Report on performance

Performance reporting in this annual report is based on the outcome and output structure set out in the 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements and the 2007–08 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

The Archives has two outcomes and three outputs. This report on performance shows for each outcome and output a clear relationship between the planned targets in the Portfolio Budget Statements and Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements, and the actual results achieved by the Archives in 2007–08.

Each report covers effectiveness, quality and quantity measures. Outcomes, outputs and performance targets do not differ from those set out in the Portfolio Budget Statements and Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Outcome 1

Commonwealth institutions have access to recordkeeping products and services that enable them to account for their actions and decisions through full, authentic and reliable records

The Archives supports Australian Government agencies by providing records management services and products to assist with the management of their business records. Achievement of this outcome is assessed by the relevance of the services and products, measured by feedback from agency staff and the take-up of those services and products. A key focus of the approach is to promote to agencies the need to engage fully with the electronic environment, especially in the capture and management of their information.

Outcome 1 will be achieved if agencies are able to account for their actions and decisions through full, authentic and reliable records. Measures of this include the annual State of the Service Report prepared by the Australian Public Service Commission, and relevant reports on audits produced by the Australian National Audit Office. Success will be demonstrated if, over time, these reports reveal improvements in records management.

The State of the Service Report 2006–07 indicated that 97 per cent of agencies had implemented measures to improve their records management. There were no specific reports on records management by the Australian National Audit Office in 2007–08.

Note for File: A Report on Recordkeeping in the Australian Public Service, produced by the Australian Government’s Management Advisory Committee in 2007, revealed that many agencies faced records management challenges. The report particularly highlighted problems in the management of electronic records. In light of this report and the Australian National Audit Office’s Recordkeeping including the Management of Electronic Records (2006), the Archives is committed to providing practical and immediately helpful support to agencies by simplifying processes, language and messages. To achieve this, the Archives is developing a range of practical products and services.

Output 1.1 contributes to the achievement of Outcome 1.

Output 1.1 – Recordkeeping products and services

Strategies

To promote best practice management of government records, the Archives:

• provides standards, policies, guidelines, practical advice and training on the creation, management and preservation of records; and
• authorises the appropriate disposal, retention and custody arrangements for Commonwealth records.

Delivery of Output 1.1 is the responsibility of the Government Information Management Branch.

Resources

The resources allocated to Output 1.1 are detailed in Table 5.

Table 5 – Resources allocated to Output 1.1, 2007–08 ($’000)

Output 1.1 Recordkeeping products and services	Budget* 2007–08	Actual 2007–08	Variation
Revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	7 512	7 512	0
Revenue from other sources	384	413	29
Total price of Output 1.1	7 896	7 925	29

* Budget estimates as at 2007–08 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Providing standards, policies, guidelines, practical advice and training to assist with the creation, management and preservation of records

Legislative basis

Section 5 of the Archives Act 1983 gives the Archives responsibility to promote the keeping of current Commonwealth records in an efficient and economical manner to facilitate their use as archival resources of the nation. To meet this responsibility, the Archives provides practical advice and other assistance to Australian Government agencies.

Reports on records management

Note for File: A Report on Recordkeeping in the Australian Public Service was launched by Dr Peter Shergold at the Archives in August 2007. In addition to recommendations for all Australian Government agencies, the report specifically recommended that the Archives provide more practical guidance on records management, simplify the process to produce Records Authorities, and provide more targeted advice on procedures relating to the disposal of short-term administrative records as part of an agency’s normal administrative practice.

During 2007–08, the Archives developed new products to help agencies improve their records management practices. These included Check-up (an interactive tool to assist in assessing an agency’s current records management practices), revised normal administrative practice guidelines, bookmarks and brochures. The Archives also updated its website to reflect the new approach. The process for obtaining a Records Authority was re-engineered, and new records management training courses were developed and presented.

Check-up Survey: Records Management in Australian Government Agencies

In May 2008, the Check-up Survey: Records Management in Australian Government Agencies was completed. Specific issues covered in the survey included systems used by agencies to manage records, training needs, Archives products and services, and general advice to agencies.

The survey, distributed to 152 agencies, separately targeted staff responsible for records management and branch heads. The survey results provided valuable information on current records management practices in agencies, which will guide the development of the Archives’ policies and products for the next two to five years.

Eighty per cent of records managers surveyed rated the advice they received from the Archives as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Particularly pleasing was the rating for advice provided by Archives staff in meetings or agency visits, with 91 per cent of those surveyed stating the advice was ‘very good’ or ‘good’. The survey results also yielded valuable information about the use of technology in records management, which will inform the Archives’ approach to this issue.

Records management standards, policies and guidelines

The Archives continued to focus on providing practical services and advice to agencies. A complete list of records management publications issued in 2007–08 is provided at Appendix B.

In July 2007, the Archives commissioned a consultant to review a number of its existing records management products to identify how they could be updated and improved.

The following products were developed and released on 31 August 2007 as part of the Archives’ response to Note for File: A Report on Recordkeeping in the Australian Public Service:

• a ready-reference bookmark on basic records management for distribution to all Australian Public Service (APS) staff;
• It is Your Business! – a brochure for senior APS managers providing information and practical guidance about records management responsibilities and risks;
• Check-up – an interactive tool to assist agencies to assess the current state of their information and records management against the Archives’ minimum requirements for records management; and
• an updated guide to help agencies use the normal administrative practice provisions of the Archives Act to dispose of certain types of routine administrative records.

Updated versions of Specifications for Electronic Records Management Systems Software and Guidelines for Implementing the Specifications for Electronic Records Management Systems Software (ERMS) were released in June 2008. Revised versions of the Digital Recordkeeping Checklist and Digital Recordkeeping: Guidelines for Creating, Managing and Preserving Digital Records are expected early in 2008–09.

Australian Government Recordkeeping Metadata Standard

During 2007–08, the Archives and Archives New Zealand collaborated on a project to develop recordkeeping metadata standards. This culminated in a new Archives recordkeeping metadata standard, published on its website in July 2008.

The Archives’ recordkeeping metadata standard is used as the basis of work by the Standards Australia Records Management Committee. The Committee is developing a broad reference set of recordkeeping metadata that can be tailored to meet different jurisdictional needs.

AGLS 5044 Metadata Standard

The AGLS Metadata Standard is a set of descriptive properties that enable web users to locate the government information they require by improving the visibility, availability and interoperability of information and services. The Archives maintains the AGLS Metadata Standard and is the lead agency of the Standards Australia AGLS Metadata Subcommittee.

The AGLS Metadata Standard was published by Standards Australia as Australian Standard 5044–2002. The five-year review of the Standard commenced in October 2007 when the Subcommittee voted to revise and amend the Standard. A new version has been drafted and will be released for comment through Standards Australia. Subject to comments received, a new version of Australian Standard 5044–2002 will be issued in late 2008. The Archives has revised and expanded a set of implementation guidelines to assist Australian Government agencies and other AGLS users.

Records management website

The Archives publishes its records management standards, policies and guidelines on its corporate website. During the year, the records management website content was reviewed and updated. It now focuses on more practical advice to assist agencies in the implementation of good records and information management practices.

From August 2007 when the re-developed website went live, to 30 June 2008, there were 790,883 downloads of records management materials.

Communication with Australian Government agencies

The Archives proactively seeks opportunities to strengthen its relationships with agencies and other stakeholders, building on the new procedures and products developed by the Government Information Management Branch.

