centre Trust; Records Disposal Schedule 20/08/1997 20/08/2007 99/01 Department of Premier and Cabinet; Records 19/07/1999 19/07/2009 Disposal Schedule

Primary Industries

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 04/01 Department of Primary Industries 25/10/2004 25/10/2014

Public Prosecutions

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 04/03 Offi ce of Public Prosecutions Records Authority 13/05/2004 13/05/2014

Sustainability and Environment

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 97/08 Building Control Commission; Records 03/12/1997 03/12/2007 Disposal Schedule 00/01 Water Authorities’ Records; General Disposal Schedule 29/06/2000 29/06/2010 includes Variation 1 02/03 Environment Protection Authority Records Authority 15/04/2003 15/04/2013 05/09 Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the 27/01/2006 27/01/2016 Department of Sustainability and Environment

Treasury and Finance

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 99/02 Department of Treasury and Finance; Records 31/01/2000 31/01/2010 Disposal Schedule 99/03 Victorian WorkCover Authority; Records Disposal 26/02/1999 26/02/2009 Schedule includes Variation 1 01/04 State Revenue Offi ce; Records Disposal Schedule 10/07/2001 10/07/2011 03/03 Victorian Managed Insurance Authority Records Authority 09/02/2004 09/02/2014

Victorian Communities

PROS Title of Authority Issue Date Expiry Date 96/14 Sport and Recreation Victoria; Records 10/10/1996 10/10/2006 Disposal Schedule 98/01 Local Government Records; General Disposal Schedule 24/06/1998 24/06/2008 includes Variations 1 and 2 56 Appendix 4: Approved Public Record Offi ce Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS) facilities

Name of APROSS Contact Approved Storage Sites Advance Record Management Peter Newland 140 Broderick Rd 140 Broderick Rd Manager Corio 3214 Corio 3214 (PO Box 67, North Geelong 3215) Telephone: (03) 5274 2000 Ausdoc Information Management Colin Holmes 1/477 Plummer St 1/477 Plummer St Sales Manager Port Melbourne 3207 Port Melbourne 3207 578–580 Somerville Rd DX 2 Melbourne Sunshine 3020 Telephone: (03) 9676 1500 Caval Collaborative Solutions David Noble Eva Varga 4 Park Dr Administration & 4 Park Dr Bundoora 3083 Membership Manager Bundoora 3083 Telephone: (03) 9450 5528 Chubb Corporate Risk Services Gary Johnson Unit 1 & 2, 206 Liddiard Rd Unit 1 & 2, 206 Liddiard Rd Manager Traralgon 3844 Traralgon 3844 Telephone: (03) 5174 1671 Doc U Store Kevin Naish 10–16 Osboldstone Rd 10–16 Osboldstone Rd Manager Wangaratta 3677 Wangaratta 3677 Telephone: (03) 5722 2682 Fort Knox Records Management Grant Allen 84 Westgate Dr 84 Westgate Dr Manager Altona North 3025 Altona North 3025 Telephone: 1300 360 557 Grace Records Management Nick Buxton 27/9 Ashley St 27/9 Ashley St State Manager West Footscray 3012 West Footscray 3012 Telephone: (03) 9687 6498 Jeff Cleave 13 Baldock Crt Business Eaglehawk 3556 (Bendigo) Development Manager Pickfords Records & Information Wes Gleeson 40 Western St Managers State Manager Brunswick 3056 28/9 Ashley St Warren Scott 202–228 Greens Rd West Footscray 3012 Dandenong 3175 (PO Box 6438, West Footscray 3012) Sales Manager Telephone: (03) 9680 1900 28/9 Ashley St West Footscray 3012 Recall Total Information Management Alex Anderson 465 Plummer St 465 Plummer St Sales Manager Port Melbourne 3207 Port Melbourne 3207 – Southern Region 8–10 Healey Rd (PO Box 5080, Garden City 3207) Dandenong 3175 Telephone: (03) 9646 0003 170 Forster Rd Mount Waverley 3149 Cnr Kiewa Valley Hwy & Baranduda Dr Baranduda 3691 Secure-it Records Management Robert Booth 5 Grandlee Dr 5 Grandlee Dr Manager Wendouree 3355 (Ballarat) Wendouree 3355 (PO Box 67, Wendouree 3355) Telephone: 1300 765 102 Appendix 5: Approved Places of Deposit 57 for temporary records of local rather than state signifi cance

