Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report 2016 by Public Record Office Victoria

Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2016 A report from the Keeper of Public Records as required under section 21 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973

Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report 2015–2016 Published by Public Record Office Victoria 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Tel (03) 9348 5600 Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2015–2016 September 2016 © Copyright State of Victoria 2016 Copyright State of Victoria through Public Record Office Victoria 2016

Except for any logos, emblems, and trade marks, this work (Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2015–2016) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia license, to the extent that it is protected by copyright. Authorship of this work must be attributed to the Public Record Office Victoria. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/. Published on http://www.prov.vic.gov.au. ISSN: 1320-8225 Warning: this Annual Report contains images of records about Aboriginal people from the archival collection of Public Record Office Victorias may contain images of Aboriginal people now deceased. This Annual Report is printed on 100% recycled Australian made paper using vegetable inks. Cover image: Department of Health, School Dental Service. c1940–1950. PROV, VPRS 14004/P12, Unit 2.

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

CONTENTS PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA

Purpose and Objectives

Message from the Director

Public Records Advisory Council

Overview 13

Hon Gavin Jennings Special Minister of State Hon Gavin Jennings Special Minister of State Level 1, 1 Treasury Place East Melbourne VIC 3002 Dear Minister I am pleased to present a report on the carrying out of my functions under section 21(1) of the Public Records Act 1973 for the year ending 30 June 2016. Yours sincerely

Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records

REPORT OF PERFORMANCE

Highlights 2015–2016

Output measures 2015–2016

Strategic Initiatives 2015–2016

Build Our Online Presence

Increase Usability of the Collection

Increase the Engagement of Communities with their Archival Heritage

Develop the Archival Collection to Increase its Value and Significance

Improve our Digital Transfer Capability

Enhance Government Recordkeeping Capability

Transform our Collection Management Environment

Increase Organisational Capability

APPENDICES 37 Appendix 1: Assets, financial statement and workforce data

Appendix 2: Standards and Advice Issued

Appendix 3: Approved Public Record Office Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS)

Appendix 4: 2015 Victorian Community History Award Winners

Appendix 5: Local History Grants Program

GLOSSARY 47

Next page image: Physical Education, school unknown. PROV, VPRS 14514/P2, Unit 3.

VISION STATEMENT

Public Record Office Victoria’s Vision Statement is ‘Public Records Publicly Available’. ‘Public Records Publicly Available’ seeks to inspire public servants to keep good records so that Public Record Office Victoria can fulfil its mission: to support the efficient management and use of public records in order that the Government is accountable to the community and the historical memory of the Victorian Government is secure and accessible.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Purpose

Values

To support the effective management and use of the public records of the State of Victoria, to ensure that the Government is accountable to the community and its historical memory is preserved, secure and accessible. Daily Operations

Mission Statement

Public Record Office Victoria was established under section 3 of the Public Records Act 1973 (the Act), ‘for the better preservation, management and utilisation of the public records of the state’.

To support the efficient management and use of public records to ensure that the Government is accountable to the community and the historical memory of the Victorian Government is secure and accessible.

The Act provides the legal framework in which Public Record Office Victoria operates, and specifies the core functions of Public Record Office Victoria and the Keeper of Public Records with respect to government records. These functions, pursuant to sections 7, 11 and 12 of the Act include: •

Establish standards for the efficient management of public records including creation, maintenance, security, selection of those worthy of preservation, transfer for archiving, and segregation or disposal of those not worthy of preservation.

• Assist public officers to apply these standards to records under their control. • Take public records into custody, preserve archives and provide security. • Classify records and publish indexes and guides to facilitate access. • Provide facilities for viewing, and make records in custody accessible. • Duplicate or reproduce and authenticate public records.

Public Record Office Victoria has identified three outcomes that represent the ongoing goals for the organisation: •

Preservation: The records of Government are preserved so that they are available and accessible for as long as they are required.

• Management: The records of Government are managed to enable accountability, efficiency and innovation. • Utilisation: The records of Government are used by communities to connect to their history and culture.

The Public Administration Act 2004 requires that public sector employees demonstrate public service values as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees. Public Record Office Victoria actively implements, promotes and supports these values. Public Record Office Victoria, as a public sector body, has developed the following set of values which are based on, and are consistent with the Code of Conduct: Responsiveness Public Record Office Victoria provides accurate and impartial advice to Government and delivers quality services to the Victorian community. Public Record Office Victoria is open to new ideas and different approaches that will achieve the most effective results.

Respect Public Record Office Victoria respects its colleagues, public officials and members of the Victorian community and treats them fairly and objectively. Public Record Office Victoria is inclusive and does not tolerate harassment, bullying or discrimination.

Integrity Public Record Office Victoria is open and honest in dealing with colleagues, clients, stakeholders and the Victorian community. Public Record Office Victoria strives to provide equal access to all products and services, act responsibly and avoid any real or apparent conflicts of interest.

Leadership Public Record Office Victoria promotes best practice in recordkeeping and innovation. Public Record Office Victoria leads by example by creating positive and productive working relationships. Public Record Office Victoria supports, motivates and strives to develop its staff to reach their full potential.

Impartiality Public Record Office Victoria makes decisions and provides advice that is fair, objective and without self-interest. Public Record Office Victoria works to serve the public good. Accountability Public Record Office Victoria staff members operate transparently and take responsibility for their own actions. Public Record Office Victoria maintains a sustainable workplace environment and seeks to achieve the best use of resources.

Human Rights Public Record Office Victoria respects and supports the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities in all decisions and advice and abides by all appropriate legislation. Collaboration Public Record Office Victoria consults and engages with the Victorian community, clients and stakeholders. Public Record Office Victoria provides customer service that most effectively meets the needs of clients and stakeholders.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

PUBLIC RECORDS ADVISORY COUNCIL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

This year’s Annual Report theme is designed around School Days, which was on display at the Old Treasury Building this year and was one of our most popular exhibitions to date. It reminds us that education and the pursuit of knowledge have always been important to Victorians.

It is a pleasure to begin working with the Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) following my appointment as President in April 2016. I would also like to welcome new Council members Tony Bates, David Brous, Deidre Missingham, Belinda Ensor and Keir Reeves and welcome back previous members Kathryn Dan and Susie Zada. The refreshed Council has commenced its work with Public Record Office Victoria with enthusiasm.

Achievements We regularly celebrate the great work of our staff and volunteers internally but it always gratifying to see their work acknowledged externally. In 2015-2016 our Koorie Records Unit publication, walata tyamateetj: A guide to Victorian Government records about Aboriginal people was awarded a prestigious Mander Jones Award for best finding aid to an archival collection at the Australian Society of Archivists annual conference held in Tasmania. This year we have been pursuing opportunities to engage with new audiences and increase public access to the marvellous records in our collection. In partnership with Ancestry we presented a series of seminar sessions on a range of subjects including memoir writing and true crime. These sessions were attended by around 300 people many of whom had never engaged with archives before. Digital transformation Since receiving funding in the May 2015-2016 State Budget, we have been working hard to develop new and improved ways to engage with public records online. We are building a new website, with new and better search functionality and working on replacing our ageing digital archive technology so that the digital records of government are appropriately cared for into the future.

Environmental Sustainability Public Record Office Victoria has continued to reduce its carbon footprint, achieving lower energy and water usage and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions compared with previous years. This is a great result and one we will be looking to improve on in coming years. Acknowledgements The achievements we have made this year would not be possible without the continued support of our volunteers. This year 160 volunteers have dedicated 30,000 hours of their time to digitising, preserving and improving the discoverability of the collection. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Public Record Advisory Council (PRAC) members, many of whom are new to the Council, including our new PRAC President Judy Maddigan. I look forward to working closely with the Council in the coming year. We said farewell to Jim Berg this year. A member of the Public Records Advisory Council for nearly 25 years. Jim’s contribution to Public Record Office during that period was enormous, ranging from reading endless applications for grants, through to providing expertise and advice on access to records related to Indigenous people. His wise counsel will be missed by me and everyone at Public Record Office Victoria.

Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records 10

It has been another successful year for Public Record Office Victoria. Notably this year Public Record Office Victoria presented a seminar series with Ancestry.com, offered two exhibitions at the Old Treasury Building and participated in high profile events such as Melbourne’s Open House. The Council supports these efforts to engage with diverse new audiences. The Council is also keen to assist Public Record Office Victoria in reaching out to government audiences. With this goal in mind the Council was pleased to endorse the continuation of the Sir Rupert Hamer Awards which are held annually and award excellence in recordkeeping at both the State and Local Government levels. These awards are a great way of promoting innovation in recordkeeping across government departments and agencies.