The Archives’ Agency Service Centre is the first point of contact for Australian Government agency staff seeking advice on the Archives’ recordkeeping products. The Centre received 1287 inquiries in 2007–08, of which 96 per cent were responded to within five working days and 99 per cent within 10 working days.

Information sessions were presented to agency records management staff during 2007–08. The sessions included information about the new process for obtaining Records Authorities and new Archives products, and encouraged agency feedback to assist with the ongoing evaluation of these resources.

The Archives also held a forum to highlight records management issues to senior agency staff. The Fast Forward: Integrating Digital Business Solutions forum, featured the national archivists from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, as well as agency case studies. Software vendors and consultants also took part.

During 2007–08, the Archives participated in Information Awareness Month, a collaborative event involving organisations from the records, archiving and information management communities. On 1 May, the Director-General, Ross Gibbs, launched the ACT program and State Director, Ross Latham, launched the program in Victoria. Archives staff attended and participated in many of the professional events during the month.

Training for agencies

In 2007–08, the Archives established a dedicated section within the Government Information Management Branch to provide records management training to staff in Australian Government agencies. Six new training courses were developed, and existing training material was reviewed and updated.

In addition to the popular Introduction to Records Management in the Australian Public Service the Archives offered specialised short modules. These modules were more convenient for agency staff to attend and focused on specific issues such as using Records Authorities to sentence records and how to implement the normal administrative practice provisions of the Archives Act. Training for agency records managers in developing a Records Authority using the new streamlined process was also piloted in June 2008.

In 2007–08, the Archives doubled to 40 the number of training sessions offered across Australia. The sessions were attended by 598 participants from 95 Australian Government agencies, up from 296 participants from 49 agencies in 2006–07. This substantial increase represents a major commitment by agencies and the Archives to improving records management capability across the APS.

During the year, the Archives sought opportunities to deliver agency-specific training. Training was provided to staff at Government House to coincide with the release of that agency’s records management policy. The training was attended by a wide cross-section of staff. Training in sentencing and normal administrative practice was also held at the Tindal Royal Australian Air Force base in a remote area of the Northern Territory.

In both of these cases, presenting training on an agency’s premises enabled Archives staff to gain first-hand knowledge of the records management issues facing the particular agency and to provide immediate advice and guidance. The Archives will continue to identify opportunities to provide this type of support.

The Archives also continued to encourage the efforts of agencies to train their own staff through distributing nearly 6000 copies of the booklet Keep the Knowledge: Make a Record! and related training materials.

Authorising arrangements for the disposal and custody of Commonwealth records

Legislative basis

Section 24 of the Archives Act gives the Archives responsibility for determining the processes for authorising the disposal and custody of Australian Government agency records. Records Authorities agreed by agencies and the Archives provide the basis for the retention, destruction or transfer of records.

Records Authorities

The approach to developing and approving Records Authorities was fundamentally re-engineered during the reporting period. The new approach continues to focus strongly on agency accountability requirements, ongoing business needs and risks, and community interest (including the need to support the entitlements of Australians and long-term historical and cultural interests). It emphasises the partnership between agencies and the Archives and features:

• a focus on agency core business;
• streamlining of the way agencies identify and document records that support their core business;
• a single submission from agencies;
• an emphasis on risk analysis and management;
• flexibility to tailor a project to specific agency needs;
• a focus on retaining records to meet business needs and identifying those classified as ‘retain as national archives’; and
• guidance for agencies to effectively implement Records Authorities.

In 2007–08, the Archives issued 24 Records Authorities to 19 agencies (up from seven Records Authorities to six agencies in 2006–07). This increased Records Authority coverage across Australian Government agencies from 44 per cent in 2006–07 to approximately 52 per cent. A list of all agencies with Records Authorities approved in 2007–08 is at Appendix C.

Archives Director-General Ross Gibbs, Archives Project Officer David Hearder, Australian Federal Police Project Manager Clint Jory, Converga consultants Tracy Houston and Andrew Warland, and Acting Chief Operating Officer AFP Mike Phelan at the AFP Records Authority signing ceremony, Canberra, August 2007. photographer: Marcus Hayman

Records Authorities of particular interest include the Australian Federal Police (one of the Archives’ largest and most complex Records Authority projects) and a general Records Authority for the transfer and ownership of personal security files – a direct response to the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2007 between the Commonwealth and all states and territories to protect national security information. This Records Authority will permit the exchange of personal security files among jurisdictions in line with the minimum standards of the Australian Government Protective Security Manual.

Summary of achievements in 2007–08

Table 6 presents the Archives’ achievements in relation to Output 1.1. The quality and quantity measures and targets are set out in the 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Table 6 – National Archives of Australia achievements in relation to Output 1.1

Quality measure	Target in 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements	Achievement in 2007–08
Commonwealth institutions receive appropriate and timely advice on Archives recordkeeping products	100 per cent Agency Service Centre Standards achieved (ie, all inquiries are responded to within 10 days)	The Agency Service Centre received 1287 inquiries. 96 per cent of all queries received were responded to within five working days. 99 per cent of all queries received were responded to within 10 working days.
Quantity measures	Target in 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements	Achievement in 2007–08
Commonwealth institutions use Archives recordkeeping products	350,000 downloads of Archives recordkeeping website materials per annum	Since the introduction of the new Archives’ website in August 2007, there were 790,883 downloads of website materials.
Increase in the total proportion of government functions covered by Archives records disposal authorities	80 per cent coverage by June 2011	Since the introduction of the functional analysis-based appraisal approach in 1999–2000, the Archives has issued disposal authorities for records covering approximately 52 per cent of all high-level functions performed by Australian Government agencies. This is an increase of 8 percentage points since 30 June 2007.

Outcome 2

Australians have access to a national archival collection that assists them to understand their heritage and democracy

Achievement of Outcome 2 will be evident if visitors to the Archives and users of the Archives’ products and services gain a deeper or different awareness of an aspect of Australia’s heritage or democracy. The best measure of this is likely to be via surveys of users and visitors. Success will be demonstrated if, over time, 75 per cent of those surveyed gain such an awareness.

The Archives undertakes many different roles to achieve this outcome: documenting, describing and indexing all items in its collection; housing the collection in appropriate environmental conditions; and conserving and preserving items in the collection that are at risk. A range of specific programs is also provided to enable ready access to the collection, including delivery of online services; operation of reading rooms and a 1300 telephone service; development of exhibitions, publications, websites, events and educational resources; and operation of grant schemes to expand the public’s knowledge and use of the collection.

In 2007–08, a number of different evaluation tools were used to measure the effectiveness of the diverse activities under Outcome 2. The Archives is continuing to assess whether a more rigorous methodology to measure progress towards achieving Outcome 2 is possible and cost-effective.

The Archives continued to efficiently and effectively deliver functions such as intellectual control (that is, indexing) of records in the collection and preservation of items at risk. This enables the provision of a wide range of public access programs. The number of users and visitors to the Archives grew substantially in 2007–08. The public’s response to continuing and new programs was positive. Both quantitative and qualitative feedback provided strong evidence of progress towards achieving Outcome 2.

Two outputs contribute to the achievement of Outcome 2:

• Output 2.1 – A preserved, and developing, national archival collection; and
• Output 2.2 – An accessible, and interpreted, national
  archival collection.

Output 2.1 – A preserved, and developing, national archival collection

Strategies

To achieve a preserved, and developing, national archival collection, the Archives:

• arranges with Australian Government agencies for the transfer of records of archival significance;
• lists and describes the records for control and access purposes;
• manages the facilities within which the records are kept; and
• ensures the long-term preservation of records of national archival value.

Delivery of Output 2.1 is primarily the responsibility of the Operations and Preservation Branch.

