Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report 2016 17

Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report 2016–17 A report from the Keeper of Public Records as required under section 21 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973

Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report 2016–17 Published by Public Record Office Victoria 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Tel (03) 9348 5600 Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2016–17 September 2017 © Copyright State of Victoria 2017 Copyright State of Victoria through Public Record Office Victoria 2017

Except for any logos, emblems, and trademarks, this work (Public Record Office Victoria Annual Report to the Minister 2016–17) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia license, to the extent that it is protected by Copyright. Authorship of this work must be attributed to Public Record Office Victoria. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/.

Published on http://www.prov.vic.gov.au.

ISSN: 1320-8225 This Annual Report is printed on 100% recycled Australian made paper using vegetable inks.

Cover image: ‘Hippy’ Hair: Railways, Sante Fe Railway’s First Woman Engineer Christine Gonzales, 1976.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 12903/P1, Box 703-51

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

Contents Vision and Purpose

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Values 8 Message from the Director 9 Message from the Public Records Advisory Council President 10 Public Records Advisory Council 11 Overview 12 Highlights 17

Hon Gavin Jennings Special Minister of State Level 1, 1 Treasury Place East Melbourne VIC 3002 Dear Minister I am pleased to present a report on the carrying out of my functions under section 21(1) of the Public Records Act 1973 for the year ending 30 June 2017.

Yours sincerely

Report on Performance Strategic Initiatives Build our Online Presence Increase Usability of the Collection Increase the Engagement of Communities Develop the Archival Collection to Increase its Value and Significance Improve our Digital Transfer Capability Enhance Government Recordkeeping Capability Transform our Collection Management Environment Increase Organisational Capability Output measures 2016–17

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Appendices 32 Appendix 1: Assets, financial statement and workforce data 32 Appendix 2: Standards and advice 34 Appendix 3: Recordkeeping standards framework documents 34 Appendix 4: Retention and disposal authority documents 35 Appendix 5: Approved Public Record Office Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS) 37 Appendix 6: Achievements of Staff 38 Appendix 7: Volunteers 40 Appendix 8: Local History Grant recipients 41 Appendix 9: Victorian Community History Award winners 43 Glossary 45

Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records

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Vision and Purpose Public Record Office Victoria’s Vision Statement is ‘Public Records Publicly Available’.

‘Public Records Publicly Available’ expresses our vision that the records of government be kept and protected so that all Victorians can have access to their history and important information about themselves.

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

Daily Operations

Mission Statement

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

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

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

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

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

• Management: The records of Government are managed to enable accountability, efficiency and innovation.

• Utilisation: The records of Government are used by communities to connect to their history and culture.

• Assist public officers to apply these standards to records under their control.

• Take public records into custody, preserve archives and provide security.

• Classify records and publish indexes and guides to facilitate access.

• Provide facilities for viewing, and make records in custody accessible.

• Duplicate or reproduce and authenticate public records.

Left image: The Short-Back-And-Sides: Man With Artificial Arm With Saw Attached Cutting Wood, c1920.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 12903/P1, Box 623-11

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Values

Message from the Director

The Public Administration Act 2004 requires that public sector employees demonstrate public service values as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees. Public Record Office Victoria actively implements, promotes and supports these values.

The pages of this year’s Annual Report are adorned with popular hairstyles from Victoria’s history.

The ‘hair’ theme was the focus of our first collaborative photographic exhibition at the Victorian Archives Centre Gallery, titled Hair: From Mos to Mullets. The exhibition showed us that government photographs can reflect more than meets the eye – photos of public transport for instance, can also provide a snapshot into the fashion and styles of commuters at the time.

PROV, as a public sector body, has developed the following set of values which are based on and consistent with the Code of Conduct: Responsiveness

Respect

• We will demonstrate and deliver best-practice recordkeeping across Government and our community.

• We will show professional and personal respect, courtesy and positivity to all colleagues and clients.

• We will maintain the highest levels of quality and accuracy in our advice and service to our colleagues and clients.

• We will be thoughtful and generous with praise and acknowledge a job well done.

• We will celebrate innovation, ideas and

challenge, where it is positive and constructive.

• We will treat all colleagues, clients,

stakeholders and actions fairly, objectively and without bias.

Integrity

Leadership

• We will show courage in giving feedback, making requests and offering ideas.

• We will proactively promote and share our unique capability widely.

• We will share knowledge, information and results willingly and openly.

• We will seek opportunities to enhance and improve our programs, processes and products.

• We will consider the security of our records and historical memory in our decisions.

• We will show leadership through demonstrating our values and unique behaviours at all times.

Impartiality

Human Rights

• We will invite, encourage and value the views, contribution and capabilities of all colleagues.

• We will consider Human Rights in all our plans, decisions, advice and interactions and abide by all relevant legislation.

• We will provide objective and impartial advice to all stakeholders.

• We will account for all activities and results with honesty and transparency.

Accountability • We will accept both personal and shared responsibility for all actions and ‘follow through’ to ensure agreed outcomes.

• We will consider the public good and the public purse in all activities and decisions.

• We will observe zero tolerance for harassment, bullying or discrimination.

• We will facilitate the preservation and expression of the diversity of Victoria’s cultural heritage through our work.

Collaboration • We will seek to engage and consult with internal and external stakeholders as ‘partners’ with shared objectives.

On the 30th of June, our four-year Corporate Plan came to a close, so we spent a great deal of time and energy this year in the development of a new plan for 2017–18 to 2020–21. The new plan is now available on our website, providing direction and key initiatives for the next four years.

State of Government Recordkeeping Analysis of current government recordkeeping practice was high on the agenda in 2016–17 to ensure our work program for the next four years meets agency needs and expectations.

We welcomed the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report Managing Public Sector Records in March and have started working through its recommendations. We’ve also completed surveys into the physical and digital holdings of the public sector, which revealed that approximately 640kms of hardcopy records dated before 1985 are being housed by agencies across Victoria – an estimated 66kms of these are of permanent value and must be transferred to PROV in the near future. This information will impact on our storage planning moving forward.

Digital Transformation Launched in February 2017, the new PROV website makes navigating our archival collection easier, and introduces search-by-topic and A-to-Z navigation for government recordkeepers. We’re continuing to refine the site based on user feedback and are in the second phase of improved functionality, including image display. These improvements will better serve the needs of researchers and make it easier for all Victorians to access the archives.

Achievements Our managers and staff are always working hard to ensure PROV is a healthy, happy and inclusive work environment for all. We were pleased this year to be acknowledged for this work. We received a Bronze Employer Award as part of the 2017 Australian Workplace Equality Index. This provides us with a benchmark for further improvement and initiatives in LGBTI inclusion at PROV. We were also awarded for our commitment to ICT innovation at this year’s Open Gov Awards for our work on the PROVisualizer. Our PROVisualizer tool helps first-time researchers gain a broad understanding of our collection via an interactive visualisation of our archival data. It’s the first of its kind in Australia and something we are all very proud of.

Acknowledgements I’d like to take this opportunity to thank PROV staff and volunteers for another successful and productive year. The launch of the new website in particular was a massive undertaking and achievement, and a joint effort by almost everyone within the organisation. I would also like to thank the Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) members for all of their assistance and advice. I look forward to another successful year with a new Corporate Plan.

• We will seek opportunities to support and assist each other.

• We will consult and engage through direct communication where possible.

Justine Heazlewood Director and Keeper of Public Records 8

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Message from the Public Records Advisory Council President

Public Records Advisory Council

It was a pleasure to serve as President of the Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) for a second year and welcome new member Bonnie Chew to the Council. Bonnie joins existing members Tony Bates, David Brous, Kathryn Dan, Belinda Ensor, Deidre Missingham, Professor Keir Reeves and Susie Zada – I thank them all for their continued commitment.

Establishment and Functions

Summary of Activities

The Public Records Advisory Council is established under section 4 (1) of the Public Records Act 1973.

The functions of the Council, as specified in section 5 of the Act, require that it:

The Council met on four occasions in 2016–17:

• (a) In consultation with the Keeper of Public Records, shall promote cooperation between Public Record Office Victoria and public offices.

• 6 March 2017, Victorian Archives Centre

2016–17 has been another successful year for PROV. In my role as PRAC President, I was pleased to present awards to the Victorian Community History Award winners at the October ceremony, celebrating the fantastic history projects being undertaken by writers and researchers using PROV records and other collections across the state. These awards are presented in partnership with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria each year, highlighting the importance of collaboration and celebrating the work of the sector to share Victoria’s history through public records and cultural collections.