The Council would like to acknowledge the work of departing Council members Anita Jack, Andrew May, Debbie Prout, Sue McKemmish and former President Joanne de Morton. Also leaving us this year is Koorie elder Jim Berg who was the Council’s indigenous heritage representative. Jim has served on the Council for over 20 years, ensuring that the continued preservation and promotion Aboriginal culture and heritage remains a top priority. Jim’s massive contribution to the Council will be sorely missed and we wish him well in the future. Finally I would just like to thank Public Record Office Victoria staff and volunteers for their great work throughout the year. I look forward to working with you all next year.

Judy Maddigan President, Public Records Advisory Council 11

PUBLIC RECORDS ADVISORY COUNCIL

OVERVIEW

Establishment and Functions

Administration

Protected disclosure

Summary of Activities

Executive

The Council met on two occasions in 2015 – 2016:

Headed by Justine Heazlewood, Director and Keeper of Public Records, the executive team is located at 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The Protected Disclosure Act 2012 is designed to help people make disclosures about improper conduct within the public sector without fear of reprisal. The Act aims to make the public sector more open and accountable by encouraging people to make disclosures and protecting them when they do.

The Public Records Advisory Council is established under section 4 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973. The functions of the Council, as specified in section 5 of the Act, require that it: • (a) In consultation with the Keeper of Public Records, shall promote cooperation between Public Record Office Victoria and public offices. • (b) May report and make recommendations to the Minister on any matter relating to the administration of the Act.

Council Membership Section 4 (1A) of the Act requires that the Council consist of not more than ten members with knowledge and experience in such areas as public administration, local government, records management, business administration, historical research and genealogical research. Membership of the Council during 2015–2016 comprised: Judy Maddigan, President Tony Bates, Department of Premier and Cabinet representative Jim Berg, Indigenous heritage David Brous, Public administration Kathryn Dan, Information and records management

• 20 April Victorian Archives Centre • 29 June Queenscliffe Town Hall Public Record Office Victoria provides support to the Council by preparing Council agenda papers, coordinating the scheduling of Council meetings, providing assistance with the appointment of new Council members, as well as providing assistance and administrative support for Council Subcommittees. The Council would like to record its appreciation of the support provided to it throughout the year by the Keeper of Public Records, Justine Heazlewood and her staff and to especially thank Rebecca Young for her support in the role of Council Secretary throughout the year.

Promoting cooperation between Public Record Office Victoria and public agencies Council Meetings This year the Council welcomed new Public Records Advisory Council President, Ms Judy Maddigan and focussed on establishing key objectives for the Council to work toward. Council members recommenced Council meetings in regional and outer-metropolitan locations and, in June 2016, met at the Queenscliffe Town Hall. In conjunction with the visit, Public Record Office Victoria staff conducted public information sessions on records conservation and digitisation.

Belinda Ensor, Historical research (public history) Deidre Missingham, Finance and business administration

Public Record Office Victoria’s operations are governed by the Public Records Act 1973, which defines the role of both the Keeper of Public Records and the organisation. The Act is available for inspection on the Public Record Office Victoria website, www.prov.vic.gov.au and at our North Melbourne and Ballarat offices.

Public Record Office Victoria is committed to the aims and objectives of the Act. In particular, Public Record Office Victoria does not tolerate improper conduct by its staff or reprisals against those who come forward to disclose such conduct. The procedures for protecting people who make protected disclosures under the Protected Disclosure Act 2012 are available on Public Record Office Victoria’s website www.prov.vic.gov.au.

Regulations made and administered Regulations are made under section 23 of the Public Records Act 1973 and are known as the Public Records Regulations 2013. 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 Public Record Office Victoria. All Regulations are available for inspection on Public Record Office Victoria’s website at www. prov.vic.gov.au/about-us and at both locations. Portfolio responsibility The Department of Premier and Cabinet has portfolio responsibility for Public Record Office Victoria. Public Record Office Victoria is an administrative office under the Public Administration Act 2004.

Public Record Office Victoria standards and authorities Public Record Office Victoria 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 standards and authorities is provided on Public Record Office Victoria’s website at www.prov.vic.gov.au/ government and at both the North Melbourne and Ballarat offices. Department of Premier and Cabinet Annual Report Further information about Public Record Office Victoria’s performance during 2015 – 2016, including financial and staffing data, is included in the annual report of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, available at www.dpc.vic.gov.au.

Freedom of Information

Prof. Keir Reeves, Historical research (academic history) Susie Zada, Genealogy and local history Secretary: Ms Rebecca Young Jack Martin delivering an information session on records conservation to a packed Queenscliffe Town hall.

Act administered: Public Records Act 1973

Requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 are handled through the Department of Premier and Cabinet Freedom of Information Officer. For information about categories of documents maintained by Public Record Office Victoria, please refer to the Department of Premier and Cabinet website at www.dpc.vic.gov.au.

CONTACT

OVERVIEW

As at 30 June 2016 Public Record Office Victoria operated two public reading rooms and had 45.4 staff members (FTE) working across two operational areas.

Organisational structure Special Minister of State

Public Reading Rooms

Secretary Department of Premier & Cabinet

Email: enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au Victorian Archives Centre Harry Nunn Reading Room 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia Phone: (03) 9348 5600

Deputy Secretary Department of Premier & Cabinet

Governance, Policy & Coordination

Ballarat Archives Centre State Government Offices Corner Mair and Doveton Streets Ballarat VIC 3350 Australia Phone: (03) 5333 6611 Follow us on Facebook @PublicRecordOfficeVictoria Twitter @PRO_Vic Instagram @vic_archives

Government Services Assistant Director: David Brown Phone: (03) 9348 5621 Email: david.brown@prov.vic.gov.au Agency enquiries: agency.queries@prov.vic.gov.au

Director Public Record Office Victoria

Public Records Advisory Council

Government Services

Access Services

Corporate Services

Standards & Policy

Online Access

Finance & Risk Management

Goverment Recordkeeping

Collection Services

Facilities

VERS

Community Archives

Communication & Engagement

Access Services Assistant Director: Philippa Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Halloran Phone: (03) 9348 5710 Email: philippa.ohalloran@prov.vic.gov.au Public enquiries: enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au

Corporate Services Assistant Director: Graeme Hairsine Phone: (03) 9348 5727 Email: graeme.hairsine@prov.vic.gov.au Public enquiries: enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au

Technology Services

People & Culture

OVERVIEW Government Services

Corporate Services

Corporate Plan 2013 – 2017

Government Services assists Victorian public sector agencies in better managing their records. This is done through:

Corporate Services supports staff across Public Record Office Victoria through the provision of the following services:

Public Record Office Victoria’s four-year Corporate Plan provides the strategic direction for the period 2013–2014 to 2016–2017.

• Utilising and valuing the knowledge and commitment of Public Record Office Victoria.

• Budgeting and financial management and reporting.

•

• Risk management.

Developing and supporting the implementation of best-practice records management processes and policies across the whole of Victorian Government.

• Building partnerships with stakeholders to improve information and records management.

• Facilities management. • Environmental planning and reporting. • Strategic planning and reporting. • Communications and online engagement.

• Identifying and preserving records of permanent value.

• Information communication technology.

• Making records more visible and accessible through new technology and better-aligned documentation, transfer and disposal practices.

• Human resource management.

• Managing the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy.

Access Services The goal of Access Services is to ensure that our unique collection is widely known and accessible to the people and Government of Victoria. This is achieved through: • A program of exhibitions, publications, educational resources and outreach activities. • The provision of public reading room services and online access to Public Record Office Victoria’s collection and research tools. • Preserving archives within their region of origin, ensuring equality of access for communities in regional Victoria. • Providing culturally appropriate services, procedures and tools that enhance access by the Koorie community. • Transmitting information to clients about the collection. • Issuing records in a manner that meets government needs and community expectations.

• Information management. • Organisational development.

The plan articulates the mission, primary strategic objectives and values of Public Record Office Victoria; it also describes our current and emerging operating environment in order to set the context for our new program of work over the next four years. The plan introduces Public Record Office Victoria’s three overarching outcomes and our strategic initiatives. It also details the guiding principles that we use when implementing our initiatives.

Outcomes • Preservation: The records of Government are preserved so that they are available and accessible for as long as they are required. • Management: The records of Government are managed to enable accountability, efficiency and innovation. • Utilisation: The records of Government are used by communities to connect to their history and culture.

Initiatives •

Build our online presence: Build a new online presence for the organisation in alignment with the development of Public Record Office Victoria’s new collection management environment. This initiative will ensure the online presence interacts effectively with Public Record Office Victoria’s systems and, through its flexibility and scope, will support current and future service and product development and delivery.

•

Increase usability of the collection: Pursue opportunities to expose digital content and the structured metadata describing Public Record Office Victoria’s collection through multiple external channels.

