Performance reports

Output 1.2

Develop, maintain and promote a visible, known and accessible national collection that engages and informs the community; and foster appreciation of the role of archives in society.

Strategies

To develop and manage its collection, the Archives:

continually reviews its holdings;
undertakes extensive arrangement and description of material; and
manages RecordSearch, the primary repository of information about its collection, accessible through its website.

To enhance the accessibility of the collection, the Archives:

mounts exhibitions, develops websites, and conducts events and education activities, and maintains an active publication program;
maintains reading rooms in each state and territory capital city; and
provides a national reference service for off-site researchers.

Members of the public can view original records, purchase photocopies or request that digital copies of selected collection material be placed on the Archives’ website.

Performance

Effectiveness

Measure

A visible, known and accessible archival collection
Archives’ role appreciated

Indicator

Number of people who accessed the collection or information about it in a year
The public know and appreciate Archives’ role in society

Documented collection

One means by which the Archives develops its collection is through the transfer of records from agencies. The records the Archives accepts are those that have been identified as ‘retain as national archives’ (RNA) material in accordance with a current disposal authority. A description of selected record transfers is at Appendix C. Table 3 lists quantities of records transferred to the Archives.

Table 3 – Records transferred to the Archives

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Number of transfers	711	889	903
Quantity of records transferred in shelf metres	6 296	3 828	2 380

Table 4 – Records reviewed

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Shelf metres	22 805	8 118	8 219
Percentage of records in custody	6%	2%	2%

Increased information on RecordSearch

Major repackaging and data entry projects undertaken on the Archives’ database RecordSearch are listed at Appendix C. Where appropriate, government agency and record series descriptions on RecordSearch were also enhanced.

Volunteer repackaging of records

The Archives acknowledges with gratitude the work of volunteers from the Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra (listed at Appendix B), who are reboxing and refoldering a very large series of individual court martial and war crimes case files created between 1901 and 1988. The volunteers have dealt with 25 000 record items in 2004–05.

Collection review project

In 2004–05, the Archives reviewed a total of 8 219 shelf metres of records to identify records that no longer warranted a place in the collection.

Programs engaging the community

Review of the publishing program

In November 2004 the Archives concluded a review of its publishing program undertaken at the request of the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council. The Council endorsed the recommendations of the review, urging that the Archives continue to fund a publishing program aimed at promoting its collection and improving access for all Australians.

A full list of Archives’ publications released in 2004–05 is provided at Appendix D.

Guides

John Curtin: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers was launched by historian Professor Geoffrey Bolton on 4 November 2004. The guide was published jointly by the National Archives and the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. It is the fifth in the Prime Ministers guide series and the first undertaken in collaboration with another archival institution.

A new research guide was published in June 2005. Chinese–Australian Journeys: Records on Travel, Migration and Settlement, 1860–1975 by Dr Paul Jones provides details on records in the Archives’ collection related to Chinese people in Australia.

Guests at the launch of Russian Anzacs in Australian History were entertained with traditional music.

Some of the guests at the launch were descendants of ‘Russian Anzacs’.

Subject guides to records in the Archives’ collection are released in digital and print formats. The digital versions are available from the Archive’s website. In 2004–05 website usage statistics showed continuing growth in the number of downloads of all online guides.

Books

In April 2005, the Archives launched Russian Anzacs in Australian History by Elena Govor, co-published with University of NSW Press. Dr Govor used the Archives’ World War I service records extensively in her research on Russian-born members of the First Australian Imperial Force. By June 2005 more than half of the print run of 1 200 had been sold.

Touring exhibitions

Just Add Water: Schemes and Dreams for a Sunburnt Country was developed and opened to the public. The exhibition explores water management in Australia across the last century. The Archives received a grant from Visions of Australia to help with development costs. Sponsorship or other support came from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, ACTEW, Melbourne Water, South Australian Water, Natural Resources and Mines (Qld), Sydney Catchment Authority, Caroma Industries, CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Wine! An Australian Social History finished its three-year Australian tour.
Beacons by the Sea: Stories of Australian Lighthouses continued its tour, visiting venues in South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales.
Unexpected Archives: Introduced by Robyn Archer visited art centres, museums, libraries and theatres throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
It's a Dog’s Life! Animals in the Public Service began its tour with visits to Wagga Wagga and Sydney.

The tour of the last three of these exhibitions were supported by Visions of Australia. A list of exhibitions and visitor numbers is at Appendix E.

Visiting exhibitions

Three exhibitions visited the Archives’ Gallery:

The Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.
John Horbury Hunt 1838–1904 provided an insight into the life and breadth of the architectural work undertaken by this innovative architect.
The Policeman’s Eye: Paul Foelsche’s Photography and Ethnography showed 19th century photographic images and objects collected for ethnographic studies. This exhibition was supported by Visions of Australia.