We were also pleased to support and provide feedback on the development of the new PROV website. The new site is a fantastic achievement by everyone at PROV to make searching the archives easier. We look forward to seeing continued development and improvements over the next 12 months.

Finally I would like to thank all members of PRAC for their efforts and advice this year, and PROV staff and volunteers for their hard work. I look forward to working with you all again next year.

The Council also acknowledges the importance of efforts to engage with new audiences, which is why we’ve taken PRAC on the road, this year to Box Hill.

We were also pleased to support PROV activities, including writing workshops, training sessions and involvement in Parliament House Open Day and Open House Melbourne, as ways to bring fresh eyes to the archives.

• (b) May report and make recommendations to the Minister on any matter relating to the administration of the Act.

Council Membership Section 4 (1A) of the Act requires that the Council consist of not more than ten members with knowledge and experience in such areas as public administration, local government, records management, business administration, historical research, Indigenous heritage and genealogical research.

This year the Council welcomed new Public Records Advisory Council member, Bonnie Chew.

Ms Chew is the Council member representing Indigenous Heritage. As a Wadawurrung Traditional Owner, Ms Chew has a strong personal interest in the preservation and promotion of Indigenous heritage. She also has strong community ties, having served on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council.

Membership of the Council during 2016–17 comprised: Judy Maddigan, President Tony Bates, Department of Premier and Cabinet representative David Brous, Public administration Kathryn Dan, Information and records management Belinda Ensor, Historical research (public history) Deidre Missingham, Finance and business administration Prof. Keir Reeves, Historical research (academic history) Susie Zada, Genealogy and local history

Judy Maddigan President, Public Records Advisory Council 10

• 5 October 2016, Victorian Archives Centre • 28 November 2016, Box Hill Town Hall • 11 April 2017, Victorian Archives Centre PROV provides support to the Council by preparing Council agenda papers, coordinating the scheduling of Council meetings, and providing assistance with the appointment of new Council members, as well as providing assistance and administrative support for Council sub-committees. The Council would like to thank the Keeper of Public Records, Justine Heazlewood, and Council Secretary, Rebecca Young, for their support throughout the year.

Council Meetings This year the Council has been working towards defining the role of PRAC in order to ensure Council members can use their experience and influence to help raise the profile of PROV across government.

Recently Council members met at a special ‘out of session’ meeting to review the Public Records Act 1973 and produce a recommendations paper for Justine Heazlewood to put forward when the Act comes up for review next year.

PRAC reviews draft appraisal decisions through a subcommittee including Kathryn Dan (Chair), Judy Maddigan and David Brous, with a secretariat provided by PROV. This year the Advisory Council implemented a revised approach to documentation, review and authorisation. This revised approach reduced administrative burden and expedited the process without affecting oversight or opportunity for input by PRAC members or other stakeholders.

Council members also remain committed to raising public awareness of PROV, especially in regional and outer-metropolitan locations where people may not be aware of or have access to archives.

In November 2016 the Council met at Box Hill Town Hall. In conjunction with the visit, PROV staff conducted public information sessions on records conservation and digitisation.

Bonnie Chew, Indigenous heritage Secretary: Rebecca Young 11

Overview

Organisational Structure

Executive

Protected Disclosure

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

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

Act Administered: Public Records Act 1973 PROV’s operations are governed by the Public Records Act 1973, which defines the role of both the Keeper of Public Records and the organisation.

The Act is available for inspection on the PROV website www.prov.vic.gov.au and at our North Melbourne and Ballarat offices.

Regulations Made and Administered Regulations are made under section 23 of the Public Records Act 1973 and are known as the Public Records Regulations 2013.

The Regulations prescribe fees for making and supplying copies of public records and set out conditions for the inspection of public records and use of facilities provided by PROV. All Regulations are available for inspection on our website www.prov.vic.gov.au/about-us.

Portfolio Responsibility The Department of Premier and Cabinet has portfolio responsibility for PROV. PROV is an administrative office under the Public Administration Act 2004.

Freedom of Information The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) gives members of the public a right to access documents held by Victorian Government agencies, including PROV. For the 12 months ended 30 June 2017, PROV received no FOI applications.

FOI requests for PROV agency documents should be addressed to: Freedom of Information Officer Public Record Office Victoria GPO Box 2100 North Melbourne 3051

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Special Minister of State

Secretary Department of Premier & Cabinet

PROV is committed to the aims and objectives of the Act. In particular, PROV does not tolerate improper conduct by its staff or reprisals against those who come forward to disclose such conduct.

Deputy Secretary Department of Premier & Cabinet

Governance, Policy & Coordination

The procedures for protecting people who make protected disclosures under the Protected Disclosure Act 2012 are available on our website www.prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/legislation-andgovernance.

Director Public Record Office Victoria

Public Records Advisory Council

Government Services

Access Services

Corporate Services

Standards & Policy

Online Access

Finance & Risk Management

Government Recordkeeping

Collection Services

Facilities

VERS

Community Archives

Communications & Online Engagement

Public Record Office Victoria Standards and Authorities PROV issues standards for records management and authorities for retention and disposal under section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973. A full list of current standards and authorities is provided on our website at www.prov.vic.gov.au/government and at both the North Melbourne and Ballarat offices.

Department of Premier and Cabinet Annual Report Further information about PROV’s performance during 2016–17 is included in the annual report of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, available at www.dpc.vic.gov.au.

Technology Services

People & Culture

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Overview

Contact

Government Services

Access Services

Government Services develops the recordkeeping requirements which all Victorian Public Sector agencies must meet and provides a range of products, tools and services to support them to manage their records effectively and compliantly.

This is done through:

The goal of Access Services is to ensure that our unique collection is widely known and accessible to the people and Government of Victoria. This is achieved through:

• Developing mandatory standards and specifications, associated advice and guidance products •

Working across the Victorian Public Sector to appraise the functions of Government in order to assess the value and significance of the records they manage and to specify records required as state archives

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Managing and promoting the Victorian Electronic Record Strategy (VERS) and working with strategic partners to assist agencies to transition to digital recordkeeping

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Working with agencies to schedule, plan and manage the transfer of permanent value records to PROV, focussing on high-value and at-risk records

• Providing advice to individual agencies and developing and publishing a comprehensive set of guidelines, case studies and tools to assist them

• A program of digitisation to improve access to our collection and services through our website • A program of exhibitions, publications, educational resources and outreach activities • The provision of public reading room services and online access to PROV’s collection and research tools • Preserving archives within their region of origin, ensuring equality of access for communities in regional Victoria • Providing culturally appropriate services, procedures and tools that enhance access by the Koorie community • Transmitting information to clients about the collection • Issuing records in a manner that meets government needs and community expectations.

Corporate Services

• Engaging in committees and taskforces and partnering with other organisations on projects and initiatives designed to improve recordkeeping

Corporate Services supports staff across PROV through the provision of the following services:

• Delivering a program of awareness and recognition events, and investigating and reporting on the state of recordkeeping in Victoria including associated challenges and issues.

• Risk management

• Budgeting, financial management and reporting • Facilities management • Environmental planning and reporting

As at 30 June 2017 PROV, operated two public reading rooms and had 49.6 staff members (FTE) working across two operational areas.

Public Reading Rooms Email: enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au Victorian Archives Centre Harry Nunn Reading Room 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia Phone: (03) 9348 5600 Ballarat Archives Centre State Government Offices Corner Mair and Doveton Streets Ballarat VIC 3350 Australia Phone: (03) 5333 6611 Follow us on Facebook @PublicRecordOfficeVictoria Twitter @PRO_Vic Instagram @vic_archives

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

Access Services Assistant Director: Philippa O’Halloran Phone: (03) 9348 5710 Email: philippa.ohalloran@prov.vic.gov.au Public enquiries: enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au

• Strategic planning and reporting • Communications and online engagement

Corporate Services

• Information communication technology

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

• Information management • Human resource management • Organisational development.