Name of Organisation Date Gazetted Location Ararat Genealogical Society Inc 20 May 2004 Ararat Library Barkly St Ararat 3377 Avoca & District Historical Society Inc 23 October 2003 Court House 85 High St Avoca 3467 Bacchus Marsh & District 23 October 2003 Library Building Historical Society Main St Bacchus Marsh 3340 Ballan Shire Historical Society Inc 20 May 2004 Court House 42 Steiglitz St Ballan 3342 Gold Museum & Ballarat 23 October 2003 Bradshaw St Historical Society Ballarat 3350 Beaufort Historical Society 23 October 2003 Court House Livingstone St Beaufort 3370 Beechworth Historic Court House 14 December 2000 Former Court House Museum 94 Ford St Beechworth 3747 Benalla & District Historical Society 14 December 2000 Costume & Pioneer Museum 14 Mair St Benalla 3672 Berwick & Pakenham Historical Society 3 November 2004 Corner Main St & Princes Hwy Pakenham 3809 Box Hill Historical Society 3 November 2004 Box Hill Town Hall 1022 Whitehorse Rd Box Hill 3128 Brighton Historical Society Inc 5 September 2002 Brighton Town Hall Carpenter & Wilson Sts Brighton 3186 Camberwell Historical Society 29 November 2001 Former Town Hall 370 Camberwell Rd Camberwell 3124 Camperdown & District 18 October 2005 241 Manifold St Historical Society Camperdown 3260 Cape Clear & District Historical 23 October 2003 Community Hall Society Inc Cape Clear 3351 Casterton & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 Railway Precinct Jackson St Casterton 3311 Castlemaine Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 Former Court House 7 Goldsmith Cres Castlemaine 3450 Cobden & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 Pioneer Dairy Park Grayland St Cobden 3266 58

Colac & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 COPACC Building Gellibrand St Colac 3250 Cressy & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 1 Lyons St Cressy 3322 Creswick Historical Museum 23 October 2003 Former Council Offi ce 70 Albert St Creswick 3363 Daylesford Museum & District Historical 20 May 2004 100 Vincent St Society Inc Daylesford 3460 Dunkeld & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 Wills St Dunkeld 3294 Eaglehawk Heritage Society Inc 20 May 2004 Court House Sailors Gully Rd Eaglehawk 3556 Essendon Historical Society Inc 20 May 2004 768 Mt Alexander Rd Moonee Ponds 3039 Frankston Historical Society 3 November 2004 Ballam Park Homestead Cranbourne Rd Frankston 3199 Hamilton History Centre 29 November 2001 Mechanics Institute 43 Gray St Hamilton 3300 Healesville & District Historical Society 3 November 2004 233 Maroondah Hwy Healesville 3777 Heidelberg Historical Society 14 December 2000 Heidelberg Museum Jika St & Park Ln Heidelberg 3084 Heytesbury District Historical Society 18 October 2005 42 Lord St Port Campbell 3269 Horsham Historical Society 14 December 2000 Mechanics Institute 33 Pynsent St Horsham 3400 Huntly & District Historical Society Inc 20 May 2004 Former Shire Offi ce Midland Hwy Huntly 3551 Knox Historical Society Inc 3 November 2004 1 Olivebank Rd Ferntree Gully 3156 Kyneton Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 Mechanics Institute Mollison St Kyneton 3444 Lake Bolac & District Historical 20 May 2004 Scotts Church Society Inc Montgomery St Lake Bolac 3351 Landsborough & District Historical 20 May 2004 McKinleay St Society Inc Landsborough 3384 Leigh & District Historical Society Inc 23 October 2003 Rokewood-Shelford Rd Warrambine 3134 Leongatha & District Historical Society 3 November 2004 Mechanics Institute McCartin St Leongatha 3953 59