• Increase the engagement of communities with their archival heritage: Review community partnership programs and approaches to maximise opportunities and benefits to be achieved through community engagement initiatives.

•

Develop the archival collection to increase its value and significance: Develop the archival collection, increasing its value and significance to the community by identifying records that have highest value to the Victorian community and negotiating arrangements for their addition to the collection.

•

Improve our digital transfer capability: Deliver a framework, systems and tools that will improve Public Record Office Victoria’s ability to support a high-volume, automated digital transfer capability that minimises the costs and risks involved in mass digital transfers.

• Enhance Government recordkeeping capability: Undertake a range of activities to measure the current status of recordkeeping across the Victorian public sector. Deliver specific information and services to maximise recordkeeping capability, particularly in a digital paradigm. • Transform our collection management environment: Deliver an entirely new technology environment for Public Record Office Victoria’s collection management environment to meet the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated public sector and general populace. •

Increase organisational capability: Increase the professionalism and diversity of employees through a number of key activities including a Management Development Program and refreshed mentoring for all staff.

REPORT ON PERFORMANCE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA

Guiding principles Five operating principles have been established to guide the implementation of Public Record Office Victoria’s initiatives, both in decision making and the development of new programs and activities within each initiative. We will: • Seek and take advantage of partnerships and alternative ways of working collaboratively in order to achieve our outcomes. • Be open to new ideas and different approaches that will achieve the most effective results. • Take advantage of our unique mandate to provide leadership in those areas in which we have sector expertise. •

Identify and consult with stakeholder and client groups on matters of relevance to them, using the resulting feedback to shape and improve our strategies, products and services.

•

Design our programs in such a way as to increase our stakeholders’ opportunity to preserve and express their cultural heritage and contribute to the social and cultural fabric of Victoria.

Detailed information about our activities can be found under these headings in the next section of this report.

Bottom image: Student demonstration for the Duke of York’s visit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). PROV, VPRS 14562/P12, Unit 2.

Right image: Physical Education Class, Brunswick South Primary School. PROV, VPRS 14514/P1, Unit 6.

HIGHLIGHTS 2015–2016 Reviewing our Collection

PROV in the Media

This year, as part of our Collection Management Program we have been reviewing the collection of physical records held at the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne. This is done to ensure that we retain only those records of permanent value to the State and people of Victoria.

Public Record Office Victoria has received considerable positive media attention this year with more than 185 mentions across print, radio, television and online – 54 more than last year.

In 2015-2016 we reviewed just under 1500 meters of records. These records had either never been fully appraised to determine their value or the original appraisal decision needed to be reviewed. Most of these records are records that were taken into archival custody many years ago without thorough examination or with their archival status uncertain, sometimes in order to assist agencies facing crisis situations. Throughout the review Public Record Office Victoria staff worked alongside the Victorian Government Agencies that created these records. This is to ensure they agree when we identify records that can be returned to the agency or immediately disposed of. Our decisions are rigorously tested, documented and approved prior to any final action being taken. During the year just under a kilometre of records were either destroyed or returned to agencies. This will ensure that our unique collection continues to hold records that are of permanent value to the government and people of Victoria. it also provides us with the added benefit of freeing up valuable space in our purpose built archival storage facility to ensure our collection can to continue to grow ultimately resulting in a richer, more valuable collection.

This photo from our collection, Juice Bar Flinders Station PROV, VPRS 12800/P1, H3384, was featured as part of the “Melbourne Memories” series on ABC. c1926.

Throughout the year our records have been included on ABC online’s various historical features including a history of Victoria’s separation from NSW, a feature around the online launch of our Female Prison Registers, and the anniversary of the Westgate collapse. Also with ABC online we ran a “Melbourne Memories” series in conjunction with other Melbourne community archives. This program ran for ten weeks across ABC social media and radio. After the announcement of the Victorian Community History Awards in October we secured media opportunities for winners resulting in 30 online and local news hits across Victoria. This was a fantastic result that ensured recognition of their work extended beyond those historians and archivists who attended the ceremony. Our Soldier On exhibition, a collaborative effort with Old Treasury Building, also saw our records discussed more than 30 times in the media. The January Section 9 openings are always popular. This year we recorded segments with 774 Radio and ABC online in January as well as a more in depth story in March. We also received coverage on the Daily Mail online, News.com.au and Ancestor. We also welcomed the TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ to the Victorian Archives Centre for episodes with Peter Rowsthorn and Ray Martin and another episode, filmed here in May, will go to air later in 2016.

Information Management Maturity Measurement Tool

Walata tyamateetj is the best finding aid to an archival collection

This year we launched an Information Management Maturity Assessment Program (IMMAP). The IMMAP is an annual assessment program constructed around our Information Management Maturity Measurement (IM3) survey tool. The program was supported by the Victorian Auditor-General’s report Access to Public Sector Information. The report recommends that departments and agencies use IM3, which is publically available on the PROV website.

walata tyamateetj: A guide to Victorian Government records about Aboriginal people, was awarded a Mander Jones Award for best finding aid to an archival collection at the Australian Society of Archivists annual conference held in Tasmania in August 2015.

Composed of a questionnaire and supporting documents, the IM3 tool helps measure compliance with whole of Victorian government information and records management standards and assesses the ability of departments and agencies to meet information management best practice. The IMMAP required departments and some key agencies to complete the assessment in the IM3 tool and send us their results during 2016. Six departments and three agencies participated in the IMMAP. The IM3 tool has also been used by Local Government Authorities, universities, and other public agencies such as the Transport Accident Commission to support their strategic direction and measure the movement of information management within agencies. The results will help determine the current level of information management maturity across Victorian Government and also help departments and agencies to identify and initiate information management enhancement opportunities.

This publication is a joint guide to Government records about Aboriginal people in Victoria, published by Public Record Office Victoria in association with the National Archives of Australia. It was designed to help Victorian Aboriginal people find records about their family and country. The guide highlights the wealth and diversity of material that can be found within State and National archival collections and assists researchers to access these records, regardless of which archive the records are held in. The publication foreword was written by respected Elder Jim Berg of the Gunditjmara, who noted the significant work of PROV and NAA to develop initiatives that provide better outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians. The title of the guide, walata tyamateetj, means to ‘carry knowledge’ in the Gunditjmara language of western Victoria. Vicki Couzen’s artwork features on the cover of the guide. Vicki is an established and prominent artist. She is a descendant of the Gunditjmara and Kirrae Whurrong clans. The opening historical overview written by Richard Broome, Emeritus Professor of History at La Trobe University, provides context to readers on the development and impact of past government policies on the lives of Aboriginal people in Victoria. walata tyamateetj is available to view on the PROV website, download as an ebook from Amazon, Google Play and iTunes, and is also available as a free hardcopy.

walata tyamateetj cover, artwork by Vicki Couzens.

HIGHLIGHTS 2015–2016

2012–2013

2013–2014

2014–2015

2015–2016

Energy (megajoules per m)

835

806

807

793

Water (kilolitres per FTE )

34.6

29.6

22.79

14.37

Paper (reams per FTE)

6.8

6.7

6.8

8.8

Waste (tonnes per FTE)

0.83

0.82

0.61

0.55

Greenhouse gas emissions (tonnes CO2)

4067

3607

3662

3475

Environmental Sustainability Public Record Office Victoria has an ongoing focus on energy efficiency and the reduction of waste creation, water and paper use. Broadly our aims are to: • • •

Maintain a reduced carbon footprint at the Victorian Archives Centre. Maintain a reduced ecological footprint around our office based activities. Continue to support the sustainable management and use of government records.

During the year we progressed several major facility projects that delivered immediate energy efficiencies to the Victorian Archives Centre: • We installed our fourth new chiller unit as part of our multi-year chiller replacement program. These new chiller units are extremely energy efficient and we have now replaced all four units. • We upgraded our entire external lighting system to use energy efficient LED lights. • We installed a second new boiler. We have three boilers in total, with the final unit scheduled to be replaced during 2016-17. These boilers use gas and we have already seen a reduction in gas consumption with the introduction of the first two new boilers. We will investigate the possibility of installing solar panels in 2016-17 as part of our ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and further increasing our energy efficiency at the Victorian Archives Centre.