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Highlights PROV Online

PROV Volunteers

After two years of development, our new website and search engine were launched in February 2017. The key achievements can be summarised across three areas: access, engagement and inspiration. Antiquated PDF guides were replaced with interactive subject-related topic pages which offer specific search fields and researcher guidance on the same page. Government recordkeeping standards are now searchable by keyword, and to improve recordkeeping literacy, a handy A-Z reference bar linked to an alphabetised list of common recordkeeping queries is accessible on every page. The website traffic has been maintained (86,000 a month) and there is increased activity on popular pages such as Wills and Probates, Passenger Lists and Land and Property. In addition, an interactive data visualisation of the collection was published within the site, and has since won an award for its alignment to the values of open government.

PROV’s team of more than 160 volunteers contributed approximately 35,000 hours of their time at the Victorian Archives Centre and Ballarat Archives Centre to projects aimed at digitising, preserving and improving the discoverability of the collection, allowing researchers to more easily find and use records of Victoria’s history.

“(The new website is) great, easy to use, welcoming and inviting colours, love the A-Z topic guide… very nice job by all involved.”

Kelli Chatfield, West Wimmera Shire Council.

PROV in the Media PROV has appeared in the media approximately 175 times in the last 12 months, with coverage ranging from online to radio, television and print.

Highlights have included: coverage of our Olympics photographic collection across popular websites Buzzfeed and Mashable; news of our Find My Past collaborations on Studio Ten and Mornings TV programs; coverage of our Wild Colonial Boys exhibition at Old Treasury Building across 32 outlets including Channel Ten news, ABC 774 and Ninemsn; online features for our Archives Gallery exhibitions on ABC and Huffington Post; Victorian Community History Awards coverage across local news outlets; Section 9 record release coverage on ABC 774 and Daily Mail; and Delta Goodrem filming an episode of Who Do You Think You Are for SBS.

Volunteers have indexed the records of over 30,000 civil, criminal and other cases heard in Victorian courts, and also records of the Education Department. The work opens up the archives to researchers, who can now make a single online search across large quantities of records and select files of interest for viewing, without having to understand the courts’ or Education Department’s complex filing systems, or having to attend PROV simply to begin the painstaking task of searching for relevant records.

Volunteers from Family Search once again delivered a massive contribution to our digitising projects, continuing their focus on records heavily used by genealogists.

While these large projects are well worth highlighting, many of our volunteers also work on smaller projects to support the management of PROV’s collection. This year, volunteers worked with nineteenth century papers tabled in the Legislative Assembly, historic plans, drawings of public buildings, correspondence of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Bills of Sale filed with the Office of the Registrar-General, architectural drawings of the Public Works Department plans, photographic slides and ephemera from Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, and many more.

They also manage the catalogue for our in-house technical library.

PROV acknowledges the great contribution that all volunteers have made during the year and we look forward to an equally productive 2017–18.

Left image: The Mohawk: Richard playing guitar for summer mag, 1988.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 14518/P1, Unit 1

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PROV Recordkeeping Surveys PROV undertook three surveys of Victorian Government agencies in 2016–17, two digital records surveys and a survey of pre–1985 physical records to identify key information about digital and hardcopy records and future transfer needs.

The key findings from these surveys were: • The growth rate for digital data is high (between 5 and 50%).

• Ability to generate VEOs (the PROV required preservation format) is low.

• Approximately half of respondents have physical records created before 1900.

Of Kin and Kind exhibition on display at the VAC Gallery.

• Pre–1900 hardcopy records held in agencies are estimated to be 3.2 km.

PROV Gallery

• 1900–1985 hardcopy records held in agencies are estimated to be 650 km.

• Post–1985 hardcopy records are estimated to be 100-200 km.

• Digital storage is in transition towards cloud storage.

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Agencies frequently lack a view of their digital and hardcopy records, and understanding of (and capacity to undertake) disposal and management tasks varies from agency to agency.

• The top concerns identified by agencies were resourcing, cost, data security, staff and system capacity, and legacy issues.

In November 2016, a new community gallery project was commenced as a means to display the historic photographic collections held at PROV. A small group of staff transformed the lobby into a new photo gallery and extended an opportunity to contemporary street photographers willing to exhibit on a similar thematic subject. The VAC (Victorian Archives Centre) Gallery now displays photographs of Victoria past and present. The November exhibition Mos to Mullets explored the history of hairstyles, while the April exhibition Of Kin and Kind celebrated urban communities.

A network of over 40 street photographers are now engaged with the gallery and submitting photographs on a regular basis.

These surveys are the latest of a number of investigations by PROV into the management of public records in Victoria. More information about these surveys can be found on our website.

Right image: Natural Hair: African Huts CERES Farm Brunswick, 1988.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 14518/P1, Unit 1

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Report on Performance Corporate Plan 2013–14 to 2016–17

Guiding Principles

PROV’s four-year Corporate Plan provides the strategic direction for the period 2013–14 to 2016–17.

The plan articulates the mission, primary strategic objectives and values of PROV; it also describes our current and emerging operating environment and details our three overarching outcomes and strategic initiatives. It also details the guiding principles that we use when implementing these initiatives.

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

• Management: The records of Government are managed to enable accountability, efficiency and innovation.

• Utilisation: The records of Government are used by communities to connect to their history and culture.

Initiatives •

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

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Increase usability of the collection: Pursue opportunities to expose digital content and the structured metadata describing our collection through multiple external channels.

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

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• Improve our digital transfer capability: Deliver the framework, systems and tools to improve our ability to support a high-volume, automated digital transfer capability that minimises the costs and risks involved in mass digital transfers.

• Enhance Government recordkeeping capability: Undertake a range of activities to measure the current status of recordkeeping across the Victorian Public Sector. Deliver specific information and services to maximise recordkeeping capability, particularly in a digital paradigm.

• Transform our collection management environment: Deliver an entirely new technology environment for our collection management environment, to meet the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated public sector and general populace.

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Five operating principles have been established to guide the implementation of our initiatives, both in decision making and the development of new programs and activities within each initiative.

We will: • Seek and take advantage of partnerships and alternative ways of working collaboratively to achieve our outcomes • Be open to new ideas and different approaches that will achieve the most effective results • Take advantage of our unique mandate to provide leadership in those areas in which we have sector expertise •

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

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

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

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

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

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Strategic Initiatives Build our Online Presence

Grants

We continued to engage with our growing online community (13,703 followers) across social media platforms. Digital content (10,000+ records) related to Victorian history and government recordkeeping was shared across various sites, eliciting over 127,000 comments, shares or likes throughout the year.

The Local History Grants Program provides small grants to community organisations to support programs to preserve, record or publish local history. This year we received 235 applications from across Victoria (an 11% increase on the previous year), with 53 projects granted funding, including oral histories, e-publications, exhibitions, heritage tours, multimedia projects, collection management programs, and the preservation and digitisation of archival materials.

Our online enquiries teams across both government services and access services continue to see increased interest in digital copy requests and recordkeeping advice. This may be as a result of improved understanding on how to request digital copies following the launch of the website’s new navigation system. The number of enquiries per month is currently between 450-550, a substantial increase from last year.

Increase Usability of the Collection A major focus of our effort this year was to develop a new search engine for our collection. Launched as part of a redeveloped website in February 2017, the new search engine brings together the scattered search tools that we have developed over the years into one central tool that is accessible from every page on the site. This makes it simpler to identify everything we have to offer. We are now working on a revised catalogue interface to support the new search capability, to be rolled out in 2017–18.

To further expose our digital content and collections, we continued to engage with media outlets and events, including presenting our education records at the State Library’s Family Feast, opening up our repository for Open House Melbourne, hosting a soldier settlement information stall at the Royal Melbourne Show, and partnering with author Hazel Edwards on a monthly session for people writing their family histories.

We continued our work on the annual Provenance Journal, publishing work by researchers who have utilised the archives. The 2017 edition was launched in May. We have also run a series of website training sessions, highlighting our new search engine, for new and existing audiences.

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Applications are assessed by an independent panel, who consider projects against criteria of historical and community value, with a particular eye to historical significance, community involvement and ongoing benefits.

Author Hazel Edwards runs a monthly workshop for writers at the Victorian Archives Centre.

The Bendigo Regional Archives Centre reading room.

Increase Engagement of Communities

Regional Archives

Exhibitions

PROV has a partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo and the Goldfields Library Corporation to support the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre (BRAC).

A full list of grant recipients and further information on the program can be found on our website and in Appendix 8.

A major project for the year is the near completion of the registration and documentation of approximately 50 series of court records relating to the area around Bendigo.