Resources

The resources allocated to Output 2.1 are detailed in Table 7. The variation between actual and budget for revenue from other sources was due primarily to a lower than forecast intake of records recognised as collection assets.

Table 7 – Resources allocated to Output 2.1, 2007–08 ($’000)

Output 2.1 A preserved, and developing, national archival collection	Budget* 2007–08	Actual 2007–08	Variation
Revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	25 915	26 068	153
Revenue from other sources	7 828	6 471	(1 357)
Total price of Output 2.1	33 743	32 539	(1 204)

* Budget estimates as at 2007–08 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Developing and managing the collection

Legislative basis

Section 5 of the Archives Act gives the Archives responsibility for the custody and management of Commonwealth records, other than those in current use, that are part of the archival resources of the nation.

Fulfilment of this function involves three major activities: transfer of archival records to the Archives from Australian Government agencies, control and description of the records, and their storage and preservation.

Transfer of records

The vast majority of records transferred to the Archives are from Australian Government agencies. The Archives maintains a National Transfer Plan to facilitate the transfer and intellectual control of these government records.

Under the National Transfer Plan, the Archives accepts records from agencies when they no longer have a business need for them and where the records have been identified as ‘retain as national archives’ in accordance with a current Records Authority, or where the records may be at risk. Records that meet these criteria are identified through agency requests to transfer records, surveys of records in agency custody, and the Archives’ own transfer priorities.

The Archives liaises with transferring agencies to ensure that records are transferred in accordance with the Archives’ standards for controlling, describing and packaging archival records.

Notable transfers in 2007–08 included:

• microfilm census data for people who opted to participate in the 2006 Census time capsule project;
• aerial survey photography of northern Australia and the Pacific region taken for map and chart production between 1951 and 2006; and
• digital records relating to the Inquiry into Equine Influenza conducted during 2007–08.

Table 8 provides information about the quantity of records transferred to the Archives from 2003–04 to 2007–08. A selection of records transferred is described in greater detail in Appendix D.

Table 8 – Records transferred to the National Archives of Australia, 2003–04 to 2007–08

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Number of transfers	899	903	1 057	1 025	1 335
Quantity of records transferred in shelf metres	3 828	2 380	2 467	2 954	3 389
Quantity of records transferred in gigabytes	n.a.	n.a.	1	19	5

n.a. Not available.
Note: Includes reference transfers and personal records.
As transfer of digital records primarily results from closing agencies such
as commissions of inquiry, the quantities transferred vary considerably from year
to year.

In addition to transfers from Australian Government agencies, the Archives operates a Personal Records Service. This service aims to acquire records from eminent individuals closely associated with the Commonwealth, such as prime ministers, ministers, governors-general and judges of the High Court and the Federal Court.

Throughout the year, Personal Records Service staff collected records, provided archival services to depositors, liaised with potential depositors and provided records management advice to all parliamentarians.

A total of 345 shelf metres of records were deposited with the Archives through the Personal Records Service during 2007–08. This figure was much higher than usual due to the sustained efforts of Archives staff at the time of the November 2007 federal election, when 225 shelf metres were transferred.

Control and description of records

The Archives controls and describes government records to enable their management in storage, retrieval and use by government agencies, researchers and other members of the public.

Records are kept in the order they were accumulated by the originating agency rather than, for example, attempting to arrange them by subject. This preserves the context in which the records were used and thus much of their meaning.

Description involves providing standardised information about the nature and content of the records. As part of its ongoing archival description program, the Archives documents, describes and indexes records at item level on its main finding aid, RecordSearch, which is accessible via the Archives’ website.

Under the program, the Archives prioritises records that are highly significant, likely to be heavily used or in urgent need of preservation treatment. In 2007–08, the Archives continued to prioritise the description of twentieth-century immigration records to further facilitate public access. Records relating to immigration form a significant part of the Archives’ holdings, both in terms of their quantity (approximately 10 per cent of records in custody) and in the level of interest they attract (approximately 20–25 per cent of all users). The Archives also targeted correspondence and project files relating to Indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory.

In addition, agency and series information for records in the Archives’ custody was updated to reflect administrative changes arising from the federal election. A selected list of records described is provided at Appendix D.

The Archives values the work of volunteers from the Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra, who during 2007–08 worked on a project to enhance the description of Department of Air (Central Office) World War II air crash reports. This work will improve access to this popular series. Names of the volunteers are listed at Appendix E.

Table 9 – Cumulative total of record items described and available to the public, 2003–04 to 2007–08

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
RecordSearch Item descriptions available to the public	5 372 479	6 115 617	6 519 119	6 922 542	7 216 234
Percentage increase since previous year	8	13	7	6	4
PhotoSearch Total number of item descriptions	611 606	639 786	664 811	696 915	761 976

Note: There were some large uploads in 2005–06 and 2006–07 but not in 2007–08.

Storage of records

To ensure appropriate long-term storage of records of national archival value, the Archives:

• provides high-quality archives storage facilities and strictly monitors conditions in those facilities;
• ensures that archival records are protected through storage in appropriate boxes and shelving; and
• reviews archival records in its custody to ensure only those records worthy of retention as national archives are kept.

The Archives operates storage facilities in all capital cities. Most are purpose-built with fire protection and physical security systems, and strict environmental controls. However some non-air conditioned facilities are still in use (principally for the storage of temporary value records). Records are further protected in archival-quality folders and boxes stored on suitable shelving.

At 30 June 2008, 85 per cent of the archival collection was stored in appropriate conditions and 57 per cent was stored in archival-quality containers. These percentages are less than those reported in previous years owing to refinement of the formula for calculating the indicator. During 2007–08, a substantial quantity of the Archives’ collection was re-boxed into archival-quality containers.

In 2007–08, the Archives reviewed its standards for the physical storage of archival records to ensure that it continues to provide environmental conditions best suited to the long-term preservation of its holdings.

The Archives continued to closely monitor its use of storage space. During the reporting period, the Archives moved more than 6000 shelf metres of low-use records to a storage facility operated by the National Library of Australia in Hume, ACT. The relocation of these records will enable the Archives to better manage new and existing holdings in its other facilities. Total holdings in the Archives’ various facilities across Australia are indicated in Table 10 and by format in Table 11.

In 2007–08, the Archives’ digital archive received five gigabytes of records transferred from agencies. The prototype digital archive now holds a total of 116 gigabytes of digital records.

Table 10 – National Archives of Australia holdings by state, 2003–04 to 2007–08 (shelf metres)

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Canberra	103 506	103 578	102 858	103 316	104 592
Sydney	144 011	143 804	144 121	145 065	146 269
Melbourne	51 006	51 182	51 347	51 639	51 984
Brisbane	23 600	23 393	22 506	23 129	23 239
Perth	20 393	20 815	20 398	19 324	19 336
Adelaide	2 944	2 928	3 076	3 132	3 145
Hobart	5 811	6 513	6 512	6 519	6 548
Darwin	4 086	4 135	4 026	4 025	4 025
Total	355 358	356 348	354 845*	356 149	359 139

* The decrease was largely the result of the withdrawal of temporary records
from the collection.

Table 11 – Format of National Archives of Australia holdings, 2003–04 to 2007–08 (shelf metres)

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Paper files and documents	304 560	302 243	290 128	298 586	295 975
Bound volumes	18 005	18 089	18 409	18 522	18 373
Cartographic records	16 359	19 039	18 974	19 810	19 866
Audiovisual	13 174	13 988	15 166	17 070	19 745
Photographic	2 711	2 803	2 858	2 906	3 074
Audio	249	291	323	588	798
Microforms	817	824	845	882	936
Electronic records	126	126	128	131	97
Other formats*	166	166	166	257	275

* Includes three-dimensional records and textiles.