A list of exhibitions and visitor numbers is at Appendix E.

Most of the Archives’ collection was created after Federation.

Volunteers from the Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra.

Events

A number of Archives’ offices held family history fairs. The Canberra fair featured a multicultural theme. Citizenship ceremonies on the day welcomed about 120 new Australian citizens.

The annual Grandkids Day in Canberra and open days at the Brisbane and Darwin offices attracted large numbers of visitors. The Archives received extensive exposure through displays at the Perth Royal Show and the Paniyiri Greek Festival in Brisbane, and through involvement in the Tasmanian Lighthouse Trail and Antarctic Midwinter Festival. These activities were successful in introducing the Archives and its collection to new audiences and demystifying the archival process.

A wide range of subjects was presented through Speaker’s Corner, a regular lecture series presented at the National Archives in Canberra. A number of the presentations focused on themes of the current exhibitions.

Regional visits

The Archives conducted tours throughout Australia to promote awareness and use of the collection in regional areas. The areas visited included the Eyre Peninsula, Charters Towers, Bowen, Townsville, Launceston and Burnie. Local and family history groups, students and teachers benefited from the workshops and presentations.

Artist Antonia Chaffey, great-granddaughter of William Chaffey (on screen, left), at the launch of Just Add Water: Schemes and Dreams for a Sunburnt Country.

More than 450 visitors attended a multicultural family history fair at the Archives in February.

Education

Vrroom (Virtual Reading Room) is a new education website that will deliver the Archives’ collection to teachers and students at their desktop.

Vrroom was promoted through seminars involving key educators in all Australian capital cities. These seminars raised awareness of the pilot site and involved curriculum developers in helping to determine the content of Vrroom. The website will be launched in 2005. A second version is already being planned.

The Archives continued to host visiting students and teachers, and to present development days for educational professionals.

Uncommon Lives website

The Uncommon Lives website is a series on individual Australians whose records are held in our collection.

In 2004–05 the Archives launched a new feature about Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda on the Uncommon Lives website. In the 1930s, Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda, a Yolgnu man from Arnhem Land, was the first Aboriginal Australian to have a case tried in the High Court. Mr Wirrpanda won the appeal against his conviction in the Northern Territory for the murder of Constable Albert McColl.

The Archives holds an extensive collection of records on Dhakiyarr’s case. Digital copies of the records of this significant case were created and uploaded to the website, making them available to more Australians.

Uncommon Lives: ‘Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda: Appeal for Justice’, was launched by Dhakiyarr’s grandson, Dhukal Wirrpanda; Northern Territory Administrator Ted Egan and three other members of the Wirrpanda family attended the launch.

Uncommon Lives was highly commended in the Museums Australia Publications Design Awards 2005.

ABC newsreader Virginia Haussegger spoke to a packed house at the Archives in Canberra, May 2005.

Two-year-old Max Enright at the Archives’ annual Grandkids Day in Canberra.

Our History website

The Archives launched a new website, Our History, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the appointment of Ian Maclean as the first Australian Government archivist. The site documents the development of the Archives’ 60-year contribution to national and international archival practice.

Reference inquiries

The Archives helps the Australian community to access its collection by:

maintaining reading rooms in Canberra, each state capital and Darwin for those wishing to undertake research;
offering a remote reference and mail order copy service; and
facilitating online research by providing access to the collection database RecordSearch, and collection guides through the comprehensive National Archives’ website.

RecordSearch contains information about items in the collection. A number of these items have been digitised and can be viewed using the RecordSearch database. See Table 5.

Digitisation of records

The Archives’ digitisation-on-demand trial service continues to be well used by the Australian community. This service allows the public to request the creation of a digital copy of selected records held by the Archives in Canberra. The digital copy is made available through the Archives’ online database RecordSearch. Making digital copies of archival records available online is an increasingly important method of improving the public’s access to the Archives’ collection.

During 2004–05 more than 4.2 million pages of digital images of collection material were made available for access through RecordSearch (nearly 1.5 million images made inhouse by the Archives and 2 750 000 made through the World War I preservation project), bringing the total number of images available online to 8 638 107. These represent almost 450 000 complete record items available to the public digitally. Planning continues on proposals to extend the service nationally. See Table 5.

Review of the reference service

In September 2004, the Archives adopted a new pricing policy for photocopies of collection material and introduced an online order and payment system. This service has proved popular with researchers.

The Archives evaluated its new public reference telephone inquiry service, which has been operational for a year. The review showed that the Callex system had afforded efficiency gains in servicing reference enquiries.