Volunteers Program Public Record Office Victoria’s team of over 160 volunteers contribute to projects aimed at digitising, preserving and improving the discoverability of the collection, to allow researchers to more easily find and use records of Victoria’s history. In 2015-2016 volunteers contributed over 30,000 hours of their time at the Victorian Archive Centre and the Ballarat Archives Centre, undertaking work on diverse areas of our vast collection. This year work on records about the use, lease and sale of Crown land, which has been ongoing since 2012, reached a milestone with the completion of the indexing of the major sequence of land selection correspondence, extending from the 1850s to the 1980s. The achievement of the volunteers has been to create an accurate listing of over 140,000 correspondence files maintained by the former Department of Crown Lands and Survey, capturing the names of correspondents, companies and government agencies, locations of land and the subjects of letters. This opens up the archives to researchers, who can quickly identify and select files of interest online for viewing, rather than having to attend Public Record Office Victoria simply to begin the painstaking tasks of searching for relevant records. Volunteers from Family Search digitised wills, probates and inquests for 1926–1937 (having already digitised all pre-1926 wills, probates and inquests, earlier in this enormous project). These are the most popular records in Public Record Office Victoria’s collection, attracting more than 85,000 downloads annually. FamilySearch volunteers have been working with Public Record Office Victoria for over a decade to digitise the records, which are of great interest to genealogists who frequently use Public Record Office Victoria’s collection.

2015-2016 also saw the completion and launch of the project to digitise and index correspondence received by the Superintendent, Port Phillip District, Charles Joseph La Trobe. The records span 1839–1851, covering areas of government administration as diverse as suggestions for the establishment of Melbourne’s streets, gardens and markets to the personal appeals and complaints of citizens. The project, which commenced in 2010 with the support of the CJ La Trobe Society and funding from the RE Ross Trust, was contributed to by 18 volunteers. Public Record Office Victoria volunteers have also finalised their contribution to the National Archives of Australia’s Project Albany, which continued at the Victorian Archive Centre in 2015-16. The volunteers’ work involved describing and indexing a variety of records of World War One returned soldiers and digitising a cross section of those who departed for the First World War from Fremantle, Western Australia in 1914. The project reached its goal of digitising 5,000 files by the end of 2015-2016. While these large projects are well worth highlighting, many of our volunteers work on smaller projects to support collection management. Volunteers work with water licenses of the Department of Agriculture, plans and ephemera from Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, building drawings from the Public Works Department, nineteenth century civil cases from the Supreme Court, Ballarat Prison Registers and Rate Records and many more. They also manage the catalogue for our in-house technical library. Public Record Office Victoria acknowledges the great contribution that all volunteers have made during the year and we look forward to an equally productive 2016–2017.

HIGHLIGHTS 2015–2016 Leayne Alden William ArcherBlackwood Mark Armstrong-Roper David Asquith Jessica Attard John Bailey Garry Ball Neil Barrie Annette Barton Pamela Baum Graeme Bence Fay Beslee Elizabeth Buckle Yvette Buerge Anthony Bugeja Jacinta Byrne Graeme Cardillo Helen Carey Wendy Carver Glenn Casey Neil Chisholm Keng Chong Julie Christy Ahnya Chuah Jill Cilia Kaye Clancy Barry Clarke Jo Clarke Beth Codling Mihi Cooper Samantha Courtier Cheryl Cox Calvin Crisp Alannah Croom Deborah Curtis Katherine DanfordStorey Susan Davies Nathaniel Davies Brian Dixon Lorraine Doig

Andrea D’Souza Leonie Duncan Claire Dunlop Deirdre Evans Leigh Farley Claire Fitzpatrick Barry Fleming James Gaunt Sydney Gordon Leanne Goss Suzanne Goss Karen Gregg Wendy Griffin Katherine Grossi Claudia Guli Kerry Gutowski Clive Haddock Carol Hagan Fiona Harbridge Sara Hardy Elizabeth Hardy Helen Hargreaves Sarah Harlis Peter Harvey Jo-anne Hawksworth Ray Herbert Joy Herman Kim House Lewis House Katherine Huntsman Cindy Jackson Lesley Jeffrey Carrol Jenkins Judy Johnston Anne Jones David Jones Irene Kearsey Marilyn Kenny Michelle Khun Andrew Knopfelmacher Philip Lally Maree Langley

Maggie Lau Carmel Leyden Kathryn Lobs Janene Lobs Des Logan Edna Lowe Sidonie Lowe John MacKinnon Sue Maclellan Tara Mairs Anna-Maree Malmgren Timothy Marriott Sally Marsden Millicent Marsh Leonie Marshall Craig Mascarenhas Vivienne McComb Fiona McKinley Isabelle Meister Barbara Minchinton Maureen Molloy David Morris Neil Morris Kathryn Morrissey Kaye Morrissey Alastair Munro Suzanne Napolitano Helena Nardi Michael Newsome Fiona O’Donnel Elizabeth Offer Emma O’Neil Rose O’Shea Malcolm Parlby Geoffrey Paterson Lyn Pecchiar Hailie Perera Margaret Pope Patricia Porigneaux Kim Price Ingrid Pronobis Paul Rapson

Liz Raven Jon Rennison Sue Rickard Dawn Riddel Dannielle Ritchie Matthew Roberts Marie Rogers Warwick Rose Colin Ruehland Owen Rutherford Gerard Ryan Rick Sidgwick Allan Smith Carolyn Stapleton Christine Statham Alan Stevens Alexandra Taylor Lindsay Thomas Robert Thomas Gabrielle Thomson Gail Thornthwaite Susannah Tindall Maureen Treacy Shirley Turner Bob Twyford Thomas Tyrrell Luke Van Halen Judith Vardy Rosemary Waghorne Flora Walker Ian Willmott Alexandra Wilson Alvin Wong

Right image: volunteer Ian Wilmont working with Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works maps and plans.

HIGHLIGHTS 2015–2016 Awards The work of Public Record Office Victoria staff and volunteers was recognised in 2015–2016: Mander Jones Awards 2015 Winner: Best finding aid to an archival collection in Australia walata tyamateetj: A guide to Victorian government records about Aboriginal people, was awarded a Mander Jones Award for best finding aid to an archival collection in Australia at the Australian Society of Archivists annual conference held in Tasmania in August 2015.

Professional Committees Aside from their roles at Public Record Office Victoria, a number of staff members made a significant contribution to their professions through membership of committees during 2015–2016: Farzam Akbari: member, ICT Governance Committee; member WoVG Cyber Security Customer Group, member. Tsari Anderson: acting editor, Provenance. Lauren Bourke: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Operations Committee; member, City of Ballarat Heritage Advisory Committee; member, chair, Museums Australia Victoria Branch Committee; member, History Council of Victoria, assistant editor, Provenance journal. David Brown: deputy chair, Information Management Working Group; observer, Chief Information Officers Council Meeting; member, Department of Health and Human Services Records Management Steering Committee. Charlie Farrugia: member, Australian Women’s Archives Project Committee; member, ANZAC Commemorative Naming Project; member, Victorian Association of Family History Organisations Committee. Sebastian Gurciullo: chair, Archives and Manuscripts Editorial Board; general editor, Archives and Manuscripts; editor and chair, Provenance; webmaster, Committee of the Section on Literary and Artistic Archives of the International Council on Archives.

Graeme Hairsine: chair, Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria), ICT Community of Practice; member, Creative Victoria Chief Information Officers Forum. Justine Heazlewood: chair, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative; chair, Monash University Information and Knowledge Management Course Advisory Committee; member, Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities; member, Monash University, Centre for Organisational and Social Informatics Advisory Board; member, Standards Australia, Records and Document Management Systems Committee (IT-21). Alan Kong: member, Institute for Information Management. Tracey Manallack: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Operations Committee; member, Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History, Federation University, Steering Committee; member, Federation University Australian Historical Association 2016 Conference Committee; member, Geelong Heritage Centre Advisory Committee; member, Victorian Aboriginal Advisory Group.

Nicole Tighe: member, Australian Human Resources Institute; member, Department of Premier and Cabinet Human Resources Working Group; member, People and Culture Community of Practice. Andrew Waugh: member, Standards Australia, Records and Document Management Systems Committee (IT-21) Subcommittee on Recordkeeping Metadata. Rebecca Young: coordinator, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative; secretary, Public Records Advisory Council.

Conference and Seminar Presentations In addition to Public Record Office Victoria’s formal seminar programs, noted in the operations section of this report, staff expertise and knowledge are shared through presentations at various conferences and seminars. In 2015–2016 these included: Information Management Presentation, Monash University Melbourne, August 2015 David Brown

Julie McCormack: chair, Council of Australian Archives and Records Authorities National Bodies Working Group; member, Cabinet Records Working Group.

Facilitating resilience and self-efficacy on cross organisational projects Hobart, August 2015 Peter Francis and Alan Kong

Alison McNulty: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Committee of Management; member, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative; member, CAARA Public Access Working Group; member CAARA Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse Working Group.

Rethinking Email, Australian Society of Archivists Conference Hobart, October 2015 Andrew Waugh

Philippa O’Halloran: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Committee of Management. Jennifer Rout: member, Open Minds Advisory Board. Eva Samaras: member, Australian Library and Information Association New Generation Advisory Committee.