Ensuring the long-term preservation of records of national archival value

Legislative basis

Section 5 of the Archives Act establishes that the Archives is responsible for the conservation and preservation of existing and future archival resources of the Australian Government. Fulfilment of this function involves:

• providing appropriate storage conditions for records;
• continually assessing and monitoring the physical condition of the records; and
• undertaking both preventive preservation and conservation treatments for paper and electronic formats.

National Long-term Collection Preservation Plan

A long-term plan for continued preservation work on the Archives’ holdings was submitted to the Minister for the Arts and Sport in August 2007. Key priorities outlined in the Plan include:

• treatment of records that are subject to rapid deterioration due to their inherent instability, such as photographic and audiovisual records prone to the onset of vinegar syndrome and records on poor-quality papers;
• copying of audiovisual records that rely on obsolete technology for playback, such as one-inch videotape, U-matic videotape and ¼ inch audiotape;
• preservation of digital records, such as emails, office documents and records of recent commissions of inquiry; and
• treatment and repackaging of large-format records that are subject to damage during handling and use due to their size, such as electoral division maps, and engineering and architectural drawings.

These priorities determined the Archives’ preservation activity in 2007–08 and will provide the basis for preservation activity over the next four years.

Paper preservation

Paper and photographic records receiving preservation attention in 2007–08 included:

• patent, trademark and copyright records;
• immigration files;
• pre-Federation meteorological records;
• military records;
• public works records including engineering drawings;
• architectural drawings;
• post office, dockyard and railway photography and files;
• Australian News and Information Bureau, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Telstra publicity material; and
• photographs of Central Australia taken in 1943 by Professor Edwin Sherbon Hills CBE to provide geological information for the construction of a scale model of Australia.

During the reporting period, conservation staff continued research in collaboration with the University of Canberra, National Museum of Australia, National Film and Sound Archives, and The Australian National University into the degradation of dyes and pigments, including inks used on key constitutional documents displayed in the Archives’ Federation Gallery. This work was initiated under the auspices of an Australian Research Council grant, and is being used to develop effective preservation practices and treatments.

Audiovisual preservation

The audiovisual holdings of the Archives include records that are at high risk of physical deterioration. In order to preserve, manage and provide access to audiovisual records, work to develop an overarching Audiovisual Strategic Plan continued in 2007–08. This Plan will inform the Archives’ strategic direction regarding audiovisual records for the next 10 years.

One of the key priorities identified in this work is the need to implement a control system to manage the Archives’ holdings of moving image and sound records in both analogue and digital format, and to address technological convergence in audiovisual formats. In 2007–08, work began to identify the appropriate audiovisual management software.

In 2007–08, a review of audiovisual preservation workflows, policies and protocols commenced. This review addressed the needs of government broadcasters and agencies that increasingly create audiovisual content only in digital file formats. The Archives also creates a significant number of digital files as a result of preservation copying, such as duplicating audio content from obsolete or deteriorating audiotape to digital file formats.

Notable audiovisual preservation projects during the reporting period included the preservation of film out-takes generated by the Commonwealth Film Censorship Board. These out-takes represent censored segments from feature films and television programs from 1960 to 1969, and provide evidence of censorship views of the period.

Left: Archives Audiovisual Preservation Officer Rahnee Alvarez examines one of the Commonwealth Film Censorship Board film out-takes, Sydney. photographer David Ezzy Right: Archives Audiovisual Preservation Officer David Ezzy with film in the low-temperature isolation film vault located at Sydney. photographer Filomena Morelli

Another key project was the digitisation of 87 audio submissions short-listed in the 1972 Australian National Anthem Competition and subsequent poll. These sound recordings were transferred from the Chairman’s Office of the Australian National Anthem and Flag Quests Committee and include submissions from such diverse sources as the Department of Corrective Services and the creative forces behind Aunty Jack, Graham Bond and Rory O’Donoghue, with author and screenwriter Bob Ellis.

Preservation work was undertaken on a collection of films donated by Sam Holt of his late father, former Prime Minister the Rt Hon. Harold Holt, and on Australian Security Intelligence Organisation surveillance footage of events including Communist Party meetings and Harold Holt’s funeral. These films proved to be a great source of interest for both research and exhibition purposes.

Digital preservation

In 2007–08, a fully operational prototype digital archive to ensure the long-term accessibility of digital records of archival importance was completed. The main outcomes of this project include:

• a digital preservation software platform that consists of Xena and the Digital Preservation Recorder. Xena is a software program that converts (or ‘normalises’) digital records created in a wide range of file formats into open data formats, and the Digital Preservation Recorder is a software application that manages the digital preservation workflow; and
• a digital archive comprising the system and infrastructure that manages the long-term storage of digital records within the Archives.

During 2007–08, the Archives commissioned an external review of the digital preservation software platform. The review confirmed that the Archives’ software architecture and methodology are appropriate. Additionally, the review informed an ongoing enhancement strategy, including improvements to the performance of the software.

The Archives has continued to improve the Xena preservation software, which is being developed as an open source application with the most recent release including features resulting from overseas collaboration.

The prototype digital archive networks have undergone a periodic hardware refresh that has resulted in improvements to the performance and reliability of the digital preservation infrastructure.

In 2007–08, the Archives completed a project to make accessible digital records stored on obsolete media dating mainly from the 1980s. The records include the 1984–85 Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia, and data files and records of the scientific investigation into the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam War veterans held between 1981 and 1985.

Summary of achievements in 2007–08

Table 12 presents the Archives’ achievements in relation to Output 2.1. The quality and quantity measures and targets are set out in the 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Table 12 – National Archives of Australia achievements in relation to Output 2.1

Quality measures	Target in 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements	Achievement in 2007–08
The proportion of the national archival collection stored in environmental conditions consistent with the Archives Storage Standard (ie, the Standard for the Physical Storage of Commonwealth Records)	100 per cent of the collection stored in appropriate conditions by 2011	Achieving this target was dependent on the construction of a new storage facility. As the tender for the facility was terminated, thereby delaying the project, a new target will be formulated in the 2008–09 Portfolio Budget Statements.
Intellectual control completed so that the provenance of all items can be understood (includes information that identifies the successive government agencies that created and used the records)	100 per cent of the collection described	The entire collection is described so that the provenance of all items can be understood.
Quantity measures	Target in 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements	Achievement in 2007–08
Items in the national archival collection receive appropriate and timely preservation treatment	100 per cent of annual targets in the Archives’ Preservation Plan are met	More than 75 per cent of the target for the number of items receiving preservation treatment was met. Consistent with the Preservation Plan, the Archives’ focus was on vulnerable audiovisual formats that are inherently more resource intensive to treat. In addition, the Archives experienced an ongoing difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified preservation staff to undertake this work.
Records identified as archival resources of the Commonwealth are transferred to the Archives in a timely manner (the National Transfer Plan establishes criteria for the arranging, describing and packaging of archival records proposed for transfer by agencies)	100 per cent of annual targets in the Archives’ National Transfer Plan are met	The Archives transferred 3389 shelf metres of records from 77 agencies. This represents more than 95 per cent of the records that Australian Government agencies had ready for transfer to the Archives. Constraints on secure storage space prevented the Archives from transferring a portion of the balance.