Records proactively digitised in 2004–05 and made available through the RecordSearch database included:

1974 Cabinet records
1954 Cabinet notebooks
Naval personnel records
photographic material.

Table 5 – Cumulative total of record items described and digitised

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
RecordSearch
Item descriptions available to the public	4 959 078	5 372 479	6 115 617
Percentage increase since previous year	51%	8%	13%
Total no. of digitised pages	1 344 471	4 286 035	8 638 107
PhotoSearch
Total no. of item descriptions	131 307	611 606	639 786
Total no. of digitised photographs	86 994	129 499	103 080*

* Reduction was the result of changed reporting methods.

Access to defence service records

In 2004–05, the Archives received nearly 40 000 requests for copies of Australian service personnel records. Media interest in events commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing led to a dramatic increase in requests for copies of service records in April and May 2005. Not all requests were processed by 30 June 2005. The Archives responded to 86 per cent of requests within 30 days.

In April 2005, the Archives completed the descriptions of 377 000 World War I service records. This information was added to the RecordSearch database to enable researchers to find records using keyword searches. This was a significant achievement in the project to preserve the World War I service records. Digital images of over one-third of the World War I records are now available online. The Archives expects digital copies of the whole collection of World War I records will be available online in 2006.

Senator the Hon. Amanda Vanstone launching the kit Making Australia Home.

Students from Mt Isa School of the Air at the Archives’ exhibitions in Canberra, July 2004.

Access to immigration records

Senator the Hon. Amanda Vanstone launched the Making Australia Home service on 9 February 2005.

The service provides copies of immigration records to researchers on request in a presentation folder with useful information about related records. Since February 2005, the Archives has received 1 232 requests through the service.

Researcher education

Throughout 2004–05, the Archives presented researcher education sessions in all states and territories. These sessions provided a unique opportunity for the Archives to foster appreciation for the role of archives in society. Training was provided to the:

Caboolture Family History Research Group
Curtin University Information Studies students
LaTrobe University History students
Dutch–Australian Genealogy Group.

Sessions provided an overview of the collection and research strategies, and training in the use of the RecordSearch database and other tools for locating records. The sessions were tailored to the interests of the participants.

Access examination

The Archives Act 1983 provides a general right of access to Commonwealth records more than 30 years old. Before records are released for public access, Archives’ staff examine them to ensure they are suitable for release.

The Act provides that the Archives should make decisions about the release of records within 90 days. During 2004–05, the Archives examined and notified decisions on 96 per cent of records within the statutory 90-day response time: 88 per cent were completed within 30 days.

Longer response times generally resulted when records were referred to agencies or overseas governments for advice, or where the record was not in the Archives’ custody.

The Archives proactively examines records that are likely to be of high research use. In 2004–05, the Archives examined a range of material, including:

1975 Cabinet records
1955 Cabinet notebooks
records relating to John Curtin's period as Prime Minister
personal records of the Hon. Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC

1974 Cabinet records release

On 10 December 2004, the Archives invited members of the media to attend the embargoed release of the 1974 Cabinet documents. More than 40 representatives, including many senior correspondents from major newspapers and television stations, attended the briefing.

Service Charter

The National Archives Service Charter sets out Archives’ services available to the public, the standards applying to each of those services, and mechanisms for comments and complaints. The charter applies to a range of services, including file retrieval, reference assistance, copying, publications, websites and exhibitions. The charter is available from all National Archives’ offices and on the Archives’ website at www.naa.gov.au/about_us/service_charter/service_charter.html.

Performance against the Service Charter standards

Our website will be available 98 per cent of the time. Planned downtime will be notified one day in advance.

Our websites – naa.gov.au; foundingdocs.gov.au; archivenet.gov.au; primeministers.naa.gov.au; uncommonlives.naa.gov.au; whitlam.naa.gov.au; shop.naa.gov.au – were all available more than 98 per cent of the time.

We will answer reference inquiries within 30 days, or advise researchers if there will be a delay.

The Archives answered 94 per cent of reference inquiries within 30 days. In cases where a response took longer than 30 days, researchers were advised of the reasons for the delay and given an estimated response time.

Our reference inquiry telephone number will be answered from 9 am to 5 pm each business day.

The Archives’ national reference service 1300 telephone number was staffed from 9 am to 5 pm each business day.

Our reading rooms will be open from 9 am to 4 pm each weekday as a minimum.

The Canberra reading room and Orientation Centre were open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday. On Tuesdays the Canberra reading room remained open to 9 pm. All other reading rooms were open from 9 am to 4.30 pm weekdays. Reading rooms were also regularly open on Saturdays in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Records will be delivered within 30–90 minutes, except in Melbourne where records will be delivered within 24 to 48 hours, as the repository is distant from the reading room.

More than 99 per cent of records were made available within the standard times in all Archives’ reading rooms.