The Information Explosion Era and Digital Preservation in the Australian Public Sector Canberra, March 2016 David Brown Monash University Master of Business Information Systems - Archival Systems unit PROV’s Disposal Remodelling Program Monash University, Caulfield, 27 May 2016 Christine Mitchell and Emma Fowler Researching Aboriginal family history at the Victorian Archives Centre Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Social and Emotional Wellbeing State-wide Gathering Preston, June 2016 Tsari Anderson An introduction to Conservation Public Records Advisory Council, Regional Meeting Queenscliffe, June 2016 Jack Martin An Introduction to Digitisation Public Records Advisory Council, Regional Meeting Queenscliffe, June 2016 Daniel Wilksch

Victorian Recordkeeping Standards, Monash University, FIT5107 Managing business records Melbourne, October 2015 Andrew Waugh Preserving relational databases: A technical workshop for the slightly technical Melbourne, September 2015 Peter Francis and David Fowler Archiving Email, 7th Annual National Records and Information Officers’ Forum Melbourne. February 2016 Andrew Waugh

OUTPUT MEASURES 2015–2016 Reading Room and Record Retrievals Measure

2014-2015 Actual

2015-2016 Target

2015-2016 Actual

Records transferred1

Shelf metres

2,965

2000

1,758

Digital records preserved

Number of VEOs

189,398

200,000

125,995

Retention and disposal projects undertaken3

Number

Number of participants undertaking records management training4

Number

613

500

556

Transfer projects completed

Number

Access Services Community training delivered (attendees)5

Number

1,478

700

1,322

Records deaccessioned from the PROV collection6

Shelf metres

446

1,300

986

Total visitors / users7

Number

129,405

105,500

138,648.

Online visitors / users

Number

1,025,118

1,000,000

1,120,000

Volunteer hours

Number

35,337

32,000

33,348

Collection storage meeting industry standard

Percent

Hours

1,000

1,828

Corporate Services Staff hours spent on L&D activities8

A significant transfer with the Department of Health and Human Services occupied less shelf metres due to the physical format of the records. The records were predominantly volumes stored on open shelving.

Public Record Office Victoria’s ingest capacity was significantly reduced due to greater than anticipated Digital Archive downtime. This was due to unforeseen issues associated with upgrades to our desktop IT environment. 2

This figure is greater as some projects were broken down into multiple smaller Retention and Disposal Authority projects. There was also an unexpected increase in demand in 2015-2016..

There was a higher than anticipated attendance at Records Management Network events in 2015-2016.

In 2015-2016 Public Record Office Victoria offered sponsored seminars in Partnership with Ancestry.com, Collect & Connect workshops and a series of workshops in Queenscliffe. These additional events were very well attended which has increased this figure. 5

The records deaccessioned figure is below target as the time taken to complete projects was greater than anticipated. A number of projects have been commenced but not yet completed.

Higher than anticipated figures were received from visitors to the Geelong Heritage Centre Reading Room when it launched in late 2015. Average visitor numbers in Reading Rooms have increased by 5500 per month. There has also been an increase in visitors to Public Record Office Victoria exhibitions held at the Old Treasury Building, and high visitor numbers for the Footprints touring exhibition in January and February 2016. 7

This increase is due to an increase in attendance at Public Records Office Victoria’s all staff training in 2015-2016. There were also a number of additional training sessions added to the Learning and Development Program for the year which were not previously accounted for.

Public Record Office Victoria operates two public reading rooms; one at the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne and the other at the Ballarat Archives Centre in Ballarat. Records can also be accessed at the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre reading rooms and the new Geelong Heritage Centre, all of these locations are Places of Deposit.

Records Issued Number of records

Government Services

During 2015–2016, 56,674 visitors utilised the reading rooms to view records. 44,862 records were issued to visitors and an additional 11,459 were issued to Government Agencies and for internal Public Record Office Victoria use. In 2015–2016 reference queries were managed through our online enquiry system which received an average 744 queries per month; providing a more consistent and seamless approach to customer service.

Public users

Government users

70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Year

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

The graph below reflects the opening of the new Geelong Heritage Centre in November 2015. Its amazing architecture and facilities resulted in significant media attention and this has led to a large spike in visitors

Visitors to Reading Rooms

Victorian Archives Centre

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre

Ballarat Archives Centre

Geelong Heritage Centre

55,000 50,000

Number of visitors

Output: Records

45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Year

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2015–2016 Build Our Online Presence

Increase Usability of the Collection

This year Public Record Office Victoria continued to focus on efforts to improve the online experience of our users. We made great gains in improving our online enquiries service, web services and social engagement platforms.

Opportunities to share and promote online content

Two new historical records streams were featured on social media throughout the year highlighting Public Record Office Victoria records: Suburbs of Melbourne and Prisoner Records. These were particularly popular on our Facebook channel where we increased our followers to over 6,000 people with social engagement levels increasing exponentially to 112,412 over 12 months. The completion and launch of the first searchable data visualisation of the collection was also a highlight of the year, and a first for the archival sector. The multi-year Digital Archive program continues to result in completed projects that transform our online search capabilities and our infrastructure, including: • The implementation of the new Digital Archive program and related governance structure. • The development and implementation of a new search functionality for accessing Public Record Office Victoria’s collection. • The engagement of a vendor to build Public Record Office Victoria’s new website which is due for public release in September 2016. • The completion of all content migration and user testing on the new website. • Completed integration of new search functionality with the new website. • The development of a user identity and access management specification document ready for procurement.

This year we ran a series of Ancestry sponsored seminars showing attendees how to use Ancestry and Public Record Office Victoria’s websites for specific areas of research. These sessions were attended by more than 300 people. This sponsorship arrangement grew out of an existing agreement for Ancestry to copy microfilm records used in Public Record Office Victoria’s Reading Rooms. We promoted our soldier settler website, Battle to Farm, with a series of talks given to organisations across the State including Rotary clubs and family history groups. Our online content was also publicised across social media and external media outlets throughout the year. Campaigns around the Female Prison Registers and La Trobe Correspondence in particular generated a lot of interest. Metadata Publication Opportunities Public Record Office Victoria successfully partnered with the National Library of Australia to extract metadata about the open records in our collection and the agencies which created them and publish the results to the Trove website. This increases the discoverability of our collection and greatly assists users by linking our records to related records held by other archival, cultural and heritage organisations. 15,313 series of Public Record Office Victoria records have now joined the 506 million works accessible through the Trove online gateway, which receives over 25 million visits each year.

Increase the Engagement of Communities with their Archival Heritage Exhibitions at the Old Treasury Building Public Record Office Victoria and the Old Treasury building have a long-standing partnership having worked together to present an annual program of exhibitions from 2010 to today. In July 2015 a further three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the two organisations to continue to create exhibitions drawing on the State’s archival collection. Both temporary and longer-term exhibitions form part of this partnership agreement. The highly successful temporary exhibition School Days: Education in Victoria, continued until October. It charted the history of public schooling in Victoria from the passage of the 1872 Education Act, which created the first public school system in the world based on the principles of free, secular and compulsory education. The exhibition attracted 38,341 visitors – the highest recorded attendance at any of the Old Treasury Building’s temporary exhibitions. In late October School Days was replaced by Soldier On: WWI Soldier Settler Stories. This exhibition, with accompanying documentary film, was created with the assistance of a grant from the Commonwealth Government’s Centenary of Anzac Arts and Culture Fund. Soldier On drew on the significant archive of post-war soldier settlement files to present moving accounts of this ill-fated scheme. Powerful personal stories, augmented by private family photographs and memorabilia, allowed visitors to identify with individual settler histories, in a profoundly moving experience. Oral history footage in the accompanying documentary film further assisted in bringing the archival records to life. The exhibition also presented the stories of two Aboriginal soldier settlers and one returned female nurse, revising long-held popular perceptions that these groups were excluded from the scheme.