Output 2.2 – An accessible, and interpreted, national archival collection

Strategies

To achieve an accessible and interpreted national archival collection, the Archives:

• provides access to the records held in the collection; and
• provides programs that enhance the community’s understanding and interpretation of the collection.

Delivery of Output 2.2 is primarily the responsibility of the Access and Communication Branch.

Resources

The resources allocated to Output 2.2 are detailed in Table 13.

Table 13 – Resources allocated to Output 2.2, 2007–08 ($’000)

Output 2.2 An accessible, and interpreted, national archival collection	Budget* 2007–08	Actual 2007–08	Variation
Revenue from government (appropriation) for departmental outputs	33 734	33 581	(153)
Revenue from other sources	968	1 041	73
Total price of Output 2.2	34 702	34 622	(80)

* Budget estimates as at 2007–08 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Providing access to the collection

Legislative basis

Section 5 of the Archives Act establishes that the Archives’ functions include making Commonwealth records available for public access in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Purpose of the collection

The Archives’ collection has a broad long-term purpose: to serve as a resource that assists the Australian people to understand their heritage and democracy.

By providing access to the collection, and through related programs, activities and services, the Archives helps Australians understand the policies, decisions and events that have shaped their lives in the twentieth century.

The Archives provides access to the collection through:

• a website that enables access to digital copies of more than 19.8 million pages of collection material and to RecordSearch, the database that describes the collection;
• the National Reference Service;
• reading rooms in each state and territory capital city; and
• touring exhibitions, publications, specialist websites, education programs and events.

Online access

The majority of those who use the Archives’ collection prefer to access it through digital copies on the Archives’ website.

A total of 2,023,328 records were accessed on the Archives’ website in 2007–08, an increase of 36 per cent over the previous year (see Table 14).

Additional digital copies of records are added to the Archives’ website each week, further enhancing the accessibility of the collection. During 2007–08, information about the collection and reference services on the Archives’ website was reviewed and improved to assist the Australian community to access the collection.

Table 14 – National Archives of Australia records accessed by the public, 2003–04 to 2007–08

Records made available by mode of request	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Digital images via RecordSearch	n.a.	646 296	830 343	1 485 145	2 023 328
Original records	167 644	183 709	140 673	125 406	126 306
accessed by users in reading rooms	55 003	57 892	51 851	49 496	48 275
accessed or copied by staff for users in remote areas	112 641	125 817	88 822	75 910	78 031

n.a. Not available.

Table 15 – Reference inquiries from the public, 2003–04 to 2007–08

Reference inquiries by mode of request	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Remote reference inquiries including requests to the National Digitisation Service	109 534	120 237	116 953	103 362	87 037
Visits to reading rooms	25 332	22 660	22 040	20 372	21 320
Total reference inquiries	134 866	142 897	138 993	123 734	108 357

In 2007–08, reference inquiries fell by 16 per cent. Two factors account for this decline:

• the significant number of records available online is meeting demand that previously required a response from the Archives’ reference service; and
• the introduction of fees for the National Digitisation Service has resulted in a decrease in reference requests.

National Digitisation Service

The Archives introduced the National Digitisation Service in February 2007. This service provides access to digital copies of records held in any of the Archives’ repositories across Australia. In 2007–08, digitisation priorities included a range of Cabinet, immigration and defence service records. In addition, the Archives’ state and territory offices focused on digitising high-use records (such as immigration and post office records), and records of significance to local communities. During the year, the number of images available online increased by 873,029.

Records digitised through proactive digitisation are accessible through the Archives’ website at no cost. Through the website researchers can view lists of current and completed digitisation projects and make suggestions for future projects.

If a researcher requires online access to records before they become available under the digitisation program, they can order digital copies for a fee. Orders are placed through the Archives’ secure online payment facility.

Table 16 – Cumulative total of online digitised pages and photographs, 2003–04 to 2007–08

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Total digitised images on RecordSearch	4 286 035	8 638 107	14 857 744	18 985 128	19 858 157
Total digitised photographs on PhotoSearch	129 499	103 080*	104 180	173 891	196 153

* The reduction in the number of images available on PhotoSearch was due to a change in the method of reporting introduced in July 2004.

Online databases

The RecordSearch database provides descriptive information about the records held by the Archives, thereby assisting researchers to locate and request the records they require. RecordSearch contains digital images of more than 19.8 million pages of records, enabling readers to view them wherever they have an internet connection.

RecordSearch documents the structure of the Australian Government from 1901, listing the various agencies that have existed under different ministries, and the series of records they have created and maintained in administering Commonwealth functions. Individual items within a series, such as files, photographs, maps and plans, are also listed.

The structure of RecordSearch enables researchers to trace the relationship of records over time to the agencies and ministries that created them. This ensures that archival records are presented in their original order and context, in accordance with established international archival practices.

As indicated in Table 17, use of RecordSearch increased significantly in 2007–08.

Table 17 – Visitation to RecordSearch, 2003–04 to 2007–08

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
RecordSearch sessions	844 112	2 495 863	2 254 136	3 855 960	6 956 444

Note: A session is counted each time a researcher logs into RecordSearch. The count includes all online database access by the public, Australian Government agencies and Archives staff. If a researcher is inactive for approximately 20 minutes, the session will time out and they will have to log in again, thereby creating another session. RecordSearch sessions include PhotoSearch and NameSearch sessions.

NameSearch is a module of RecordSearch that allows researchers to more effectively search for records about a person. Instead of searching all content in RecordSearch, NameSearch uses categories of records that relate to people, such as defence personnel records or immigration records, to limit the search and retrieve more relevant results.

PhotoSearch, another module of RecordSearch, allows researchers to limit searches to photographs. It contains descriptions and images of 196,153 photographs. The images and their captions are exposed to a larger audience through Picture Australia (a National Library of Australia internet-based service that provides access to images from cultural institutions across the nation).

Access examination

The Archives Act provides a general right of access to most Commonwealth records over 30 years old.

Section 33 of the Archives Act provides that a record may be exempt from release if it falls into one or more of the exemption categories (for example, if the record contains information that could reasonably be expected to cause damage to Australia’s security, defence or international relations).

Before a record is released, Archives staff consult with relevant agencies and assess whether any exemptions under section 33 of the Archives Act are necessary. This process is called ‘access examination’. In some cases, all or part of a record may be withheld from release. In 2007–08, information was withheld from 0.3 per cent of files assessed for public access.

Once examined, records are available for access through the Archives’ reading rooms, National Reference Service or National Digitisation Service.

Access examination occurs either in response to a researcher’s request for access to a record or as part of the Archives’ program of proactive examination of records likely to be of high research interest.

In 2007–08, the Archives proactively examined a range of records, including Cabinet records from 1977, Cabinet notebooks from 1957 and key records of the Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security.

Section 35 of the Archives Act permits the Director-General to make arrangements with a department or agency that establish procedures for the identification of exempt records. The Archives has in place formal arrangements with most departments and agencies.

In 2007–08, the Archives signed section 35 arrangements with the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

The number of records released for public access in 2007–08 is reported in Table 18.

The Archives notified access decisions on 63 per cent of records requested by the public within 30 days, with 93 per cent being notified within the statutory 90-day period. A number of factors contributed to the increase in response time exceeding 90 days, including the high volume and complexity of records requested and the need to consult with other agencies or governments before an access decision can be made.