Photocopy orders of less than 10 pages will be completed the same day. Orders of more than 10 pages will be completed within 14 working days.

More than 99 per cent of orders less than 10 pages were completed on the same day and 99 per cent of larger orders were completed within 14 working days.

We are required to make access decisions on Commonwealth records within 90 days.

The Archives completed 96 per cent of access applications within 90 days.

We will provide advice about the destruction of any record within 30 days.

All inquiries about destroyed records were answered within 30 days by providing information on the provisions of the relevant disposal authority.

We will respond to any complaint about our services within 10 working days.

The Archives responded to 98 per cent of complaints about Archives’ services within 10 days. The Archives maintains a national complaints register to ensure a consistent record of the complaint and its resolution is kept.

Table 6 – Use by the public

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Reference inquiries
Remote reference inquiries	123 700	109 534	120 237
Visits to reading rooms	24 090	25 332	22 660
Total reference inquiries	147 790	134 866	142 897
New visitors to reading rooms	4 634	5 979	5 620
Records made available
For remote users	110 568	112 641	125 817
In reading rooms	49 448	55 003	57 892
Total	160 016	167 644	183 709
Records accessed in digital form on website	n/a	n/a	646 296

Table 7 – Use by Australian Government agencies

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Reference inquiries
Remote reference inquiries	826	787	747
Visits to reading rooms	899	1 121	948
Total reference inquiries	1 725	1 908	1 695
Records made available
Issued for use on agency premises	31 839	57 925	55 079
In reading rooms	1 261	1 473	980
Total	33 100	59 398	56 059

Table 8 – Records examined for release

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Total records examined for release	119 541	440 760	245 441
Number of records sought by the public	32 353	36 832	37 218
Other records examined for public release	87 188	403 928	208 223
Access decisions resulting from examination
Wholly released	112 026	435 143	240 927
Partially released	3 979	4 160	4 343
Withheld from public access	739	345	171
other (eg closed period)	2 797	1 112	0
Time taken to respond to applications made by the public
0–60 days	31 107 (94%)	34 906 (93%)	34 556 (93%)
More than 60 days	2 086 (6%)	2 223 (7%)	2 985 (7%)

Table 9 – Internal reconsideration of access decisions

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Internal reconsideration applications received
	36	17	30
Internal reconsideration applications processed
Decision maintained	7	8	7
Decision modified	25	8	20
Request withdrawn	3	1	25
Time taken to respond to internal reconsideration applications
0–14 days	12 (38%)	10 (59%)	16 (31%)
More than 14 days	23 (62%)	7 (41%)	36 (69%)
Internal reconsideration applications outstanding
Decision outstanding*	204	58**	36

*	Including applications outstanding from previous years.
**	Inactive applications pre-dating 1995 have been cancelled.

Quality and quantity measures

Quality

Performance

100 per cent of the collection is documented so that all items can be retrieved

All of the Archives’ collection can be identified through paper documentation and indexes that were prepared when the records were created or transferred to the Archives.

Details of all record series and the agencies that created them are available on the RecordSearch database, which can be accessed via the Archives’ website. During the year 2 212 969 items were added to RecordSearch, making a total of 7 997 651 items.

90 per cent of public customers rate services, programs and products as satisfactory

A broad sample of programs and products, covering major events, presentations, exhibitions and education programs, were evaluated by the public and professionals in the field.

The results consistently showed the average level of customer satisfaction to be above 90 per cent. Professionals, such as education curriculum developers from each state, have fully supported the Archives’ initiatives in providing access to the national collection through online education programs.

Quantity

Performance

Number of public programs projects delivered and number of customers

A total of 408 programs and events were conducted around the nation, attracting 17 063 participants. State offices presented 124 programs and events to 5 462 attendees. In Canberra 284 programs and events attracted 12 401 visitors to the Archives.

All Archives’ websites showed increased use since 2003–04:

Archives’ corporate website	4 771 252 unique visits (up 12.6%)
Archives of Australia	155 966 unique visits (up 13.2%)
Documenting a Democracy	437 073 unique visits (up 9.7%)
Australia’s Prime Ministers	321 160 unique visits (up 11.7%)
Uncommon Lives	100 366 unique visits (up 249%)
eShop	123 106 unique visits

Number of reference inquiries

The Archives received 144 592 reference inquiries and responded to 94 per cent of inquiries within the 30-day standard of service.

A total of 23 608 researchers visited the Archives’ reading rooms to access the collection, a 10 per cent decrease on last year.

The Archives received 120 984 inquiries through the remote reference and mail order copy service, an increase over the previous year. More than 83 per cent of contact with the public about the collection is now done through the remote reference service or via the Archives’ website.

A total of 646 296 pages of digital copies of collection material were accessed via the Archives’ website.