Public Record Office Victoria
Encyclopedia
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) is the government archives of the Australian State of Victoria
. PROV was created by the Victorian Public Records Act 1973 with responsibility for the better preservation management and utilization of the public records of the State.
) by the Secretary of the Law Department. In ensuing years, reinforced by a 1927 instruction to departments from the Premier that no documents be destroyed without reference to the trustees of the Public Library, a substantial archival collection of Victorian public records was created. The first archivist was appointed to the staff of the Public Library in 1948. In 1955 a Senior Archivist was appointed and a separate Archives Section was established in 1961. The Library Council of Victoria Act 1965 introduced the first, though brief, legislative provisions for the control and preservation of public records in Victoria.
The Public Records Act came into effect on 17 April 1973. The Laverton
Base Repository was acquired in 1975 and developed to ultimately house approximately 80 kilometres of public records and to provide a facility for public research. The holdings, based on the records transferred from the Archives Division of the State Library of Victoria, grew through an active transfer program. A reading room in the Melbourne
CBD was established and a regional repository to serve the Victorian Central Highlands Region was established at Ballarat in 1982.
The purpose built Victorian Archives Centre (VAC) was designed and constructed in North Melbourne and all Melbourne based activities of PROV were transferred there, including the complete holdings from the Laverton Base Repository, by 2004. The VAC reading room is named after the first Keeper of Public Records, Harry Nunn OAM
, and is a facility shared by PROV with the Melbourne Office of National Archives of Australia
. Researchers can thus access archives of both the Victorian and Australian governments in the one reading room. The VAC repository has a potential capacity of over 120 kilometres.
The Office’s structure reflects the two broad areas of responsibility defined in the Act, that is, a role in providing leadership and services in records management for Victorian public offices, and the preservation of and provision of access to the State’s archives.
The Keeper of Public Records is able to establish standards for the management of public records and a large proportion of the Office’s resources are dedicated to meeting obligations in this area. Of particular significance is the pioneering Victorian Electronic Records Strategy
(VERS).
The other main arm of the Office is dedicated to preservation and access. Access to public records is both by traditional delivery of original records to individual researchers in PROV reading rooms and through innovative physical and online publications, exhibitions, public programs, databases and reproductions of public records.
was appointed as Police Magistrate and a formal government presence in the Port Phillip District
of the Colony of New South Wales, as Victoria was then known, was established. PROV’s holdings include most 19th and 20th century central correspondence systems for major Victorian public offices as well as records of:
Records associated with both the Kelly
Gang outbreak and the Eureka Stockade
uprising are available online and have been added to the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. PROV was created by the Victorian Public Records Act 1973 with responsibility for the better preservation management and utilization of the public records of the State.
History
Prior to 1903 there was no formal attempt to deposit Victorian government records with an archival authority. In that year ten volumes of Convict Indents were transferred to the Public Library (later the State Library of VictoriaState Library of Victoria
The State Library of Victoria is the central library of the state of Victoria, Australia, located in Melbourne. It is on the block bounded by Swanston, La Trobe, Russell, and Little Lonsdale streets, in the northern centre of the central business district...
) by the Secretary of the Law Department. In ensuing years, reinforced by a 1927 instruction to departments from the Premier that no documents be destroyed without reference to the trustees of the Public Library, a substantial archival collection of Victorian public records was created. The first archivist was appointed to the staff of the Public Library in 1948. In 1955 a Senior Archivist was appointed and a separate Archives Section was established in 1961. The Library Council of Victoria Act 1965 introduced the first, though brief, legislative provisions for the control and preservation of public records in Victoria.
The Public Records Act came into effect on 17 April 1973. The Laverton
Laverton
There is more than one place named Laverton:In Australia:*Laverton, Victoria is a suburb of Melbourne*Laverton, Western Australia is a shire and townIn the United Kingdom*Laverton, Gloucestershire*Laverton, North Yorkshire*Laverton, Somerset...