Table 18 – National Archives of Australia records examined for public release, 2004–05 to 2007–08

	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Reason for access examination of records
Part of the Archives’ access examination program	208 223	180 935	255 153	90 010*
Applications from the public	37 218	41 352	36 019	46 841
Total records examined for release	245 441	222 287	291 172	136 851
Access decisions resulting from examination
Wholly released	240 927	217 765	286 211	132 339*
Partially released	4 343	4 277	4 732	4 064
Withheld from public access	171	245	299	448
Time taken to respond to applications from the public
0 to 90 days	35 843 (96%)	22 451 (94%)	34 712 (94%)	42 563 (93%)
More than 90 days	1 698 (4%)	1 381 (6%)	2 211 (6%)	3 259 (7%)

* Fewer whole series were opened to public access than in previous years.

The Archives Act provides for a two-stage appeal process when a decision is made to withhold a record from public access. The first stage is an application for internal reconsideration of the decision by the Archives. In 2007–08, the Archives received 48 applications for internal reconsideration. Decisions were modified in 23 per cent of cases, resulting in additional material being released.

Nearly half the items subject to review were records created by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. One applicant sought reconsideration of 20 of 41 items withheld during 2007–08.

Table 19 provides statistics relating to the Archives’ internal reconsideration of access decisions in 2007–08. The Archives continues to find it difficult to review decisions within the statutory 14-day period where consultation with another agency or government is required.

Table 19 – National Archives of Australia internal reconsideration of access decisions, 2003–04 to 2007–08

	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Internal reconsideration applications
Carried over from the previous year	58	36	27	27	28
New requests received during the year	17	30	27	34	48
Internal reconsideration applications processed
Decision maintained	8	7	1	7	22
Decision modified	8	20	22	22	23
Request withdrawn	1	25	13	4	0
Time taken to respond to internal reconsideration applications
0 to 14 days	10 (59%)	16 (31%)	5 (14%)	4 (12%)	19 (42%)
More than 14 days	7 (41%)	36 (69%)	31 (86%)*	29 (88%)	26 (58%)

* The time increase reflects the more complex nature of assessments.

The second stage of the appeal process is review of the decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. In 2007–08, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal received seven applications for review of decisions made under the Archives Act. This is an unusually high number of requests after several years of no requests. The applications related to records of the security agencies, the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Services to Australian Government agencies

The Archives has a responsibility to respond to requests from Australian Government agencies to access records in the collection. Records less than 30 years old may be withdrawn temporarily from the Archives’ custody for use on the agencies’ premises. Records over 30 years old are made available through the Archives’ reading rooms or as copies.

The Archives also has a responsibility to respond to reference requests from government agencies.

Table 20 – National Archives of Australia records accessed by Australian Government agencies, 2003–04 to 2007–08

Records made available	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
On the requesting agency’s premises	57 925	55 079	38 572	30 648	40 534
In Archives reading rooms or through the National Reference Service	1 473	980	818	1 228	633
Total	59 398	56 059	39 390	31 876	41 167

Table 21 – Reference inquiries from Australian Government agencies, 2003–04 to 2007–08

Reference inquiries	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Remote reference inquiries	787	747	730	700	696
Visits to reading rooms	1 121	948	571	595	443
Total reference inquiries	1 908	1 695	1 301	1 295	1 139

Service Charter

The Archives’ Service Charter sets out the Archives’ services available to the public, the standards applying to each, and the mechanism for comments and complaints. The Service Charter is available on the Archives’ website. Performance against the Service Charter in 2007–08 is set out in Appendix F.

Providing public programs that enhance Australians’ experience of the collection

Legislative basis

Section 5 of the Archives Act establishes that the Archives’ functions include encouraging, facilitating, publicising and sponsoring the use of archival material. In fulfilling this function, the Archives:

• publicises the organisation and its collection through exhibitions, displays, public events and educational activities; and
• presents and promotes research based on the collection.

The Archives employs a range of activities and media to reach a variety of audiences. Public programs include lectures, touring exhibitions and publications. The Archives also embraces new media, such as websites and podcasts, that afford opportunities to reach extended and increasingly diverse audiences.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions are an effective way for the Archives to provide access to its collection. Touring exhibitions enable the Archives to reach more people. For those who can visit the nation’s capital, permanent exhibitions in the Archives’ National Office allow a closer viewing of the collection.

Senator the Hon. John Faulkner and the Hon. Gough Whitlam at the ‘notice of motion’ presentation, Canberra, June 2008. photographer: Marcus Hayman

Memory of a Nation

The Archives’ permanent exhibition, Memory of a Nation, continued to be the focus of public interest, particularly with school groups. In June 2008 new collection material was displayed in the exhibition, including the handwritten ‘notice of motion’ donated to the Archives by former Prime Minister the Hon. Gough Whitlam. To mark the occasion, Senator the Hon. John Faulkner and Mr Whitlam discussed the former Prime Minister’s personal recollection of 11 November 1975, the day he was dismissed by the then Governor-General, Sir John Kerr.

Memory of a Nation and Charters of Our Nation received 46,247 visitors in 2007–08. Visits to Memory of a Nation and other Archives’ exhibitions are shown at Appendix G.

Shell-shocked: Australia after Armistice

In September 2007 the Archives entered into a partnership with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to develop an exhibition to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of Armistice Day. The exhibition is due to open in November 2008.

Max Dupain on Assignment

In December 2007 the Archives and the Noel Butlin Archives Centre at The Australian National University opened Max Dupain on Assignment, a photographic exhibition of works from their collections by photographer Max Dupain. The exhibition showcased the diversity and longevity of Dupain’s commercial career, tracing his development as a photographer and artist from the 1940s through to the 1970s. Many of the images in the exhibition had never before been displayed to the public.

Max Dupain on Assignment received 16,084 visitors while on display at the Archives.

Touring exhibitions and workshops

Touring exhibitions provide opportunities for people in regional areas to engage with the Archives’ collection.

In 2007–08, a total of 251,606 visitors went to one or more of the Archives’ three touring exhibitions. The exhibitions travelled to 12 venues across Australia, each assisted by funding from the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia grants program.

Summers Past: Golden Days in the Sun 1950–1970 toured through Victoria and New South Wales. At each venue, Archives conservation staff ran a workshop for museum professionals and the general public on best-practice storage and treatment of photographs. Summers Past received 70,789 visitors during 2007–08.

It’s a Dog’s Life! Animals in the Public Service continued its tour to venues in New South Wales and Queensland. It’s a Dog’s Life! received 154,874 visitors during 2007–08.

Just Add Water: Schemes and Dreams for a Sunburnt Country continued its national tour, visiting venues in Queensland and Western Australia. Just Add Water was seen by 25,943 visitors in 2007–08.

Visiting exhibitions

The Archives hosts exhibitions from other organisations as an avenue to attract new audiences to its National Office, thereby raising awareness of its range of services. During 2007–08, 10,214 people attended the Archives to view three visiting exhibitions. Appendix G includes further details about these visiting exhibitions.

Find of the Month

Each month since January 2005, records from the Archives’ collection have been showcased in the main foyer of the National Office and on the Archives’ website as Find of the Month.

During 2007–08, displays included such diverse items as the origins of the Australian flag, propaganda material encouraging Japanese troops to surrender at the end of World War II, and some unusual theories as to why the former Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in 1967.

Find of the Month has proven to be an effective way of raising the Archives’ profile as it regularly receives favourable print, radio and television coverage around Australia. Appendix G reports statistics on web and media coverage of Find of the Month.

Education programs

To engage students with the collection, the Archives offers a range of educational activities and programs.

Interstate school visits to the Archives’ permanent exhibition, Memory of a Nation, increased during 2007–08. Evaluation indicates that this is a result of the relevance of the exhibition to civics and citizenship and twentieth-century Australian history curricula, as well as the high-quality fully facilitated education programs led by trained educators. The education programs attract student groups from Years 3 to 12.

