Archifacts April 2000
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crJ Journal ofthe ~ Archives U and Records ~ Assocmtion ~ ofNewZeabnd U April OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION The objects of the Association shall be: i. To foster the care, preservation and proper use of archives and records, both public and private, and their effective administration. ii. To arouse public awareness of the importance of records and archives and in all matters affecting their preservation and use, and to co-operate or affiliate with any other bodies in New Zealand or elsewhere with like objects. iii. To promote the training of archivists, records keepers, curators, librarians and others by the dissemination of specialised knowledge and by encouraging the provision of adequate training in the administration and conservation of archives and records. iv. To encourage research into problems connected with the use, administration and conservation of archives and records and to promote the publication of the results of this research. v. To promote the standing of archives institutions. vi. To advise and support the establishment of archives services throughout New Zealand. vii. To publish a journal at least once a year and other publications in furtherance of these objects. MEMBERSHIP Membership of the Association is open to any individual or institution interested in fostering the objects of the Association. Subscription rates are: Within New Zealand $45 (individuals) $75 (institutions) Two individuals living at the same joint address can take a joint membership $55; this entitles both to full voting rights at meetings, but only one copy of Archifacts. Overseas $75 (individuals) $95 (institutions) Applications to join the Association, membership renewals and correspondence on related matters should be addressed to: The Membership Secretary ARANZ PO Box 11-553 Manners Street Wellington New Zealand ARCHIFACTS Published by the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand 2000 Archifacts ARCHIFACTS Editor: Brad Patterson Editorial Committee: Russell Clarke Gavin McLean Brad Patterson John Roberts Reviews Editor: Stuart Strachan Archifacts is published twice-yearly, in April and October. Articles and correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at: PO Box 11-553 Wellington Intending contributors should obtain a style sheet from the Editorial Committee.Articles and reviews should be submitted both in hard copy and on disk. Printed by McKenzie Thornton Cooper Ltd, Wellington. © Copyright ARANZ 2000 ISSN 0303-7940 Contents Editorial iv Articles Barbara Reed Archives of the New Millennium: Exploring the Archival Issues of the Early Twenty-first Century 1 Janine Delaney Redefining the Role for Collecting Archives in an Electronic Paradigm 13 Rex Sinnott The Census and Privacy in New Zealand: Do Privacy Concerns fustify Destruction of Name-Identified Census Forms? 25 Looking Back J. C. Beaglehole Why Archives? 51 Comment Lois Robertson Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum 58 Some Career Development Advice for Archivists 64 Reviews Rachel Victoria University of Wellington 1899-1999: Barrowman A History (David McKenzie) 66 Ted Ling Solid, Safe, Secure: Building Archives Repositories in Australia ( Jonathan London) 69 Caroline Daley Girls & Women, Men & Boys: Gender in Taradale 1886-1930 (Bronwyn Dalley) 71 iii Editorial New Dawn for the National Archives Just occasionally a delay can prove to be a boon. In this case, the late appearance of the journal has made it possible to celebrate the new millennium by bringing to members the very latest development in respect of National Archives. In mid-May the Hon Marian Hobbs, Minister responsible for National Archives, issued a media release headed 'New Dawn for National Archives'. If what is promised comes to pass, just maybe the year 2000 will usher in for National Archives what the Concise Oxford Dictionary defines as a figurative meaning of the word millennium: 'a period of good government, general happiness and prosperity'. In her statement Ms Hobbs announced that from 1 October 2000 National Archives will become an autonomous state department, the specialist agency responsible for all recordkeeping within government. 'This is a new beginning for National Archives', she said. 'The Government recognises that the important constitutional function .. [exercised by] . National Archives requires independent status*. Observing that National Archives was probably best known for its custody of the nation's founding documents, in particular the Treaty of Waitangi, the Minister expressed her personal conviction that the institution's responsibility for ensuring preservation of seemingly more mundane records was just as important.The availability of such papers underpinned good government. 'An effective Archives is essential if our democracy is to function', Ms Hobbs concluded. 'One of the keys to our freedom as a people is the accountability of governments to those who elect them. For this to happen, the record of government must be accurate and reliable'. She also indicated that clear separation from other state agencies was but the first step in turning National Archives into 'a strong responsive institution'. The June 2000 Budget would include a substantial increase in baseline funding for the institution; sufficient to enable adequate maintenance of its buildings, to boost staffing and to facilitate standards-setting and regulatory capabilities. The Budget would also provide for a one-off cash injection to cover establishment costs and to develop computerised client access services. In a subsequent speech, Ms Hobbs conveyed that revision of the existing archives legislation would be expedited. iv Editorial It is said that the darkest hours frequently come immediately before the dawn, and without doubt National Archives has experienced some dark hours since early 1995. The skies, however, were already appreciably lightening even before 1999 was out. Notwithstanding the Court of Appeal's mid-December dismissal of the ARANZ/NZSG appeal against Justice Ellis' July 1998 decision that it was still 'too early' to rule whether the forced incorporation of the National Archives into an Internal Affairs Heritage Group unlawfully eroded the statutory functions of the Chief Archivist, and the Court's parallel upholding of an appeal by the Secretary for Internal Affairs against the same judge's June 1999 finding that monies had been illegally removed from the National Archives vote, there were already clear signs that the judgments might largely be academic. By the time the judgments were issued the incoming Labour-Alliance coalition had already unequivocally disavowed incorporation of the National Archives into a Heritage Group, as well as expressing strong doubts about the transfer of supervision of the institution to the newly-minted Ministry of Culture and Heritage. In pre- election statements, most strongly in Labour's Arts Policy, Prime Minister Helen Clark had expressed herself 'appalled' at what she termed an 'extraordinary restructuring'. She had pledged that with a change of government new legislation would reinforce the statutory independence of the National Archives, and that Internal Affairs would be forced 'to get its sticky hands off the Archives and its budget'. The erstwhile plaintiff groups therefore took great heart from the early appointment of Wellington Central MP Marian Hobbs as Minister responsible for the National Archives, the first such appointment in New Zealand's history. Despite ongoing isolated mutterings that the protracted litigation was unnecessary (perhaps most bewilderingly instanced in the New Zealand Archivist's recent editorial query: 'was the whole exercise a waste of time, energy and ARANZ members' money?'), informed opinion is virtually unanimous that the proceedings were vital in fostering the present Government's determination to bring about significant change. The litigation served a number of purposes. For a start, recourse to the High Court in 1997 slowed, indeed effectively halted, the Internal Affairs restructuring juggernaut. In return for agreement by the plaintiffs to withdraw an injunction application, the Secretary for Internal Affairs undertook to make no permanent appointments to key positions within the new structure, nor to effect structural changes which could not be readily undone, until the legality of his proposals was established beyond doubt. The transfer of proceedings to the Appeal Court preserved this stalemate, fortunately until the political climate changed. The proceedings also afforded unprecedented publicity, for National Archives in particular but also for archives generally. On no previous occasion ν Archifacts have archives stories featured regularly in the national press or been the subject of television programmes. There can be little doubt that the preparedness of community groups to take up the cudgels, regardless of the odds stacked against them, helped change perceptions in many quarters, some of them very influential. And in this respect the hearings themselves were far from total failures. If the plaintiffs were unsuccessful in securing the decisions sought, they nevertheless very publicly raised questions about the appropriateness of the Internal Affairs proposals. Before the Appeal Court, the Solicitor-General tellingly conceded that there could be a very great difference between what was strictly legal and what was administratively wise. The Appeal Court bench itself expressed appreciation of the concerns of 'the plaintiffs, their supporters, their witnesses and those they represent'. Eighteen months