Touring Exhibitions Public Record Office Victoria has a range of touring exhibitions that showcase our collection and represent stories from across Victoria. Current exhibitions include Footprints: The Journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper, We Saw the Queen and Victoria: On Record. All exhibitions are free to loan around the state. Throughout the year our touring exhibitions have travelled to libraries, community centres, historical societies and museums in towns including Morwell, Hepburn, East Gippsland, Bendigo, Melton, Moorabool, Coal Creek, Prahran, Keilor, Kiewa Valley and Whittlesea. Often these exhibitions were utilised as part of broader engagement programs. For instance, Footprints has been shown during Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. A visitor to the Footprints exhibition held at Coal Creek was thrilled to discover a photograph of a relative that she had never seen an image of. Other visitors found the stories compelling. These exhibitions enable Victorians to connect with history in engaging and meaningful way. Visitors to We Saw the Queen at Kiewa Valley Historical Society, for instance, attended an afternoon tea and shared stories about where they saw the Queen. This year around 18,360 people had the opportunity to engage with these touring exhibitions throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Over the year these exhibitions were viewed by 64,866 visitors, most of whom were previously unfamiliar with the Public Record Office Victoria collection. Author Hazel Edwards presents How to Write a Non-boring Family History at the joint Public Record Office Victoria and Ancestry Seminar series

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2015–2016 Bendigo Regional Archive Centre

Victorian Community History Awards

Community Training and Awareness

Public Record Office Victoria continues its partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo and the Goldfields Library Corporation to support the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre (BRAC).

Public Record Office Victoria was pleased to partner with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria again to present the 2015 Victorian Community History Awards. Held at the Arts Centre during History Week, the event was attended by 250 people with the Hon. Gavin Jennings and Professor Shurlee Swain addressing the audience with speeches about the importance of recognising our State’s history.

Public Record Office Victoria supports community organisations that care for and provide access to collections of importance to Victorians. This year we provided training and awareness programs to over 1,320 participants.

A major project for the year has been a digitising project in collaboration with Family Search and Find My Past. Approximately 200 volumes of petty sessions records was relocated from Bendigo to PROV to be digitised and made available online. A highlight of this year has been the full compliance of BRAC storage facilities against the mandatory standards for the storage of public records. This has been a significant project with BRAC being the first regional archive centre to meet these standards. Transfers from external agencies include the Goornong Cemetery Trust which includes minutes and internment records dating to 1881.

Local History Grants The Local History Grants Program continues to be a highly popular grants program that provides small grants to community organisations to support programs to preserve, record or publish local history. This year we received 211 applications from across Victoria, with 71 projects granted funding including oral histories, written and published histories, exhibitions, multimedia projects, and the collection, preservation or digitisation of archival material. Applications are assessed by an independent panel who consider projects against criteria of historical and community value, with a particular eye to historical significance, community involvement and ongoing benefits. A full list of grant recipients and further information on the Program can be found at prov.vic.gov.au [also included in Appendix].

Jean Galbraith: Writer in a Valley by Gippsland historian Dr Meredith Fletcher was recognised as this year’s most outstanding community history project in Victoria. Graeme Davison’s Lost Relations won the judges special prize, while Lucy Sussex’s book about Fergus Hume and his famous Melbourne crime novel ‘Mystery of a Hansom Cab’ took out the 2015 History Publication Award. Suburban Melbourne, Ned Kelly and the ANZACs also featured amongst the winning entries. A full list of award recipients and further information about the Victorian Community History Awards can be found at prov.vic.gov.au [also included in Appendix].

Highlights for this year included the highly popular training Collect and Connect at the Victorian Archives Centre. This hands on workshop was aimed at community collecting groups to help them better manage and care for their collections. Daniel Wilksch presented An Introduction to running digitisation projects workshop at the National Library of Australia in Canberra and several training sessions were delivered to university students as part of their courses including Ethical considerations in providing access to Aboriginal people presented to Monash University Professional Practice students and Myths, folklore and history to Federation University undergraduates.

Develop the Archival Collection to Increase its Value and Significance Digitisation partnerships continued to be a cornerstone of our collection development over the course of the year.

Our partners, Family Search, completed the digitisation of wills, probates and inquest files up to the year 1937, and immediately moved on to digitising further wills and probates up to 1950. In a joint arrangement with Public Record Office Victoria and Family Search, Find My Past supported the digitisation and indexing of our Coastal Passenger Lists and our collection of Petty Sessions Registers. Ancestry completed digitisation of most of the microfilm which we have traditionally made available to the public in our Reading Room, and have published that material to their website. This has enabled us to accelerate the retirement of our microfilm readers, which are increasingly hard to maintain. As part of all of these agreements Public Record Office Victoria will also be publishing freely available digitised copies of these records to our own website over the next few years. Our volunteer program has continued to grow and diversify, with volunteers working on a range of collection management tasks, including rehousing records, creating lists to enable website search and digitisation of selected series. Over the course of the year volunteers made good progress on digitising the large Historic Plans Collection and began the digitisation of the Melbourne Harbour Trust photographic prints.

From L-R Associate Professor Don Garden, Royal Historical Society President, Victorain Community History Award winner Dr. Meredith Fletcher and Keeper of Public Records Justine Heazlewood.

Family Search volunteers (L-R): Sheila and Garry Reynolds, Joy Rife, Raelynn Klafke, Nanette and Bill Justus, Steve and Debbie Thompson

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2015–2016 Improve our Digital Transfer Capability We are committed to delivering a framework, systems and tools to improve Public Record Office Victoria’s ability to support high-volume, automated digital transfer. Significant achievements in this area have been made in 2015-2016, these include: •

The final report for the Software Independent of Archiving Relational Databases (SIARD) Research project was delivered in February 2016. Work on implementing the 28 recommendations has commenced and will be completed over the 2016-2018 period. Based on interim results from this project, Public Record Office Victoria adopted SIARD as an acceptable format for archiving permanent records in October 2014, and has incorporated the SIARD format into the document types that we accept for the Digital Archive. A key goal for the project was to evaluate the tools and co-design our processes with a number of Victorian government agencies. This resulted in one of Victoria’s major departments committing to a systematic program of preservation and transfer of relational databases to Public Record Office Victoria via SIARD.

• As part of the Disposal Remodelling program we have undertaken a macro appraisal project to support a proportionate approach to authorising disposal. During 2015-2016 Public Record Office Victoria completed a project to identify and document the significant and potentially high risk functions of government in relation to the pre-existing disposal coverage of these functions. The results of the appraisal will inform the priorities for our disposal program for the next four to five years.

•

In keeping with the new methodology Public Record Office Victoria is taking a broader approach to appraisal. Rather than work with agencies on an individual basis, we are encouraging agencies to work together to facilitate consistent and complementary recordkeeping and disposal. By pooling resources, the reduction of costs for government is also a practical benefit.

• During 2015-2016 Public Record Office Victoria has been working closely with records managers from the emergency services response agencies to develop a Retention and Disposal Authority that will apply across the sector. The project is scheduled for completion by early 2017. Identifying further “clustered agency” projects will be a priority 2016-2017.

Enhance Government Recordkeeping Capability

Transform our Collection Management Environment

The Victorian Government operates within a large and diverse Information Communications and Technology (ICT) environment. That environment is rapidly changing, with greater expectations from staff and the public to deliver online services and activities.

During 2015-2016 we commenced work on replacing our digital archive and collection management environment. This work is based on a 2013-2014 feasibility study and uses a modular architecture.

Significant actions to support government recordkeeping in an online services environment included: •

The development of the VERS V3 Tool which was designed to capture VERS Encapsulated Objects (VEOs) from modern electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS). This tool processes the standard export output of the EDRMS to generate VEOs. In doing so, it processes the exported metadata, follows links to reconstruct files, and unpacks file formats. The successful results demonstrated the flexibility and power of the new version of VERS.

•

Following positive reports on the wide-spread use of the Information Management Maturity Measurement tool (IM3) which assists agencies in understanding their areas of strength and weakness in information management, the IM3 tool was updated in December 2015.

In January 2016 Public Record Office Victoria undertook an assessment program on seven departments and four major statutory authorities analysing their IM3 results. The results are being used to identify information management enhancement opportunities both within and across departments and authorities. The results provide an evidence base which informs the strategic direction and priorities for information management decision makers across the Victorian Government.

Following funding in the May 2015-2016 State Budget, we have started on a full program of work that will see the digital archive transformed over the next two years. The modular architecture we are using allows for staging of the work in discrete projects, which enables better allocation of resources and minimisation of disruption. As we complete each project, government, academic and public users will experience visible improvements in the range and performance of online services. The first project, Enterprise Search, commenced in January 2016, and is due for delivery in September 2016. The new Enterprise Search engine enables users to seamlessly search across the collection. The second project, a new Public Record Office Victoria public website, integrates the new search functionality to guide users through their search journeys. The new website and Enterprise Search engine is expected to be publicly available in September 2016.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 2015–2016 Increase Organisational Capability

Aboriginal awareness and inclusion

Throughout 2015–2016, the People and Culture team have continued to reinforce Public Record Office Victoria as an employer of choice within the public service.

2015-2016 has seen Public Record Office Victoria establish a new benchmark for Aboriginal cultural awareness and inclusion across the organisation. All staff participated in Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training this year and information on Aboriginal cultural awareness has been included in the induction pack for new starters.