In partnership with the Australian Prime Ministers Centre at Old Parliament House, the Archives produced an educational supplement, The Top Job: Australia’s Prime Ministers. The supplement was published in November 2007 by the Canberra Times and distributed in class sets to schools in the Canberra region. A copy was also sent to all schools throughout Australia.

In January 2008, the Archives’ educational website, Vrroom, was relaunched. Vrroom provides secondary students and teachers with access to more than 800 archival records organised by topics that address school curricula. Development in partnership with The Le@rning Federation – an organisation that develops digital curriculum content for schools – is expected to be completed by June 2009.

The Archives awards prizes to entrants in the National History Challenge – a research-based competition open to students from Years 9 to 12 – for the use of primary resources from its collection. The Archives’ national, state and territory offices also work with schools and history teacher associations to encourage students to connect their research with the Archives’ collection.

During the reporting period, the Archives was a member of a consortium selected to deliver the Australian Government Summer School for Teachers of Australian History. This was a 10-day residential program for 120 Australian history teachers. Courses were delivered by leading scholars from a range of Australian and international universities, history teacher associations, and educators from the National Museum of Australia, Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and the Archives. Evaluation by The Australian National University indicated that the participating teachers considered the program to be a model for quality history professional development.

The Archives also offers university students and other researchers workshops on how to use the RecordSearch database to locate records in the collection.

Sponsorship of original research

The Archives operates three annual grant schemes to promote archival research in Australia and to encourage scholarly use of its collection.

The Frederick Watson Fellowship assists established scholars to complete innovative and quality research projects of significance.

The 2007–08 Frederick Watson Fellowship was awarded to Dr Mickey Dewar for research into the nature of post-war Darwin through a detailed study of Commonwealth public housing policy in the 1950s. Dr Dewar is a prominent historian whose previous books on Northern Territory literature and the history of Fannie Bay Gaol are important contributions to Australian historical scholarship.

The Ian Maclean Award assists individuals conducting research that benefits the archival and historical professions in Australia and promotes the contribution that archives make to Australian society.

In July 2007, the Archives conferred the Ian Maclean Award on Gavan McCarthy, a Senior Research Fellow from the School of Historical Studies and Director of the eScholarship Research Centre at the University of Melbourne. Mr McCarthy researched the archival and research implications of the digitisation of Tasmanian convict records.

The Margaret George Award assists individuals conducting research that substantially utilises the Archives’ collection.

The 2007–08 recipient of the Margaret George Award was Dr Craig Stockings of the University of New South Wales and the Australian Defence Force Academy. Dr Stockings researched the Battle of Bardia in World War II, which was the first engagement of the Second Australian Imperial Force.

All grant winners delivered public lectures at the Archives. For the first time, these lectures were recorded and then made available through the Archives’ website as podcasts, thereby reaching much wider audiences than was previously possible. All grant recipients also publish their research on the Archives’ website.

Additional information about the above discretionary grants is at Appendix H.

Public lectures

Public lectures are another means by which the Archives promotes archival research and encourages scholarly use of the collection. Speakers Corner is a lecture series of invited speakers discussing a range of topical or historical subjects. Speakers Corner continued during 2007–08, with lectures delivered on topics such as the sinking of HMAS Sydney, the 1977 Cabinet records release and the work of photographer Max Dupain. Each of the lectures resulted in new visitors to the Archives and achieved a visitor satisfaction rate of over 90 per cent.

RG Neale Lecture

In partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Archives jointly hosts the annual RG Neale Lecture, which focuses on an international event from 30 years ago and is documented in records held by the Archives. The lecture series commemorates Professor Robert George Neale, who was Editor of Historical Documents at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1970 until his appointment as the first Director-General of the Australian Archives (now the National Archives of Australia) in 1975.

Each lecture is made available on the Archives’ website as a podcast with transcript and a selection of records is released to the public. In addition, an essay based on the lecture is published by the Archives.

The 2007 RG Neale Lecture was delivered by Professor John Fitzgerald of La Trobe University on the subject of Australia’s relations with China in 1976. During 2007–08, there were 311 downloads of the podcast of Professor Fitzgerald’s lecture.

Community history events

The Archives held ‘Shake Your Family Tree’ Open Day in February 2007 – the first national open day for family history researchers. A total of 3927 visitors attended workshops and seminars on family history-related topics, which were held at the Archives’ national, state and territory offices. Evaluation showed that many of the visitors had never been to the Archives before but would return to continue their family history research.

In June 2008, a group of Yolngu elders from Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory visited the major cultural institutions in Canberra, including the Archives, to identify material of cultural significance to their communities. The elders came from the Yirrkala, Milingimbi, Groote Eylandt, Elcho Island, Kakadu, Ramingining and Oenpelli communities.

The visit helped to build links between the cultural institutions and the Arnhem Land communities. The elders held a cultural awareness training session for staff from the participating institutions at the Archives.

Participants in public events

The Archives’ 2007–08 target was a 5 per cent increase in the number of visitors attending its public activities (a total of 295,982 visitors). The total number of visitors to the Archives’ public activities in 2007–08 was 354,204.

In each of the last five years, the Archives has met or exceeded the target rate of growth in visitor numbers. Figure 3 shows actual attendance at Archives public events since 2003–04 compared with the target of a 5 per cent increase per year.

Visitation to public activities held at the National Office in Canberra steadily increased, with a rise of over 36 per cent in 2007–08 compared with 2006–07. This is due to 2007–08 being the first full year in which Memory of a Nation was open to the public.

Figure 3 – Actual and forecast number of participants in National Archives of Australia public events, 2003–04 to 2008–09

Note: The 2006–07 figures were influenced by travelling exhibitions visiting metropolitan locations. In 2007–08, the Archives resumed the usual practice of visiting smaller regional locations.

Release of 1977 Cabinet records

On 1 January each year, the Archives releases 30-year-old Cabinet records for public access. The Cabinet release receives widespread media coverage and generates considerable publicity for the Archives.

To assist journalists and other media representatives with their interpretation of the Cabinet records, the Archives arranges an embargoed release of the records approximately four weeks before the official release on 1 January.

The embargoed release of the 1977 Cabinet records to the media took place in the National Office in December 2007. All of the records made available were created by the second and third Fraser Ministries in 1977, a year that included a federal election which saw the return of the government.

The usual format for the embargoed release features two lectures: one from an individual who had a significant personal connection with the embargoed documents, and another from a historian who provides contextual material about the events of 30 years ago.

Peter Manning, Adjunct Professor of Journalisim in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, was the guest speaker at the 2007 embargoed release. In 1977, he was the editor of Nation Review. Historian Dr Jim Stokes provided an overview of 1977 and a context for the issues discussed in Cabinet.

Thirty-eight journalists attended the embargoed release of the 1977 Cabinet records, including journalists from all leading Australian newspapers, television networks and radio stations. Media coverage on 1 January 2008 was extensive and continued across Australia throughout the month, with over 160 items on television, radio, press and electronic media.

A digital version of the publicly released 1977 Cabinet records and contextual information was also published on the Archives’ website on 1 January 2008. This included the papers and podcasts presented by Professor Manning and Dr Stokes.

Release of 1977 Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security records

The Archives held a second major release of records in May 2008, when reports and selected records of the Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security were released for public access. The Royal Commission was established by the Whitlam government in 1974 to review the operation of Australia’s security and intelligence agencies. It produced a series of multi-volume reports, with the final report presented to the Governor-General in April 1977.