Victorian Community History Awards

In addition to our new VAC Gallery initiative we have also continued our exhibitions partnership with Old Treasury Building (OTB). We have a longstanding partnership with OTB, presenting regular historic exhibitions together since 2010. Late 2016 saw us bring Victoria’s bushrangers to life in Wild Colonial Boys: Bushrangers in Victoria. This temporary exhibition has been attended by 54,981 people so far, with 5,730 taking guided tours. It features prison registers and other records from our collection alongside exhibits from the State Library and Police Museum. Also in September 2016 we turned our joint Soldier On exhibition into a traveling display for the Royal Melbourne Show, libraries in the Wimmera, and Federation University.

In May of this year we partnered with OTB on two permanent exhibitions related to Melbourne’s early history. Melbourne: Foundations of a City and Melbourne as National Capital trace the growth of Melbourne from the earliest European settlements to Federation, when Melbourne became the interim capital city of the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia. Original records from our archives on display include Charles Grimes’ survey, Robert Hoddle’s field books, the Hoddle Map and the first census.

Highlights for this year include successful events held at BRAC during National Family History Month in August 2016 and the National Trust Heritage Festival in May 2017, completion of the imaging for the 19th century petitions project and a project to index Mining Applications on Council property. This year also saw the completion of a BRAC Customer Services Review and the development and implementation of a Marketing and Communications Plan.

We have also continued our work on the Places of Deposit Program. A Place of Deposit (POD) is a location approved by the Minister for the storage of temporary records of local value. There are 151 Places of Deposit located across the state.

These enable communities to preserve and care for records of local significance within their place of origin. During 2016–17 a review of the program was undertaken to ensure that the mechanisms, structures and business activities support an efficient and sustainable program into the future.

We were again pleased to work alongside the Royal Historical Society of Victoria to present the Victorian Community History Awards during History Week. The 2016 event was held at the Arts Centre with the Hon. Gavin Jennings and writer Hanifa Deen presenting on the significance of community history in Victoria.

Authors Pam Baragwanath and Ken James won the overall award for their self-published book These Walls Speak Volumes: A History of Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Magda Szubanski won the Judges’ Special Prize for her book Reckoning: A Memoir, while Ian D. Clark won the Local History Project Award for his work We Are All of One Blood: A History of the Djabwurrung Aboriginal People of Western Victoria. Other winning entries included a history of 1970s Melbourne, shared stories of the Somali community, and WWI multimedia and website projects. A full list of recipients is included within Appendix 9.

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•

Enhance Government Recordkeeping Capability

Develops resources, programs and initiatives that increase the knowledge, accessibility and use of Victoria’s unique collection of government records relating to Aboriginal Peoples.

Emergency Services RDA

To mark Reconciliation Week 2017, PROV and NAA hosted a screening and discussion of Bessy Flowers: No longer a wandering spirit, which included records from both the NAA and PROV collections.

Pam Baragwanath and Ken James accepting their award from RHSV President Don Garden.

Training Public Record Office Victoria supports community organisations that care for and provide access to collections of importance to Victorians, as well as the secondary and tertiary education sectors. This year we provided training and awareness programs to more than 1,400 participants.

Highlights for this year included the highly popular Just digitise it! sessions at the Victorian Archives Centre and in Ballarat, and participation in the 2016 Seniors Festival at the Immigration Museum.

Several presentations were delivered to university students as part of their courses, including Government records and the Koorie community, presented to RMIT University Master of Information Management students.

Koorie Records Unit The Koorie Records Unit promotes awareness about Aboriginal records in our collection and aims to improve accessibility of these records to the Aboriginal community.

The Koorie Records Unit: •

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In partnership with the National Archives of Australia (NAA), provides a culturally sensitive Koorie Reference Service to offer support and advice to Aboriginal Peoples wishing to access records relevant to their personal and community histories

During the year a major review of the Unit’s services was undertaken. The review found that the role of the Koorie Records Unit and staff in supporting connection with family and community is highly valued by Aboriginal agencies and clients.

Develop the Archival Collection to increase its Value and Significance Digitisation partnerships and lab As part of our ongoing program of asset maintenance and renewal we invested this year in new digitisation facilities, expanding our dedicated digitisation space to fit a wider range of equipment, and invested in two new high-speed scanners and an aperture card scanner. We have also invested in workflow software to automate the tasks of setting up digitisation projects, checking and correcting images, and storing them securely, which we anticipate will deliver major benefits in time saved to both staff and volunteer digitising teams over the next cycle and beyond.

We continue to work extensively with partners to digitise records from our collection. As part of our ongoing partnership with Family Search (familysearch.org) and Find My Past (findmypast. co.uk), we completed the digitisation project for Petty Sessions Court Registers (around 7000 volumes). These records are currently being indexed by Find My Past and will be made available progressively on their website. We will also be publishing those records to our site in due course.

Family Search volunteer Roger Bingham digitising Ballarat rate books.

Also in 2016–17, we began a new project with Family Search to digitise rate books from councils across Victoria. Once complete, this project will capture 5,500 volumes of rate records up to the year 1930, and complement the work that Family Search has already done over the last few decades to microfilm many of these records. Family Search continues to digitise wills and probate records up to the year 1950.

We also began a project with Ancestry (ancestry. com.au) to digitise early mental health patient records, as well divorce case files. These files (on open access up to around 1940) are a rich source of social and family history information.

Improve our Digital Transfer Capability Many of the high-value and high-risk records in Government agencies are not held in traditional record systems, but in common computing environments such as email and corporate servers.

During 2016–17 we worked with core agencies to set up pilot projects dealing with legacy email and the forthcoming move to cloud-based corporate storage.

Last year, we revised the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) to make it more flexible and reduce implementation costs for the Victorian Government, and this year we started transitioning to the new standard. Tools were built to support the encapsulation of records in the new format, and trial transfers were successfully undertaken, including the Cabinet Records of the former Napthine and Baillieu Governments.

We released a Retention and Disposal Authority (RDA) for records created and held by Victorian first-response emergency services and for agencies that provide relief and recovery to communities and individuals impacted by emergencies and disasters. The RDA was developed in conjunction with a working group of the Records and Information Management Professionals Emergency Services Special Interest Group. Stakeholders that contributed to its development included the Victorian State Emergency Service; Metropolitan Fire Brigade; Victoria Police; Ambulance Victoria; Country Fire Authority; the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning; and Emergency Management Victoria.

Networks We held two Records Management Network events during the year, with approximately 300 practitioners attending. Highlights were presentations from Andrew Greaves, Victorian Auditor-General, and Frank Golding, founding member of the Care Leavers of Australasia Network (CLAN). These events provided a valuable opportunity for practitioners to share their knowledge.

PROV continued to lead the Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities (CAARA) National Bodies Working Group during 2016-17. The Working Group’s remit is to establish agreement between CAARA members on recordkeeping requirements for national bodies subject to the eight Australian jurisdictions. This year the Group worked on a function-specific Retention and Disposal Authority (RDA) for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This body is responsible for health practitioner regulation Australia wide. Once approved, the RDA will be the first function-specific RDA approved by all states and territories concurrently. It has also been agreed that PROV will be the archival host for AHPRA on behalf of all the states and territories. The national host arrangement provides a pragmatic solution in a complex regulatory framework, streamlining AHPRA’s recordkeeping regulatory obligations.

25

PROV also provided guidance and support to government agency staff through meetings, attendance at numerous community of practice events, and through responding to more than 700 recordkeeping enquiries.

Standards and training As part of our Continuous Improvement Program, we conducted a review of the Capture Standard, Specifications and Guidelines, and after extensive consultation the revised Capture Standard and Capture Specifications were issued. We also commenced a review of the Disposal Standard, Specifications and Guidelines. Current stakeholder consultation aims to identify any required changes.

In 2016–17 PROV developed and published a High Value High Risk Framework to enable agencies to identify and manage high-value, high-risk records. More than 850 staff from a wide variety of government agencies completed PROV’s online Recordkeeping Fundamentals Training Module.

Transform our Collection Management Environment Our multi-year Digital Archive Program is still underway and has been progressively transforming our digital infrastructure. A highlight of the program is the new PROV website.

The project also includes a new repository for storing open access copies of records and other contextual information to improve access to such materials; the commencement of a procurement process for replacing the PROV Digital Archive and associated storage infrastructure; and an investigation into a new Archival Management System to facilitate the ongoing management of the collection.