Linton & District Historical Society Inc 23 October 2003 Library Building & Funeral Parlour Linton 3360 Little River Historical Society 18 October 2005 Mechanics Institute Hall Rothwell Rd Little River 3211 Malmsbury Historical Society Inc 20 May 2004 Mechanics Institute Mollison St Malmsbury 3446 Malvern Historical Society 29 November 2001 ‘Northbrook’ rear Library, High St Malvern 3144 Midlands Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 Worsley Cottage 3 Palmerston St Maryborough 3465 Moe & District Historical Society 3 November 2004 2 High St Moe 3825 Mortlake & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 27 Shaw St Mortlake 3272 Morwell Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 21 Church St Morwell 3840 Napoleons & District Historical 23 October 2003 School Building Society Inc 5050 Colac-Ballarat Rd Napoleons 3352 Newstead & District Historical Society 23 October 2003 Former Court House Canrobert St Newstead 3462 Numurkah & District Historical Society 23 October 2003 Cnr Melville & Knox Sts Numurkah 3636 Old Melbourne Gaol 19 September 2003 Russell St Melbourne 3000 Ouyen Local History Resource Centre 14 December 2000 Oak St Ouyen 3490 Port Fairy Historical Society 18 October 2005 30 Gipps St Port Fairy 3284 Portland Family History Group 18 October 2005 History House Cliff St Portland 3305 Royal Historical Society of Victoria 14 December 2000 239 A’Beckett St Melbourne 3000 Sebastopol Historical Society Inc 23 October 2003 Yarrowee St Sebastopol 3356 Sandringham & District Historical Society 3 November 2004 6 Waltham St Sandringham 3191 Snake Valley Historical Society Inc 23 October 2003 Former RSL Hall Snake Valley 3351 State Coal Mine Museum 14 December 2000 State Coal Mine Garden St Wonthaggi 3995 Stratford & District Historical Society Inc 5 September 2002 14 Hobson St Stratford 3862 60

Streatham & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 School Rd Streatham 3351 Sunshine & District Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 Hunt Club Community Centre 775 Ballarat Rd Deer Park 3023 Talbot Arts & Historical Museum Inc 23 October 2003 Former Church Camp St Talbot 3371 Terang & District Historical Society 18 October 2005 Museum Complex 1 Warrnambool Rd Terang 3264 Traralgon & District Historical Society 3 November 2004 13 Breed St Traralgon 3844 Trentham Historical Society 20 May 2004 5 Camp St Trentham 3458 Wangaratta Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 Ford St Wangaratta 3676 Warrnambool Historical Society Inc 29 November 2001 History House Gilles St Warrnambool 3280 Warrandyte Historical Society 3 November 2004 111 Yarra St Warrandyte 3113 Whitehorse Historical Society Inc 3 November 2004 Schwerkolt Cottage & Museum Complex Deep Creek Rd Mitcham 3132 Werribee & District Historical Society 29 November 2001 Cnr Derrimut & Heath Rds Werribee 3030 Woady Yaloak Historical Society Inc 20 May 2004 Brooke St Smythsdale 3351 Woodend & District Heritage Society Inc 20 May 2004 Court House Forest St Woodend 3442 Appendix 6: List of guides and advices 61

Records management guides The following documents provide guidance on records management procedures and are adapted from PROV records management standards: 1. Disposal of Public Records: An Overview 2. Conducting a Records Survey for Disposal Purposes 3. Using Normal Administrative Practice to Destroy Public Records 4. Using Disposal Schedules to Destroy Public Records 5. Completing Form PRO 29 Notifi cation of Destruction 6. Using ‘Ad Hoc’ Appraisals to Dispose of Public Records 7. Completing Form 20A Request for Appraisal and 20B Records Appraisal Checklist 8. Use of Approved Places of Deposit 9. Physical Destruction of Public Records