In consultation with the security and intelligence agencies, the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Archives undertook a detailed examination of over 1100 records to identify material suitable for public release.

Mr George Brownbill, Secretary of the Royal Commission, addressed a media briefing and provided an insider’s perspective of the work and legacy of the Royal Commission. Historian Dr Jim Stokes also delivered a presentation on the Royal Commission and its records. There was extensive media coverage of the release of these records, with over 145 items in local, regional and national press in May and June 2008.

Publications

The Archives’ publications program promotes the collection to the general public. A list of publications produced during the reporting period is provided at Appendix B. Several significant books aimed at the wider Australian community were published in 2007–08.

A publication for community groups wishing to preserve photographs and papers that document local history was published in August 2007. Keep It for the Future! How to Set up Small Community Archives is an easy-to-use guide to assist those who care for the nation’s heritage in small archives, libraries, museums, schools, sporting organisations and community groups. The book, produced with support from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, confirmed the Archives’ commitment to its leadership role in promoting the preservation of archival records for future generations. A website version of the information was published during the 2007 Queensland floods to assist members of the public to salvage flood-damaged documents.

Family Journeys: Stories in the National Archives of Australia was published in March 2008 to provide family history researchers with clear and simple advice on how to access records in the Archives’ collection. The book anticipated increased public interest in family history due to the broadcasting of the family history program Who Do You Think You Are? on SBS Television in 2007–08. High-profile Australians, including actress Noni Hazlehurst, television presenter and producer Annette Shun Wah, landscape gardener Jamie Durie and scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, agreed to publication of their family histories based on records held in the Archives’ collection. A new website feature accompanied the release of Family Journeys to help online researchers access archival records.

Another book, Footprints: The Journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper, published in May 2008, provides an insight into Aboriginal history in Victoria in the twentieth century through copies of archival records relating to the Pepper family. The book illustrates the depth of information available for researchers tracking down Aboriginal family history. It was produced jointly by the Archives and the Public Record Office Victoria, and was published with support from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria through Stolen Generations Victoria Ltd.

During the year, two Archives publications received awards. Dr Klaus Neumann, author of the Archives publication In the Interest of National Security: Civilian Internment in Australia during World War II, was awarded the John and Patricia Ward History Prize for use of archives in writing history in the 2007 NSW Premier’s History Awards. The Archives’ 2006–07 Annual Report received a silver award in the Annual Report Awards of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), ACT Division. It was the third consecutive year that the Archives’ Annual Report has won an IPAA award.

Websites

Every year, more of the Archives’ business is conducted online. The Archives’ websites are therefore subject to continuous development and improvement. These efforts ensure that the expectations of existing audiences are met and that new audiences are attracted to the websites.

The Archives released a new corporate website in August 2007. Its design was commended for meeting usability and accessibility requirements. Underlying the new site is a content management system that brings consistency to the publishing process, improves efficiency and provides flexibility for creating special features.

A new feature, Faces of Australia, invites Australians to identify themselves or family members who may have been captured on film by government photographers particularly from the Australian News and Information Bureau during the 1950s and 1960s.

New content in 2007–08 included podcasts of key public lectures on topics such as the Constitution, HMAS Sydney, and the Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security. A new audio-on-demand page makes it easy for people to access this material. In total, 2470 audio recordings were downloaded.

The Uncommon Lives website was expanded with the release of the collective biography, Muslim Journeys, in August 2007. It was written by Hanifa Deen, whose grandfather came to Australia from India (now Pakistan) as a hawker in the 1890s. The site uses letters, photographs, forms, court transcripts and other records in the Archives’ collection to reveal aspects of the adventures, adversity and opportunity experienced by Muslims in Australia. It was produced with support from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

The Archives continued its partnership with the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia) to make clips from the Commonwealth film collection available for viewing on the australianscreen website.

Early in 2008, the Archives also began exploring social media sites, such as Flickr and YouTube, to reach audiences beyond the Archives’ own web domain.

In 2007–08, the Archives upgraded the software package used to monitor visits to its websites. The statistics resulting from the new software package vary significantly from those produced by the software package used between 2003 and 2007. Data from previous years has been adjusted to make comparisons of performance possible. The target was estimated to be 2 million unique visits and the outcome achieved was 2,416,760.

Table 22 – Visitation to websites managed by the National Archives of Australia, 2007–08

Website name and URL	Visitation 2007–08
Archives corporate websites	2nd quarter	3rd quarter	4th quarter	Total
National Archives of Australia naa.gov.au	372 565	511 737	667 081	1 551 383
National Archives eShop shop.naa.gov.au	5 133	8 923	10 040	24 096
Our History ourhistory.naa.gov.au	2 531	3 268	5 184	10 983
Exhibitions, portals and research guides
Documenting a Democracy foundingdocs.gov.au	28 549	54 064	69 616	152 229
Uncommon Lives uncommonlives.naa.gov.au	8 322	16 930	32 301	57 553
Vrroom vrroom.naa.gov.au	3 174	8 430	16 618	28 222
Australia’s Prime Ministers primeministers.naa.gov.au	85 963	66 788	92 664	245 415
Fraser research portal* fraser.naa.gov.au	436	180	–	616
Whitlam research portal whitlam.naa.gov.au	623	506	1 368	2 497
Total	507 296	670 826	894 872	2 072 994

* The Fraser research portal was discontinued in May 2008.
– Not applicable.
Note: In late August 2007, the Archives implemented a new software package, AW Stats, to monitor website visitation. No figures are therefore available for the first quarter of 2007–08. The new statistics package measures unique visitors to the Archives’ websites. This conforms with standard industry practice. As it differs from the previous technique of measuring website usage, no direct comparison can be made with previous years.

Summary of achievements in 2007–08

Table 23 presents the Archives’ achievements in relation to Output 2.2. The quality and quantity measures and targets are set out in the 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Table 23 – National Archives of Australia achievements in relation to Output 2.2

Quality measure	Target in 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements	Achievement in 2007–08
The public and researchers receive appropriate and timely services from the Archives	Archives Service Charter Standards are met	All Archives Service Charter Standards were met (see Appendix F).
	Visitors and/or participants in public activities are satisfied	Evaluation reports show 90 per cent of visitors were at least satisfied.
	90 per cent of those surveyed are at least satisfied
Quantity measures	Target in 2007–08 Portfolio Budget Statements	Achievement in 2007–08
Number of records accessed via the Archives’ websites	1,000,000 records per annum	2,023,328 records were accessed via the Archives’ website.
Number of records accessed in the Archives’ reading rooms or via the remote reference service	150,000 records per annum	179,419 records were accessed via the Archives’ reading rooms or the remote reference service.
Number of visitors/participants in public activities	5 per cent increase in visitor/participant numbers per annum (representing a total of 295,982 visitors/participants)	354,204 people visited the Archives or participated in its public activities.
Number of unique visits to all Archives’ websites	5 per cent increase in unique visits per annum (in 2007–08 an increase of 5 per cent represented an estimated figure of 2 million)	The Archives received 2,072,994 unique visitors in the period 1 October 2007 to 30 June 2008. There were an estimated 2,416,760 unique visitors to Archives’ websites in 2007–08.
Number of additional archival items described in RecordSearch	500,000 items per annum	416,701 new items were described in RecordSearch. The result for this measure is affected by the method of uploading item descriptions into RecordSearch. Data from large projects is often uploaded into RecordSearch as a single group and not necessarily in the same year that the work was carried out. There were some large uploads in 2005–06 and 2006–07 but not in 2007–08.

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