In the next 12 months, PROV expects to implement the new Digital Archive and Archival Management System. We will also implement a range of new web-based functionality to enable users to more easily view and access digital and digitised copies of records, as well as new crowdsourcing functionality to enable users to more easily contribute to the management and preservation of the collection.

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Underpinning the transformation of the collection management environment is the need to ensure that the conceptual model used by PROV to describe and control our collection is capable of meeting the challenge of describing increasingly complex and sophisticated digital recordkeeping systems, as well as supporting changing user expectations and allowing us to take advantage of opportunities for interoperability and data sharing with other institutions. During 2016–17, PROV undertook an in-depth revision of the structural and descriptive components of the model, with the aim of building the necessary flexibility and extensibility to deal with a dynamic recordkeeping environment, at the same time remaining consistent with Australian archival descriptive practice. We’ve also developed a detailed understanding of the requirements of the technical system(s) required to implement such a model.

Increase Organisational Capability This year has seen the implementation of the final measures in our current cultural change program.

The program was designed with direct input from employees to help drive best practice in the areas of learning and development, vision and leadership and job satisfaction.

With a new Corporate Plan being developed for 2017–18 to 2020–21, it was an opportune time to refresh our values and behaviours. This was a collaborative effort with all staff involved, ensuring that the application of the values and behaviours had relevance to everyday work for all employees.

In 2016–17 we contributed to the Victorian Public Sector Commission’s case studies on bullying.

Data from the People Matter survey indicates that the measures taken to address bullying in the workplace at PROV have been very successful.

We have continued to develop employees through a comprehensive learning and development program. Emotional intelligence, innovation, practical project management, Lean training and credible communication were some key topics covered. An important development initiative was our 360-degree feedback program which covered all managers and included an optional stream for interested employees. In addition to professional and technical training, there has been a focus on broader whole-of-government initiatives such as LGBTI awareness and inclusion training.

The PROV Pride Network was established this year and has driven a broad range of initiatives aimed at increasing the awareness and inclusion of the LGBTI community at PROV. Highlights have included successful staff awareness events such as Wear it Purple Day and a TED Talk screening for IDAHOBIT Day. The success of the broad-based approach manifested in PROV being granted a Bronze Employer Award in the 2017 Australian Workplace Equality Index Awards.

The PROV Pride Network meeting the Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality, Ro Allen.

The workplace has a key role to play in providing support and flexibility to enable people experiencing family violence to take action against violence while maintaining their employment.

In recognition of this, we have developed and implemented a family violence framework.

The importance of health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace is well recognised at PROV. The entire health and safety framework was reviewed in 2016–17 and a new set of policies and procedures and action plan developed. Wellbeing initiatives including meditation, blended yoga/ pilates and a stress management session have been well received. This comprehensive approach will ensure PROV’s excellent health, safety and wellbeing record is maintained into the future.

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Output Measures 2016–17 PROV 2016–17 BP3 measures Performance measure

Quantity, Quality, Timeliness

Unit of measure

2016–17 Full Year Target

2016–17 Full Year Actual

Variance (%)

Collection usage: Quantity utilisation of physical and digital records held by Public Record Office Victoria

number

2,500,000

2,627,569

5%

Satisfaction with services provided

by Public Record Office Victoria to government agencies and to the public

Quality

per cent

90%

94%

4%

Provision of services within published timeframes

Timeliness

per cent

95%

96%

1%

PROV 2016–17 Annual Report measures OUTPUT

Unit of measure

2016–17 Full Year Target

2016–17 Full Year Actual

2,000

1,293

110,000

107,998

Government Services Public Record Office Victoria records transferred

shelf metres

Digital records preserved

number of VEOs

Retention and disposal projects commenced

number

25

17

Number of participants undertaking records management training

number

600

922

Transfer projects completed

number

30

31

Community training delivered (attendees)

number

1,500

1,465

Records deaccessioned from the PROV collection

shelf metres

850

846

Total visitors/users

number

110,000

100,607

Online visitors to website

number

1,200,000

1,077,949

Volunteer hours

number

35,000

36,275

Collection storage meeting industry standard

percent

96

96

1,500

1,875

Access Services

Corporate Services Staff hours spent on L&D activities

hours

Left image: The Beehive: State Bank Centre, Premises, interior opening of safe, c1960–1970.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 8935/P1, Unit 3, Item 1861

28

29

Reading Room and Record Retrievals We operate two public reading rooms; one at the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne and the other at the Ballarat Archives Centre in Ballarat. Records can also be accessed at the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre reading room and the Geelong Heritage Centre.

Number of records

Records Issued

During 2016–17, 11,208 visitors utilised the reading rooms to view public records. 44,017 records were issued to visitors and an additional 11,510 were issued to Government agencies and for internal PROV use.

Reference enquiries were managed through our online system, which received an average 819 queries per month, providing a more consistent and seamless approach to customer service.

Public users

Government users

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

2010–11

2011–12

Visitors to Reading Rooms

2012–13

2013–14

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

Victorian Archives Centre

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre

Ballarat Archives Centre

Geelong Heritage Centre

55,000

Number of visitors

50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Year

2010–11

2011–12

2012–13

2013–14

2014–15

2015-16

2016–17

As the visitors to Geelong Library & Heritage Centre jumped significantly last year due to the attraction of viewing and touring the new building facilities, for 2016–17 we’ve only counted those visitors who visited the reading room specifically to research public records.

30

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Appendices Appendix 1

Workforce Data

Assets, financial statement and workforce data

Ongoing Employees

Fixed-term & Casual

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

Number (Headcount)

Full-time (Headcount)

Part-time (Headcount)

FTE

FTE

Community assets

June 2016

50.0

38.0

12.0

45.4

10.7

These assets are the state’s archival collection.

The physical collection was re-valued in 2016–17 at $299.9m. The digital collection was valued at $16.7m.

June 2017

55.0

37.0

18.0

49.6

12.8

Building assets

June 2016

Records repositories for storage of the State Archives and the State Government’s non-current records are located at North Melbourne and Ballarat. The Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne, including land, was valued in 2016–17 at $88.3m.

Number (Headcount)

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

Financial statement 2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

Operating

3,846,539

3,550,372

4,100,642

Salary and on-costs

5,292,128

5,100,405

5,707,427

Sub-total

9,138,668

8,650,777

9,808,069

483,867

1,181,627

1,141,842

Depreciation

3,367,727

3,332,697

3,060,845

Capital Assets Charge

4,482,000

4,577,000

4,925,000

17,572,262

17,742,101

18,935,756

Total Expenditure

Fixed-term & Casual

FTE

FTE

Number (Headcount)

Ongoing

Fixed-term & Casual

FTE

FTE

Gender

PROV operates two vehicles: a sedan and a station wagon.

Capital

Ongoing

June 2017

Female

30.0

26.5

8.7

33.0

28.8

9.0

Male

20.0

18.9

2.0

22.0

20.8

3.8

0.0

0.0

1.3

0.0

0.0

1.0

Age Under 25 25-34

11.0

10.8

4.0

14.0

12.6

2.6

35-44

15.0

13.1

3.4

15.0

13.0

4.4

45-54

12.0

11.0

0.0

13.0

12.5

2.0

55-64

10.0

8.6

2.0

11.0

9.6

2.8

2.0

1.9

0.0

2.0

1.9

0.0

Executive

1.0

1.0

0.0

1.0

1.0

0.0

STS

1.0

0.7

0.0

1.0

0.7

0.0

Over 65 Classification

Grade 6

5.0

4.9

2.0

6.0

5.9

2.0

Grade 5

7.0

6.8

1.0

5.0

5.0

3.0

Grade 4

13.0

11.5

0.6

14.0

12.2

1.8

Grade 3

13.0

12.3

1.0

15.0

14.2

0.6

Grade 2

11.0

9.2

6.1

13.0

10.6

5.4

Back image p31: The Victory Roll: Lorraine Douglas-Sloane, waitress, charged with stealing and perjury, Melbourne 1940.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 7856/P1, Unit 42

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Appendix 2

Appendix 4

Standards and advice

Retention and disposal authority documents issued or varied 2016–17

Section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973 requires the Keeper of Public Records to establish standards for the efficient management of public records and assist public offices in the application of those standards to records under their control. The Act requires public offices to implement records management programs in accordance with the standards established by the Keeper. All standards are available on the PROV website www.prov.vic.gov.au/recordkeeping-government/standards-policies-rdas