The People and Culture team are facilitating a staff lead cultural change program focusing on three main themes: 1. Learning and Development; 2. Vision and Leadership; and 3. Job Satisfaction. This program allows staff the opportunity to discuss what works well, what needs further work and gives staff the opportunity to present innovative solutions. The Organisational Learning Program has also continued across the 2015–2016 cycle. The program has focussed on employee wellbeing with sessions on engagement, change management and resilience. The program will be rounded off with 360 degree feedback sessions later in the next cycle.

A range of initiatives were implemented as part of this Action Plan. At the Victorian Archives Centre, Aboriginal records were hung in the newly named ‘Gurrowa’ Conference Room (meaning ‘interaction’ in Woiwurrung language). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags are now permanently flown on site and acknowledgement of country signage has been installed in the foyer. We have implemented a Respectful Communication Guide and all staff now include an Acknowledgement of Country message in their signature blocks. We also planned and promoted both Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week activities to our staff.

A number of tailored in house sessions have also been facilitated in order to increase the technical skills of our staff. Our internal reward and recognition program continues to thrive with staff now formally recognising the great work of their colleagues on a regular basis. The reward program aligns to our values and behaviours. The mostly commonly recognised value is collaboration, followed by responsiveness and leadership. A new Enterprise Agreement for the whole of the Victorian Public Sector was also approved late in the 2015–2016 cycle. The People and Culture team are now working to ensure all of our policies and programs are compliant.

Right image: Class photo, Brunswick South PS. PROV, VPRS 14514/P1, Unit 6.

Jim Berg & Kylie Mim Berg looking at a map of Framlingham showing Jim’s ancestral land

The Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island flags now permanently fly at the Victorian Archives Centre

APPENDICES PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA

APPENDICES Appendix 1: Assets, financial statement and workforce data Assets The assets include both community and operating assets in the following four categories: Community assets These assets are the State’s archival collection. The collection was re-valued in 2012 - 2013 at $258.3m. Building assets Records repositories for storage of the State Archives and the State Government’s non-current records are located at North Melbourne and Ballarat. The Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne, including land, was valued in 2012 -2013 and is now valued at $59.9m. Motor vehicles Public Record Office Victoria operates two vehicles: a sedan and a station wagon.

Workforce data

Plant and operating equipment Operating assets are used for the upkeep of the physical and digital repositories so public records can be stored safely and made available for public inspection.

Ongoing Employees

Financial statement

Fixed-term & Casual

Number (Headcount)

Full-time (Headcount)

Part-time (Headcount)

FTE

June 2015

48.6

3.2

June 2016

45.4

10.7

2014–15

2015–16

Operating

3,846,539

3,550,372

Salary and on-costs

5,292,128

5,100,405

Sub-total

9,138,668

8,650,777

Capital

483,867

1,181,627

Depreciation

3,367,727

3,332,697

Number (Headcount)

Capital Assets Charge

4,482,000

4,577,000

Gender

Total Expenditure

17,572,262

17,742,101

June 2015

June 2016

Ongoing

Fixed-term & Casual

Ongoing

Fixed-term & Casual

FTE

Number (Headcount)

FTE

Female

26.8

2.4

26.5

8.7

Male

21.8

0.8

18.9

Age Under 25

1.3

25-34

12.3

1.6

10.8

35-44

11.8

13.1

3.4

45-54

12.1

55-64

10.4

0.8

8.6

Over 65

0.8

1.9

Classification

Executive

STS

0.8

Grade 6

4.9

0.8

4.9

Grade 5

6.6

6.8

Grade 4

10.7

1.2

11.5

Grade 3

11.5

2.0

12.3

Grade 2

12.2

2.0

9.2

6.1

APPENDICES Appendix 2: Standards and Advice Issued Section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973 requires the Keeper of Public Records to establish standards for the efficient management of public records and to assist public offices in the application of those standards to records under their control. The Act requires public offices to implement records management programs in accordance with the standards established by the Keeper. For a complete list of standards see prov.vic.gov.au/government/standards-andpolicy

PROS

Title of standard

Issue date

Expiry date

PROS 10/17

Operations 23/12/2015 23/12/2020 Management (renew)

Standards Public Record Office Victoria’s standards and specifications establish requirements for the creation, management and use of Victorian public records.

Appendix 3: Approved Public Record Office Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS)

History Publication Award

APROSS sites are commercial facilities that have been inspected by Public Record Office Victoria and approved for the storage of temporary and unsentenced public records.

Block Buster! Fergus Hume and the Mystery of a Hansom Cab Written by Lucy Sussex, Text Publishing.

For a complete list of APROSS sites see prov.vic.gov.au/government/archival-suppliesand-storage APROSS facilities approved in 2015–2016 - Nil Reappointments - Nil

PROS

Title of authority

Issue date

Expiry date

15/05

Retention and Disposal Authority for Post Compulsory Education and Skills Training Services Governance Function

06/08/2015

06/08/2025

Appendix 4: 2015 Victorian Community History Award Winners

15/06

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Emergency Management Function

14/08/2015

Victorian Community History Award

15/07

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Retailing of Energy and Associated Products and Services

23/11/2015

Recognising the most outstanding community history project submitted in any category ($5000).

15/08

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Provision 23/11/2015 of Energy Transmission and Distribution Network Services

16/01

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Accredited Training Function

24/02/2016

16/02

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Non-Accredited Training Function

24/02/2016

16/03

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

21/03/2016

Jean Galbraith – Writer in a Valley Written by Meredith Fletcher, Monash University Publishing in association with State Library Victoria. The compelling story of Jean Galbraith (19061999), one of Australia’s most influential botanists and writers on nature, plants and gardens.

PROS

Title of authority

Issue date

Expiry date

02/01 VAR 8

General Retention and Disposal Authority for the Records of Higher and Further Education Institutions – Variation 8

25/05/2015

31/12/2016

07/01 VAR 3

General Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Common Administrative Functions – Variation 3

21/07/2015

09/05 VAR 1

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Local Government Functions – Variation 1

21/07/2015

09/06 VAR 1

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Worksafe Victoria – Variation 1

27/08/2015

13/06 VAR 1

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Department of Premier and Cabinet – Variation 1

14/08/2015

Blockbuster! is the engrossing story of a book that would help define the genre of crime fiction, and a portrait of a great city in full bloom.

Local History - Small Publication Award Award for the best small publication ($1500). Boroondara Remembers: Stories of World War One Written by Fiona Poulton and Katherine Sheedy, City of Boroondara. A local account of the impact of WWI on the Boroondara community of the time.

Local History Project Award Award recognising activities that enhance access to records of significance to local communities ($2000). Strewth! An Insight into Local Involvement in World War One Edited by Gillian and John Francis, Horsham Historical Society. Two volumes studying the impact of WWS1 on Horsham.

Total Number of Authorities Issued: 7

Award for the best non-fiction publication or e-publication on Victorian history ($2000).

Collaborative Community History Award Recognising the best community collaborative work which involves significant contribution from several individuals, groups or historical societies ($2000).

Winner: Victorian Community History Award 2015 Jean Galbraith – Writer in a Valley, Publishing in association with State Library Victoria.

Ned Kelly Under the Microscope: Solving the Forensic Mystery of Ned Kelly’s Remains Edited by Craig Cormick, CSIRO Publishing. A comprehensive study of scientific evidence to reveal the secrets of Ned Kelly, uncovering his burial, post-mortem and what became of his skull.

Total Number of Authorities Varied: 5 41

APPENDICES Centenary of World War One Award

Judge’s Special Prize for Excellence

Appendix 5: Local History Grants Program

A special prize for the bets work or project submitted in any category on the impact of WWI on Victoria or Victorians ($1,500).

Judges Choice Award ($1,000).

The Local History Grants Program provides small grants to community organisations to support projects that preserve, record or publish Victorian local history. For more information on the program visit: http://prov.vic.gov.au/community-programs/grants-awards/local-history-grants

Suburbs at War: The Cities of Malvern and Prahran During the Great War Written by Helen Doyle, City of Stonnington.

Lost Relations: Fortunes of my Family in Australians Golden Age Written by Graeme Davison, Allen & Unwin. Through the lives of two generations of his forebears, one of Australia’s most respected historians tells the story of English free settlers arriving in the mid-19th century.

Applicant

Project Name

Amount

St Arnaud & District Historical Society Inc.

Purchase of two lockable, glass display cabinets for safe display of historical

$2,390.00

Tatura Museum

Modernise Technology for better conservation of and access to our Local History

$2,604.00

Katandra and District History Group Inc.

From Adversity to Prosperity - History of Katandra and District 1930-1960

$6,205.00

The Chaffey Trail Reference Group

Chaffey Trail Vision

$9,800.00

Postcards from Port: An Audiovisual Retrospective of Port Melbourne, DVD Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.