Advices The following advices provide guidance on specifi c issues relating to managing Victorian government records: 1. Electronic Recordkeeping: Advice to Victorian Government Agencies 2. Scanning or Imaging of Records: Advice to Victorian Government Agencies 3. Email as Records: Advice to Victorian Government Agencies 4. Information Privacy and Public Records: Advice to Victorian Agencies 5. Health Records and Public Records: Advice to Victorian Agencies 6. Investigations Records: Advice to Victorian Agencies 7. Advice to Agencies on Databases as Records 8. Advice to Agencies on Electronic Records as Evidence 9. Introduction to the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) 10. Advice on Specifi cation 1 (System Requirements for Preserving Electronic Records) 11. Advice on Specifi cation 2 (VERS Metadata Scheme) 12. Advice on Specifi cation 3 (VERS Standard Electronic Record Format) 13. Advice on Specifi cation 4 (VERS Long Term Preservation Formats) 14. Advice on Specifi cation 5 (Export of Electronic Records to PROV) 15. System Administration and Records Management: Advice to Victorian Government Agencies 16. Messaging Technologies and Recordkeeping: Advice to Victorian Government Agencies 17. Records of Outsourced Activity: Advice to Victorian Government Agencies Disposal of General Subject Correspondence Disposal of Personnel Records 62

PROVguides PROVguides provide brief information about our facilities and procedures, as well as giving an overview of our holdings on particular research topics. Copies are available online and in the North Melbourne and Ballarat reading rooms.

Subject PROVguide title Number Copying and Copying Services 2 Publishing Copying Services – Government Access 3 Public Records How to Cite Public Records 13 Use of Digital Cameras in PROV Reading Rooms 24 Copyright for Researchers 25 Courts and Convict Records 57 Criminal Justice Prison Records 58 Divorce Records 61 Wills and Probate Records 70 Inquest Records 71 Education, Health Education Records 56 and Welfare Mental Health Records 59 Adoption, Wardship and Related Records 60 Family History Using Births, Deaths and Marriages Indexes at PROV 26 Family History Research at PROV 51 Koorie Heritage Koorie Family History Research at PROV 65 Aboriginal Records at PROV 67 Land, Places and Land Records 55 Local History City of Melbourne 64 Online Catalogue Ordering Inquest Records 8 Registering and Maintaining a Government User Account 12 Registering and Maintaining a Public User Account 19 Searching for Records Online 20 Ordering and Collecting Records – Government Access 4 Ordering Records 21 PROV’s Digitised Records and Online Indexes 23 Ordering Wills and Probate Records 68 Women’s Archives Online 74 Records Handling Records 7 Information Special Access 14 PROV’s Archival Control Model 66 PROVguides Numerical List 72 PROVguides Subject List 73 Research Search Agents 15 Organisations Melbourne Record Centres for Family History Research 16 State and Territory Archives, Libraries and BDM Registrars 17 Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages 18 Service Information Reading Room Services 1 Ballarat Archives Centre 9 PROV’s Records Access Service Charter 22 PROV Reading Room Conditions 27 Transport Immigration Records 52 British Post World War II Immigration 53 Ships and Shipping Movements 54 Public Transport – Railways 62 Public Transport – Tramways 63 Appendix 7: VERS-compliant products 63

After testing conducted by Public Record Offi ce Victoria, the following systems have demonstrated the 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 certifi ed against some or all of the specifi cations listed in the Standard. Please see the VERS Compliance pages on the PROV website for more information (www.prov.vic.gov.au/vers/compliance).