New RDAs issued Number

Name

Issue/Reissue

PROS 16/04

Retention and Disposal Authority for Secondary Electronic Records of Expunged Convictions

29/07/2016

Recordkeeping standards framework documents issued or varied 2016–17

PROS 16/05

Retention and Disposal Authority for Regulation of Lobbyists

22/08/2016

Reviewed and new version issued

PROS 16/06

Retention and Disposal Authority for Standard Setting and Organisational Performance Monitoring

04/10/2016

PROS 16/07

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Higher and Further Education Functions

19/12/2016

PROS 17/01

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Royal Commissions, Boards of Inquiry and Formal Reviews

28/02/2017

PROS 17/02

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Emergency Services Function

01/05/2017

Number

Name

Issue

Expiry

PROS 97/08

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Building Commission Variation 8

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

PROS 99/02

Department of Treasury and Finance Records Disposal Schedule Variation 6

02/03/2017

31/12/2017

PROS 99/05

State Coroner’s Office Coronial Investigations Records Authority Variation 4

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

PROS 99/06

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Gas Safety Records Authority Variation 4

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

PROS 99/08

Gambling Regulation Function Variation 5

07/02/2017

31/12/2017

PROS 00/02

Department of Infrastructure Records Authority Variation 6

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

PROS 01/01

Schools Records Authority Variation 6

03/02/2017

31/12/2017

PROS 01/03

Victorian Auditor-General’s Office Records Authority Variation 3

03/02/2017

31/12/2017

PROS 02/03

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Environment Protection Authority Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

Appendix 3

Number

Name

Issue Date

PROS 11/07

Capture Standard

05/09/2016

PROS 11/07 S3

Capture Specification

05/09/2016

PROS 36

Request for Approval to Transfer Records to a Place of Deposit Form

12/04/2017

PROS 41

Request for Approval of Sentencing Plan Form

28/04/2017

PROS 42

Request for Approval of Transfer Plan Form

28/04/2017

RDAs varied

Varied and variation issued

Number

Name

Issue/Reissue

PROS 11/07 S1

Digitisation Requirements Specification

20/06/2017

PROS 11/07 S2

Digitisation Image Requirements Specification

20/06/2017

PROS 11/09

Control Standard

20/06/2017

PROS 11/09 S1

Control Specification

20/06/2017

PROS 11/10

Access Standard

20/06/2017

PROS 11/10 S1

Access to Records in Agency Custody Specification

20/06/2017

PROS 11/10 S2

Access to Records in PROV Custody Specification

20/06/2017

34

35

Number

Name

Issue

Expiry

Number

Name

Issue

Expiry

PROS 03/01

Retention and Disposal Authority for the Legal Aid Function Variation 3

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

PROS 07/01

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Common Administrative Functions Variation 4

06/03/2017

No Date

PROS 03/03

Victorian Managed Insurance Authority Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2017

PROS 07/02

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

PROS 04/01

Department of Primary Industries Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel Variation 1

PROS 07/03

03/02/2017

30/06/2018

PROS 04/02

Residential Tenancies Bond Authority Variation 2

03/02/2017

No Date

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Victorian Government Printer Variation 1

PROS 04/03

Office of Public Prosecutions Variation 2

23/11/2016

31/12/2017

PROS 09/04

19/12/2016

No Date

PROS 04/04

Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry Variation 2

03/02/2017

No Date

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Childrens Court Variation 1

PROS 09/09

25/05/2017

17/06/2020

PROS 04/07

Office of Gaming and Racing Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2017

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Mental Health, Alcohol and Drugs Service Functions Variation 2

PROS 04/08

Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2017

PROS 10/12

03/03/2017

No Date

PROS 05/01

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Ombudsman Victoria Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Public Record Office Victoria Variation 1

PROS 11/02

12/05/2017

21/03/2021

PROS 05/06

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of VicUrban Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Supreme Court Variation 3

PROS 11/04

22/02/2017

No Date

PROS 05/07

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria Variation 1

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Consumer Affairs Functions Variation 1

PROS 13/06

04/05/2017

No Date

PROS 05/09

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Department of Sustainability and Environment Variation 2

03/02/2017

31/12/2019

Appendix 5

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Variation 2

PROS 06/02

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Victorian Poisons Information Centre Variation 2

03/02/2017

No Date

PROS 06/03

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Department of Victorian Communities Variation 1

15/12/2016

No Date

PROS 06/04

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Sheriff’s Operations Variation 1

03/02/2017

No Date

PROS 06/05

Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of the Victorian Electoral Function Variation 3

03/02/2017

31/12/2017

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Approved Public Record Office Victoria Storage Suppliers (APROSS) APROSS sites are commercial facilities that have been inspected by PROV and approved for the storage of temporary and unsentenced public records. For a complete list of APROSS sites see https://www.prov.vic. gov.au/recordkeeping-government/certified-suppliers-vendors/apross-for-agencies APROSS facilities approved in 2016-17 – Nil Reappointments – Nil The number of current approved APROSS facilities – 31

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Appendix 6 Achievements of Staff Awards OpenGov Award for ICT Innovation: PROV was awarded an OpenGov Award for ICT innovation for our Provisualizer tool, the first interactive archival data visualisation in Australia. You can find the tool on our website: www.prov.vic.gov.au/explorecollection Professional Committees Farzam Akbari: member, ICT Governance Committee; member, WoVG Cyber Security Customer Group.

Tsari Anderson: co-editor, Provenance journal.

Grace Baliviera: member and mentee, Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria); member, Australian Institute of Management.

David Brown: member, Australian Institute of Company Directors; member, Information Management Group; member, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative.

Charlie Farrugia: member, Australian Women’s Archives Project Committee; member, Victorian Association of Family History Organisations Committee; member, Geelong Heritage Centre Collection Advisory Committee.

Kate Follington: member, Museums Australia (Victoria) 2018 National Conference Program Committee; member, Creative Victoria Digital Engagement Managers Key Stakeholder Group.

Peter Francis: member, Data Management Working Group; member, Association of Computing Machinery; member, Australian Computer Society.

Carly Godden: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Operations Committee.

Sebastian Gurciullo: General Editor, Archives and Manuscripts; chair of journal’s Editorial Board; co-editor, Provenance journal; webmaster, Committee of the Section on Literary and Artistic Archives of the International Council on Archives.

Graeme Hairsine: chair, Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria) ICT Community of Practice; member, Creative Victoria Chief Information Officers Forum.

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Justine Heazlewood: chair, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Committee of Management; chair, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative; chair, Monash University Information and Knowledge Management Course Advisory Committee; member, Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities; member, Standards Australia, Records and Document Management Systems Committee (IT-21); member, Queensland State Archives Digital Archiving Program Board.

Al Hunter: member, Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (RIMPA or RIM Professionals Australasia); professional member, (ARMA); member and newsletter coordinator, Victorian Branch Council; member, Victorian Public Sector Pride Network; member, VPS Pride Council and Events Committee; member, Australian Anthropological Society.

Asa Letourneau: committee member, Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives and Museums.

Julie McCormack: chair, Council of Australian Archives and Records Authorities National Bodies Working Group; member, Department of Health and Human Services Records Management Steering Committee; member, Cabinet Records Working Group; PROV delegate, Australian Society of Archivists.

Alison McNulty: member, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative; member, CAARA Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse Working Group; member, Local Government Digital Transformation Taskforce.

Philippa O’Halloran: member, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Committee of Management; member and mentor, Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria).

Tara Oldfield: member and mentee, Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria); board member, History Council of Victoria; member, North Melbourne Agency Collective.

Jennifer Rout: member, Open Minds Advisory Board.

Eva Samaras: member, Australian Library and Information Association New Generation Advisory Committee; presenter of #auslibchat.

David Taylor: member, Public Relations Institute of Australia; Australian Council for Educational Leaders; Director, St Columba’s College Board.

Nicole Tighe: member, Australian Human Resources Institute; member, Department of Premier and Cabinet Human Resources Working Group; member, People and Culture Community of Practice.

Presentation as outgoing editor of Archives and Manuscripts Australian Society of Archivists 2016 Conference Parramatta, October 2016 Sebastian Gurciullo

Andrew Waugh: member, Standards Australia, Records and Document Management Systems Committee (IT-21) Subcommittee on Recordkeeping Metadata.

Bread and stones: historians using and preserving digital information State Library of Victoria Melbourne, November 2016 Owen O’Neill and Daniel Wilksch

Rebecca Young: coordinator, Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative; secretary, Public Records Advisory Council.