Base Repository was acquired in 1975 and developed to ultimately house approximately 80 kilometres of public records and to provide a facility for public research. The holdings, based on the records transferred from the Archives Division of the State Library of Victoria, grew through an active transfer program. A reading room in the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
CBD was established and a regional repository to serve the Victorian Central Highlands Region was established at Ballarat in 1982.
The purpose built Victorian Archives Centre (VAC) was designed and constructed in North Melbourne and all Melbourne based activities of PROV were transferred there, including the complete holdings from the Laverton Base Repository, by 2004. The VAC reading room is named after the first Keeper of Public Records, Harry Nunn OAM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, and is a facility shared by PROV with the Melbourne Office of National Archives of Australia
National Archives of Australia
The National Archives of Australia is a body established by the Government of Australia for the purpose of preserving Commonwealth Government records. It is an Executive Agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and reports to the Cabinet Secretary, Senator Joe Ludwig.The national...
. Researchers can thus access archives of both the Victorian and Australian governments in the one reading room. The VAC repository has a potential capacity of over 120 kilometres.
Senior Archivists and Keepers of Public Records
- 1948 Donald Baker, first Archivist at the Public Library of Victoria
- 1949 Rosemary McGowan, Archivist
- 1951 Patricia Ingham, Archivist
- 1955 Harry Nunn, Senior Archivist
- 1973 Harry Nunn, Keeper of Public Records
- 1981 Chris Hurley, Keeper of Public Records
- 1990 Loretta Hambly, Keeper of Public Records
- 1992 Ross Gibbs, Keeper of Public Records
- 2004 Justine Heazlewood, Keeper of Public Records
Structure
The Public Records Act established the Public Record Office, the position of Keeper of Public Records and the Public Records Advisory Council. Subject to the general control and direction of the Minister responsible for the Public Record Office, the Keeper exercises the powers and responsibilities defined in the Act. The role of the Advisory Council is, in consultation with the Keeper, to promote cooperation between PROV and public offices and to report or make recommendations to the Minister.The Office’s structure reflects the two broad areas of responsibility defined in the Act, that is, a role in providing leadership and services in records management for Victorian public offices, and the preservation of and provision of access to the State’s archives.
The Keeper of Public Records is able to establish standards for the management of public records and a large proportion of the Office’s resources are dedicated to meeting obligations in this area. Of particular significance is the pioneering Victorian Electronic Records Strategy
Victorian Electronic Records Strategy
The Victorian Electronic Records Strategy is a standard that addresses the problem of capturing, managing and preserving electronic records. The standard is set by the Public Record Office Victoria ....
(VERS).
The other main arm of the Office is dedicated to preservation and access. Access to public records is both by traditional delivery of original records to individual researchers in PROV reading rooms and through innovative physical and online publications, exhibitions, public programs, databases and reproductions of public records.
The Collection
With some exceptions PROV’s holdings date from 1836 when Captain William LonsdaleWilliam Lonsdale (colonist)
William Lonsdale supervised the founding of the official settlement at Port Phillip from 1836 and went on to serve under the Superintendent La Trobe from 1839 to 1854.-Early life:...
was appointed as Police Magistrate and a formal government presence in the Port Phillip District
Port Phillip District
The Port Phillip District was an historical administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales, existing from September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria....
of the Colony of New South Wales, as Victoria was then known, was established. PROV’s holdings include most 19th and 20th century central correspondence systems for major Victorian public offices as well as records of:
- courts, tribunals, Royal Commissions etc
- municipalities and other local governing bodies
- statutory authorities such as the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (Wikipedia link) and the State Bank of Victoria (Wikipedia link)
- police, prisons and health and welfare institutions
- education, immigration, Aboriginal affairs, Crown land, infrastructure
- etc
Records associated with both the Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
Gang outbreak and the Eureka Stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
uprising are available online and have been added to the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register.
External links
- PROV home page
- PROVWiki
- PROV Annual Reports
- VERS
- Map VAC
- Google maps
- Map BAC
- History of PROV: A short history of PROV and the early years of Victorian archives were published in Volume 1, issues No 1 and 2 of PROVENANCE, the Journal of Public Record Office Victoria
- Keeping the Records Public symposium papers online