Product Vendor Standard Spec 1 Spec 2 Spec 3 Version Livelink v3.0.1 OpenText Pty Ltd 2 20/03/06* 20/03/06* Trim Context 6 TOWER Software 2 24/01/06* Dataworks v3.04 Avand Pty Ltd 2 11/01/06* Hummingbird Enterprise Hummingbird 2 15/12/05* 2005 Australia Pty Ltd Image REAL Document Canon Australia 2 21/11/05 Management Win VEO v2.0 VERS Pty Ltd 2 29/04/05* 29/04/05 Documentum Content EMC Corporation 2 22/09/04 Server 5.2.5/Document Records Manager 4.1a Electronic Document Alphawest 1.2# 30/09/05* 30/09/05* 30/09/05 Management System as installed at the Essential Services Commission for the EDM project Document WorkBench Fuji Xerox Australia 1.2# 25/02/05* 25/02/05* 25/02/05 2000 Release 6 Pty Ltd Electronic Document Alphawest 1.2# 29/03/04* 29/03/04* 29/03/04 Management System as installed at the Department of Justice for the EDM project Win VEO v1.1.0.13 VERS Pty Ltd 1.2# 11/11/03* 11/11/03 Objective 6i Objective 1.2# 29/08/02 Corporation VERS Compliant Alphawest 1.2# 26/06/02 26/06/02 26/06/02 Recordkeeping system installed at the Department of Infrastructure for the VERS@DOI project versions 1 & 2

* Denotes conditions associated with Certifi cate. # Standard Version 1.2 Specifi cation 3 included VERS Standard Electronic Record Format, VERS Long Term Preservation Formats and Export of Electronic Records to PROV. 64 Appendix 8: VERS consultancy services

During 2005–2006, PROV undertook 122 consultancies for a wide variety of organisations (see list below). VERS consultancies support the implementation of effective and integrated (digital and physical) records management from capture to disposal or transfer to PROV. All Victorian government departments have continued to undertake initiatives designed to improve their digital records management capabilities and achieve VERS compliance. Experts from PROV have been engaged by departments as consultants on a range of activities including strategic reviews, business case development, funding bids, procurement processes, analysis and design, and process implementation. Victorian government agencies have engaged PROV’s VERS consultants for their knowledge, skills and experience in digital recordkeeping as an alternative to seeking external assistance from commercial organisations.

Agencies and organisations utilising VERS consultancy services Archives of Tasmania Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative (ADRI) BHP Billiton Chinese delegations Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities Department for Victorian Communities Department of Human Services Department of Infrastructure Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development Department of Justice Department of Premier and Cabinet Department of Primary Industries Department of Sustainability and Environment Department of Treasury and Finance Essential Services Commission FileNET Corporation Indonesian Legislative Committee Keio University (Japan) Koyasan University (Japan) Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Safety Board Multimedia Victoria National Archives of Australia National Archives of New Zealand National Archives of South Africa National Archives and Record Services of Korea National Institute of Japanese Literature NSW Premier’s Offi ce Offi ce of the Chief Information Offi cer Offi ce of the Chief Technology Offi cer Offi ce of Commonwealth Games Coordination Privacy Victoria Queensland Archives State Records Offi ce of New South Wales State Records Offi ce of South Australia State Records Offi ce of Western Australia Swinburne University 65

Consultancy services provided Digital recordkeeping and disposal arrangements, email capture, web sites Suggestions for adoption of better digital recordkeeping and VERS Relationship of VERS and digital recordkeeping to classifi cation and metadata Integration of VERS fundamentals into forward information management plans Requirement for VERS within Ministerials and information management Impact of VERS in the investigation of potential Ministerial systems Impact of VERS with regard to digital records management Assistance in planning VERS requirements into EDRMS procurement processes Advice on digital recordkeeping and retention and disposal planning Strategic impact of VERS in the roll-out of ECM within government Suggestions for adoption of better digital recordkeeping and VERS Software and approaches for PDF rendition, creation and management Advice on metadata requirements Metadata object model support Advice regarding best methods of enabling maximum access to fi les Requirements for transfer and VERS readiness explained Advice regarding VERS compliance, disposal and transfer strategy Digital Archive storage technologies Digital record transfer support Input into the information management planning process Input into information management projects Strategic advice regarding VERS and document and records strategy 66 Glossary