Conference and Seminar Presentations Using PROV’s collection Australian Historical Association Conference Melbourne, July 2016 Lauren Bourke, Liz Denny and Gertrude Cotterill Education records Family History Feast, State Library of Victoria Melbourne, August 2016 Jack Martin Family history research using online records Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Bendigo, August 2016 Lauren Bourke Information and knowledge management professional practice Monash University Master of Business Information Systems Melbourne, August 2016 Elise Bradshaw and Alison McNulty Italians In Australia: research and archival tools at Public Record Office Victoria Seniors Festival, Immigration Museum Melbourne, October 2016 Charlie Farrugia Digitisation project planning: community heritage grants National Library of Australia Canberra, October 2016 Daniel Wilksch News from PROV – Government Special Interest Group Australian Society of Archivists 2016 Conference Parramatta, October 2016 Andrew Harris

Government records and the Koorie community RMIT University Master of Information Management Melbourne, May 2017 Georgia Harris and David Taylor Finding Your Mob community workshop for Gippsland Local Aboriginal Network Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place Bairnsdale, May 2017 Tsari Anderson and Georgia Harris From private to public: the power of records Department of Education and Training Melbourne, May 2017 David Taylor Legal resources within the PROV collection Australian Law Librarians Association (Victoria) Melbourne, May 2017 Charlie Farrugia Digital Archives and the value of volunteering RMIT University Information Management Industry Forum Melbourne, May 2017 Elise Bradshaw The volunteer program at PROV: a success story Archives Symposium: Archives in a Changing World Wellington, New Zealand, May 2017 Justine Heazlewood PROVisualizer Melbourne Museum for PHAVic Professional Development Day Melbourne, May 2017 Asa Letourneau Panel: Preserving Australian Values?

Australian Society of Archivists: International Archives Day Melbourne, June 2017 Justine Heazlewood

39

Appendix 7

Appendix 8

Volunteers

Local History Grant recipients

We acknowledge the significant contributions of all our volunteers during 2016–17:

The Local History Grants program provides small grants to community organisations to support projects that preserve, record or publish Victorian local history. Recipients for the 2016-17 round are as follows:

Leayne Alden Mark Armstrong-Roper David Asquith John Bailey Jennifer Barker Neil Barrie Pamela Baum Fay Beslee Marian Bierenbroodspot Teresa Boonekamp Elizabeth Buckle Alison Cain Wendy Carver Neil Chisholm Celestine Chisholm Keng Chong Jessica Christie Ahnya Chuah Kaye Clancy Barry Clarke Beth Codling Cheryl Cox Brendan Coyne Calvin Crisp Justin Croft Graeme Dawson Sue Dawson Brian Dixon Claire Duncan Claire Dunlop Kimberley Dunt Barry Fleming Georgie Garvey-Hawke Leanne Goss Wendy Griffin Claudia Guli Kerry Gutowski

Clive Haddock Carol Haga Tayla Hamilton Sara Hardy Elizabeth Hardy Joanne Hawkesworth Ian Hazewinkel Walter Heale Mary Henkel Joy Herman Joy Hirst Lyell Horwood Kim House Lewis House Katherine Huntsman Brianna Hutton Nikol Ignatovic Dennis Jasper Lesley Jeffrey Judith Johnston Tamara Jones Anne Jones Irene Kearsey Marilyn Kenny Amel Kojic Philip Lally Fiona Lane Cynthia Langley Maree Langley Maggie Lau Janene Lobs Kathryn Lobs Des Logan Anna Louey John Mackinnon Sue Maclellan Alexander Maher

Anna Malmgren Eleanor Manion Tim Marriott Millie Marsh Jennifer Martin Judy Mason Rebecca Mcghee Helen Mcinnis Fiona Mckinley Mick Mcmillan Bernard Metcalfe Zalie Mickan Barbara Minchinton Nadia Mohamed Maureen Molloy David Morris Suzy Muir Pauline Murphy Suzanne Napolitano Helena Nardi Christopher North-Coombes Ross Oberin Fiona O’Donnell Neil Paddle Carol Panjkov Geoffrey Paterson Bruce Paule Lyn Pecchiar Erin Peterson Julian Polain Margaret Pope Patricia Porigneaux David Power Ingrid Pronobis Deanna Ramsey Liz Raven Jon Rennison

Paris Richens Sue Rickard Dawn Riddel Neil Robbins Marie Rogers Warwick Rose Georgia Routledge Colin Ruehland Gerard Ryan Lauren Ryan Jennifer Sach Dorothy Skewes Marica Skidmore Jennifer Smith Allan Smith Madeline Smith Alan Stevens Bianca Stolar Maria Teresa Tavares Costa Robert J Thomas Lindsay Thomas Alice Thompson Gabrielle Thomson Gail Thornthwaite Katina Trajkovska Maureen Treacy Tulay Tsambardas Brian Tseng Mathew Turton Robert Twyford Thomas Tyrrell Judith Vardy Rosemary Waghorne Ian Willmott

And a special thank you to Family Search volunteers: Kathleen Bingham Roger Bingham Helen Goodall Bill Justus Nanette Justus

40

Raelynn Klafke Gordon Lee Perri O’Donnell Garry Reynolds Sheila Reynolds

Joy Rife Debbie Thompson Steve Thompson

Applicant

Project Name

Abbotsford Convent Foundation

Saved: A History of the Abbotsford Convent

Amount Funded $14,918.00

Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society Historical display signs and display case

$3,971.00

Ballarat Tramway Museum

Interpretation of Ballarat’s heritage trams and their role in the community

$8,000.00

Benalla Historical Society Inc.

Digitisation of Benalla “Standard” Newspapers

$14,500.00

Benalla Migrant Camp Inc.

Benalla Migrant Camp 1949–1967 Digital Storytelling Project

$9,500.00

Boolarra and District Historical Society Inc.

Boolarra Museum Display Renewal

$6,500.00

Brighton Historical Society Inc.

Brighton Historical Society Costume Collection Project

Cann River Community Centre

Cann River Local History Project

Charlton Traffic Safety Education Centre as part of Charlton College

Redeveloping and promoting the Charlton “Bill’s Trough”

$1,730.00

ChillOut Daylesford Inc.

ChillOut Daylesford History: Conserving a Collection & Sharing Stories

$14,200.00

Chiltern Athenaeum Trust

Treasures Revealed, Treasures Preserved: Chiltern Athenaeum Museum Collection

$8,405.00

Collective of Self Help Groups (COSHG) Inc.

Picturing Social Justice - Posters from the 80s and 90s

$4,270.45

Darebin Creek Management Committee Incorporated

Napier Waller Artist History Board

$3,267.00

Daylesford & District Historical Society Inc.

Remembering Daylesford’s Three Lost Children Tragedy after 150 years

$7,500.00

Dunkeld Museum Inc.

Dunkeld Historical Town Walk

$10,000.00

Echuca Historical Society Inc.

Digitised Archiving of Riverine Herald 1998 July 2005

$14,927.22

Hobsons Bay Libraries

Explore Hobsons Bay Heritage Tours App

Hustlers Reef Reserve Advisory Committee

Reef Quartz Gold Miners Heritage Trail

King Valley Tourism Association

The Spirit of Salts

$4,450.00

Korowa Anglican Girls’ School

Korowa Anglican Girls’ School Heritage Trail

$2,758.80

Kyneton Contemporary Inc.

Public View: a creative exploration into Kyneton’s past

$9,220.00

$10,630.00 $750.00

$1,345.00 $10,000.00

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Applicant

Project Name

Latin Stories Australia

From Latin American Stories to Victorian History: Building Bridges

$14,997.00

Longwarry & District History Group Inc.

Longwarry and District History Group Inc. Website Development

$3,490.00

Maldon Museum & Archives Association Inc.

Our Stories: A Brief Social History of Maldon

$3,000.00

Mallacoota & District Historical Society Inc.

Purchase display cases for collection items

$7,310.00

Mordialloc College Alumni Association Inc. (MCAA)

Mordialloc College Alumni Association Digitisation and Preservation Project

$5,480.00

Moreland City Football (Soccer) Club

Displaying our Soccer (and Victorian immigration) history project

$3,400.00

Murrindindi Shire Council

The cultural memoir of Taungurung Elder, Uncle Roy Patterson

$5,000.00

My World is Round

Recording of oral history of Victorian “Soccer” migrants

$2,854.00

Nepean Historical Society Inc.