Volleyball Horsham

Volleyball Horsham 40 Year Anniversary History Book $1,450.00

Melbourne Health

Medical Voices: Oral histories of the Royal Melbourne $14,700.00 Hospital senior medical staff

Nine thematic short films introduce the history of Port Melbourne.

Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation Budj Bim Guidebook: Stories from the Elders

$15,000.00

St Paul's Cathedral

Digitisation for conservation of Cathedral Chapter Minute Books 1878 - 1940

$2,394.00

Historical Interpretation Award

Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society Inc.

Local history of our outlying settlements

$1,200.00

Gold Museum, Sovereign Hill

Lucas Girls Oral History Project

$5,744.00

Australian Aircraft Restoration Group

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation History Interpretative Display

$1,500.00

Melbourne Dreaming: A Guide to Important Places of the Past and Present Written by Meyer Eidelson, Aboriginal Studies Press.

Disability Sport & Recreation

Disabled Sport in Victoria - A digital History

$9,860.00

Moora Racecourse Recreation Reserve

Moora Racecourse Recreation Reserve Moments In Time

$6,862.00

A traveller’s guide to the Aboriginal historical and cultural significant sites of Melbourne.

Taggerty Fire Brigade (CFA)

Taggerty Fire Brigade History

$250.00

1st Beechworth Scout Group

Compilation of the history of the 1st Beechworth Scout Group

$1,619.00

History Article (Peer Reviewed) Award

Victorian Jazz Archive trading as Australian Jazz Museum

Digital Transcription Of Historical Interviews

$10,800.00

Port Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre

Echoes of Layfield Court - where the past merges with the present

$9,500.00

Camperdown & District Historical Society

Camperdown's Notable Scots

$6,292.00

Friends of Hanging Rock

Book Publication - "Hanging Rock - An environmental $12,270.00 history."

The history of the Cities of Malvern and Prahran during the Great War.

Multimedia History Award For the best presentation of history which uses non-print media ($1,500).

This Award recognises unique formats of historical representation, such as exhibitions, artistic interpretation, history walks and tours ($1,500).

Best essay or article published in a recognised peer-reviewed journal that illuminates the history of Victoria on Victorians ($500). Anzac Memories Revisited: Trauma, Memory and Oral History Written by Alastair Thomson, Oral History Review, Oxford University Press. An exploration of the interplay of memory and history and the effects of war on the psychology of those who fought.

APPENDICES Applicant

Project Name

Amount

Applicant

Project Name

Amount

Open Channel Co-operative Ltd

Open Channel's video collection on Victoria's History is 'Open for Access'

$2,480.00

Giffard Darriman: A Community History

$4,000.00

Dookie and District Historical Society

Dookie and Katamatite Recorder Newspaper Digitisation Project

$6,551.16

Giffard West Hall Reserve Committee of Management Incorporated Charlton Golden Grains Museum

Yarrambat Heritage Museum

Yarrambat Heritage Museum Technology

$2,590.00

Purchase of display cases to enable the museum to $7,640.00 utilize two newly created displays

Catholic Diocese of Ballarat

Assessment of Significance: Archives Historical Collection Diocese of Ballarat

$4,000.00

Trust for Nature

Long Swamp: Whispers of the Past

$12,340.00

Special Squadron 75th Anniversary Publication

$2,341.00

Conversion of local newspaper "The Gippslander" already on CD to searchable DVD

$475.50

458 RAAF Squadron Association

Mirboo and District Historical Society Incorporated

Birchip Historical Society Inc.

Purchase shopfront showcases to show-off Birchip's culture

$8,450.00

Bendigo Historical Society Incorporated

Bendigo Historical Society Clothing Collection Conservation

$9,252.00

Kilmore Historical Society

Purchase of Equipment for WWI soldier Project

$429.00

Kiewa Valley Historical Society Inc.

$645.15

Flinders District Historical Society Inc.

Flinders Pier Precinct Museum

$7,000.00

Purchase of storage products from Archival Survival for conservation of collection Mount Wycheproof Ensign - for All Time

$4,975.00

Thornbury Primary School

Thornbury Primary School Centenary Archives Project

$3,480.00

Wycheproof and District Historical Society Inc.

Digitise old films stage two

$1,000.00

Bass Valley History Conservation, Preservation and Digitisation Project

$4,794.88

Horsham Historical Society

Bass Valley Historical Society Incorporated

Connewirricoo Community Centre

Walkway signage and historical photo preservation and display

$2,250.00

Jeparit Heritage Walk Committee

Jeparit Heritage Historical Walk

$3,334.00

Thorpdale Pioneers Stories

$2,383.75

Royal Geelong Agricultural and Pastoral Society - Vintage Machinery Section

Interpretative signage for the Vintage Machinery display

$1,190.00

Thorpdale Mechanics Institute Reserve Incorporated Indented Head Community Association Inc.

Rediscovering Indented Head's History

$3,500.00

Inverloch Historical Society

Digital recording & cataloging of photos, documents & other historical items

$7,245.46

Camberwell South Primary School

C.S.P.S. P.O.S.T. Camberwell South Primary School Piecing Our Stories Together

$2,500.00

Wandong History Group Inc.

Australian Seasoned Timber Company: Never before seen photograph exhibition

$3,000.00

Murchison & District Historical Society Inc.

Display of establishment and development of agriculture at Murchison

$2,215.00

Geelong Regional Library Corporation

Digitising and indexing the South Barwon Town Council Rate Book Records 1857 -1960

$3,840.00

Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood House Inc.

Recording and Acknowledging the 30 year history of Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood

$4,000.00

Nillumbik Historical Society Inc.

Local History in Print

$2,500.00

Miners Rest RFB

Miners Rest: First 75 years

$2,500.00

Maryborough Midlands Historical Society

Shoulders to the Wheel: Maryborough's 20th Century Industrial Revolution

$1,716.00

Queenscliffe Maritime Museum Inc

The Journal of John Clarke Jr.

$2,236.30

Kuo Min Tang Society of Melbourne

$15,000.00

The Foundling Archive Victoria Inc.

From This Place: an Oral History of Ballarat Orphanage

$9,033.00

Translate and republish Australia's first ChineseAustralian novel: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Poison of Polygamyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Establishment of permanent archive facility

$4,998.00

Remembrance Parks: Central Victoria Notable Graves Walking Tour

$9,773.08

Arapiles Historical Society Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot

Centenary of the Hawthorn Tramways Trust

$7,095.00

Bendigo Cemeteries Trust t/a Remembrance Parks - Central Victoria Campbells Creek Community Inc.

Campbells Creek History and Heritage Walk Information Board Installation

$6,490.00

APPENDICES

GLOSSARY

Applicant

Project Name

Amount

Gould Group Ltd (trading as Gould League)

Gould Archive Conservation, Preservation & Cataloguing Project

$5,000.00

Victorian labor History Foundation

The Draft Resister 'Safe House'

$7,000.00

Terang & District Historical Society Inc.

"They served with Courage" - history of Terang WW1 $5,800.00 service personnel.

Tablelands Community Centre

Ruffy Recollects - Historic Life and Learning in the Tablelands

$4,762.00

Brighton Historical Society Inc.

A snapshot of Brighton: our pictorial history

$2,795.00

Bengworden Hall and Recreation Reserve Incorporated

Bengworden's Story and Spirit Captured in its Community Hall

$2,869.00

Quarry Hill Primary School

The History of Quarry Hill Primary School No.1165 1857 - 2015

$815.00

Rupanyup RSL

Rupanyup RSL World War One History

$2,743.63

Learmonth and District Historical Society Inc.

Restoration and Preservation of photograph collection

$4,110.88

Lancefield Branch, Country Women's Association

The Lancefield Country Women's Association Community History 1936 - 2016

$1,803.00

Gippstown Reserve Board of Management

Production of interpretative historical signs for original buildings at Old Gippsland

$4,860.00

Cornish Hill Committee of Management

Cornish Hill Reserve Heritage Trail

$5,040.00

Johnny Mullagh Interpretive Centre Crime through Time: A Glimpse of Harrow's Inc. Criminal History Total

Right image: School bus. PROV, VPRS 14562/P12, Unit 1, item 2.

$968.00 $348,249.79

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA

GLOSSARY Glossary Please refer to the Master Glossary for records management terms used by Public Record Office Victoria: http://prov.vic.gov.au/government/standards-and-policy/all-documents/master-glossary. accession

advice

APROSS

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 Archives10). A document issued by PROV providing advice to Victorian agencies on a recordkeeping issue. (Includes formal advice about standards as well as forms and other tools to help Victorian government agencies manage and use public records.) Approved Public Record Office 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.