accession A group of records from the same transferring agency taken into PROV custody at the same time. The records may be formally arranged and described into records series and consignments or they may be unarranged and undescribed. Accessioning refers to the process of formally accepting and recording the receipt of records into custody (Keeping Archives1). appraisal The process of evaluating business activities to determine which records need to be captured and how long the records need to be kept to meet business needs, the requirements of organisational accountability and community expectations (Australian Standard AS ISO 15489.1). APROSS Approved Public Record Offi ce Storage Supplier – the PROV program for the storage of records which the Keeper of Public Records has approved for eventual destruction or which are awaiting a decision as to their archival value. archive The whole body of records of continuing value of an organisation or individual. Sometimes called ‘corporate memory’ (AS 4390.1 -1996). archives Records considered to have continuing or permanent value that 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 organisations that have responsibility for archival records (Private lives public records2). consignment A consignment comprises record items belonging to a single record series that has been transferred to the custody of PROV as part of the one accession. A consignment may comprise the whole or only part of a series. Each consignment is identifi ed by a code (e.g.VPRS 1234/P1). digital / A record produced, housed or transmitted by electronic means rather electronic record than physical means. A record expressed in an electronic digital format. A record stored in a form that only a computer can process. digitised record / An electronic reproduction of a picture, photograph or physical item digital image (e.g. letter or document) that can be stored on computer or disk, and can be viewed, transmitted, manipulated and/or printed via computer. A subset of digital records (Private lives public records). disposal A range of processes associated with implementing appraisal decisions. These include the retention, deletion or destruction of records in or from recordkeeping systems. They may also include the migration or transmission of records between recordkeeping systems, and the transfer of custody or ownership of records. Within the Victorian public sector, records are appraised to determine their signifi cance (business, legal or historical) and then judged to be either of temporary or permanent value to the state. Government bodies are guided by standards or schedules issued by PROV to regulate the disposal of records. disposal A legal document that defi nes the retention periods and consequent disposal authority actions authorised for specifi c classes of records (AS 4390.1 -1996). permanent Records which have been appraised as being of permanent value to the state records of Victoria and which must be kept forever. place of deposit A location approved by the Minister for Victorian Communities for the storage (POD) by community groups of temporary records of local value. provenance A principle that involves establishing the administrative context in which records were created and used. The provenance of records includes their original creators and users, and the subsequent administrators who were responsible for the recordkeeping system in which the records were kept (Private lives public records).

1 J. Ellis (ed.), Keeping Archives, 1993, The Australian Society of Archivists Inc., Australia. 2 B. Fensham et al., Private lives public records, 2003, Public Record Offi ce Victoria, Australia. 67

public record A record made or received by any person employed in a public offi ce, while carrying out his or her public duties (Public Records Act 1973). public records Information or documents created as part of the activities of state government departments, agencies and local government (Private lives public records). reading room Area set aside at PROV centre for public access to records (formerly known as search room) (Private lives public records). record Something that documents a particular event or decision, or a document and its contents that have some evidentiary value. A record can take many forms: • a document in writing • a book, map, plan, graph or drawing • a photograph • a label marking or other writing which identifi es or describes anything of 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 being visual images) are embodied so as to be capable (with or without the aid of some other equipment) of being reproduced therefrom • a fi lm, negative, tape or other device in which one or more visual images is embodied so as to be capable (as aforesaid) of being reproduced therefrom • anything whatsoever on which is marked any words, fi gures, letters or symbols which are capable of carrying a defi nite meaning to persons conversant with them (AS ISO 15489.1). recordkeeping Making and maintaining complete, accurate and reliable evidence of business transactions in the form of recorded information. records Field of management responsible for the effi cient and systematic control management of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposal of records, including processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the forms of records (AS ISO 15489.1). repository The building (or part of the building) in which the collection/holdings are housed. 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 other identifi able sequence; or • result from the same accumulation or fi ling process, perform the same function or may be of similar physical shape or information content. temporary Records which are appraised as being of value for a bounded time span and records which may be destroyed once they are older than that time span. transfer The removal of public records from the offi ces which have created or inherited them. Custody, ownership and/or responsibility for the records is changed (e.g. from the offi ce to PROV) (AS ISO 15489.1). unsentenced Records which have not yet been appraised and whose status is therefore records not yet determined (Public Records Act 1973).

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