Investigating the 1803 Collins Settlement Burial Sites

$4,840.00

Nillumbik Shire Council

Nillumbik Heritage Digital Guide

$12,575.00

Nyora & District Development Association

Preserving the History of Nyora

$3,930.00

Oakleigh City Band Inc.

Bandstand Beauties: building a history of Victorian Bandstands and their music

$3,480.00

Otway Districts Historical Society Inc.

Otways Coverlet research and conservation project

$2,336.00

Phillip Island National Surfing Reserve Working Group

Phillip Island National Surfing Reserve Archiving Project

$2,039.00

Progressing Cobden Inc.

Making History: Cobden Story (Stage 2)

$13,650.00

Richmond & Burnley Historical Society Inc.

Victoria’s Earliest Potteries

$5,334.00

Societa’ Isole Eolie

Aeolian Heritage and Archive Conservation Project

$6,500.00

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Amount Funded

Appendix 9 Victorian Community History Award winners The Victorian Community History Awards are held annually, in partnership with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, to recognise the contributions made by Victorians to the preservation of the state’s fascinating history, published during the previous year. Winners announced at the October 2016 Awards were: Award

Project

Recipient

Victorian Community History Award ($5000)

These Walls Speak Volumes: A History of Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria

By Pam Baragwanath and Ken James, published by the authors

Judges’ Special Prize ($500)

Reckoning: A Memoir

By Magda Szubanski, Text Publishing

Collaborative Community Award ($2000)

Breaking Out: Memories of Melbourne in the 1970s

Edited by Susan Blackburn, Hale & Iremonger

Local History Project Award ($2000)

‘We Are All of One Blood’ A History of the Djabwurrung Aboriginal People of Wester Victoria, 1936–1901

By Ian D. Clark, Createspace

History Publication Award ($2000)

Hector: The Story of Hector Crawford and Crawford Productions

By Rozzi Bazzani, Arcadia

Local History Small Publication Award ($1500)

The Village of Ripponlea

By Judith Buckrich, Lauranton Books

Cultural Diversity Award ($1500)

Wadaddi Nabadda. Paths to Peace.

Voices of the Somali Speaking Community

By Anne Doyle, Olympic Adult Education

Multimedia Award ($1500)

We Remember: Honouring the Service & Sacrifice of Local Veterans and the Wangaratta Community During WW1, DVD and website

By Rural City of Wangaratta

Historical Interpretation Award ($1500)

Duldig Studio Documentaries

By Eva de Jong-Duldig and Dr David Smith, Duldig Studio

Centenary of WW1 Award ($1500) Home Front Ballarat WW1 website: www.ballaratww1.org.au

History Article (Peer Reviewed) Award ($500)

By Ballarat & District Genealogical Society

Beyond Failure and Success: The

By James Kirby, Soldier Settlement on Ercildoune Road Provenance Journal

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Glossary accession

A group of records from the same transferring agency taken into PROV custody at the same time. The records may be formally arranged and described into records series and consignments or they may be unarranged and undescribed.

Accessioning refers to the process of formally accepting and recording the receipt of records into custody (Keeping Archives1).

advice

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

APROSS

Approved Public Record Office Storage Supplier – the PROV program for the storage of records which the Keeper of Public Records has approved for eventual destruction or which are awaiting a decision as to their archival value.

archive

The whole body of records of continuing value to an organisation or individual.

Sometimes called ‘corporate memory’ (AS 4390.1-1996).

archives

Records considered to have continuing or permanent value that have been, or will be, transferred to the custody of an archival organisation; also used to refer to the buildings in which archival records are stored and to organisations that have responsibility for archival records (Private lives, public records2).

consignment

A consignment comprises record items belonging to a single record series that has been transferred to the custody of PROV as part of the one accession. A consignment may comprise the whole or part of a series. Each consignment is identified by a code (e.g. VPRS 1234/P1).

digital / electronic record

A record produced, housed or transmitted by electronic means rather than physical means. A record expressed in an electronic digital format. A record stored in a form that only a computer can process.

digitised record / digital image

An electronic reproduction of a picture, photograph or physical item (e.g. letter or document) that can be stored on computer or disk, and can be viewed, transmitted, manipulated and/or printed via computer. A subset of digital records (Private lives, public records).

disposal

A range of processes associated with implementing appraisal decisions. These include the retention, deletion or destruction of records in or from recordkeeping systems. They may also include the migration or transmission of records between recordkeeping systems, and the transfer of custody or ownership of records.

Within the Victorian Public Sector, records are appraised to determine their significance (business, legal or historical) and then judged to be either of temporary or permanent value to the state. Government bodies are guided by standards or schedules issued by PROV to regulate the disposal of records.

1 2

J. Ellis (ed.), Keeping Archives, 1993, The Australian Society of Archivists Inc., Australia.

B. Fensham et al., Private lives, public records, 2004, Public Record Office Victoria, Australia.

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disposal authority

A legal document that defines the retention periods and consequent disposal actions authorised for specific classes of records (AS 4390.1-1996).

permanent records

Records which have been appraised as being of permanent value to the State of Victoria and which must be kept forever.

place of deposit (POD)

A location approved by the Victorian Government Minister responsible for PROV for the storage by community groups of temporary records of local value.

Left image: The Bob: Umbrellas, various stages of manufacture, c1934.

Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 14518/P1, Unit 1

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provenance

A principle that involves establishing the administrative context in which records were created and used. The provenance of records includes their original creators and users, and the subsequent administrators who were responsible for the recordkeeping system in which the records were kept (Private lives, public records).

Note: the word Provenance is also used in this document to refer to the title of our annual online journal.

public record

A record made or received by any person employed in a public office while carrying out his or her public duties (Public Records Act 1973).

public records

Information or documents created as part of the activities of state government departments, agencies and local government (Private lives, public records).

reading room

Area set aside at PROV centres for public access to records (Private lives, public records).

record

Something that documents a particular event or decision, or a document and its contents that have some evidentiary value. A record can take many forms:

temporary records

Records which are appraised as being of value for a bounded time span and which may be legally destroyed once they are older than that time span.

transfer

The removal of public records from the offices which have created or inherited them. The custody, ownership and/or responsibility for the records is migrated to the recipient (e.g. from the office to PROV) (see AS ISO 15489.1).

unsentenced records

Records which have not yet been appraised and whose status is therefore not yet determined (Public Records Act 1973).

VPRS

An abbreviation for Victorian Public Record Series. A VPRS number is allocated to each record series when it is transferred to PROV.

• • • •

a document in writing a book, map, plan, graph or drawing a photograph a label marking or other writing which identifies or describes anything of which it forms part, or to which it is attached by any means whatsoever • a disc, tape, soundtrack or other device in which sounds or other data (not being visual images) are embodied so as to be capable (with or without the aid of some other equipment) of being reproduced therefrom • a film, negative, tape or other device in which one or more visual images is embodied so as to be capable (as aforesaid) of being reproduced therefrom • anything whatsoever on which is marked any words, figures, letters or symbols which are capable of carrying a definite meaning to persons conversant with them (AS ISO 15489.1). recordkeeping

Making and maintaining complete, accurate and reliable evidence of business transactions in the form of recorded information.

records management

Field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposal of records, including processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records (AS ISO 15489.1).

repository

The building (or part of the building) in which the collection/holdings are housed.

series

A group of records which are recorded or maintained by the same agency or agencies and which: • are in the same numerical, alphabetical, chronological or other identifiable sequence; or • result from the same accumulation or filing process, perform the same function or may be of similar physical shape or information content.

standard

46

A set of criteria that states a level of legal requirement for Victorian agencies.

Standards are established by the Keeper of Public Records under the Public Records Act 1973.

47

Victorian Archives Centre 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne 10am–4.30pm Monday to Friday (and 2nd and last Saturday of the month)

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre 1st Floor Bendigo Library 251–259 Hargreaves Street Bendigo 10am–4.30pm Wednesday and Thursday

CONTACT US prov.vic.gov.au enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au 03 9348 5600

Geelong Heritage Centre Geelong Library and Heritage Centre 51 Little Malop Street Geelong www.grlc.vic.gov.au Check website for hours Tuesday to Saturday

Ballarat Archives Centre Cnr Mair and Doveton Streets Ballarat 10am–4.30pm Monday and Tuesday