NATIONAL archives from South Australia will be moved to the State Records Centre in Adelaide, the State and Federal governments have announced.
The move comes after the Federal Government said last year it wanted to close the Adelaide branch of National Archives and move records interstate to save $3 million.
As part of the colocation, South Australian Colonial records moved interstate will also be returned to Adelaide.
Post, railway and customs records held in Sydney after being moved in 2000, will be returned to mark the State's 175th anniversary of settlement this year.
The move will allow academics, researchers, genealogists and students to access federal, state and local government archival records from the State Records Centre on Leigh St in the city.
Federal Minister Brendan O'Connor and SA Minister Paul Holloway announced the colocation at the centre
"Once archives from all three tiers of government can be searched and accessed from the one site at Leigh Street in the city, this will create a convenient and efficient way for the public to gain the information they need," Mr Holloway said.
Mr O'Connor said it was appropriate to return Colonial archives back to SA.
"The agreement...will ensure South Australians can access a variety of government records from one convenient location," Mr O'Connor said.
Replies
Thanks for the news Jenny,
one hopes that since records are going to be returned to SA as part of the colocation that this will happen in Tassie and NT too. It should at the very least strengthen our cause.
Message this morning from Cheryl Watson a/g Director-General, National Archives of Australia.
"I wish to advise you that our Minister the Hon Brendan O’Connor MP and the Hon Paul Holloway, the South Australian Minister Assisting the Premier for Public Sector Management are jointly announcing this morning that the State and Federal governments will co-locate archival services at the South Australian State Records’ City Research Centre in Leigh Street. Our Minister will further announce that some South Australian records moved to Sydney in 2000 will be returned to Adelaide. These records are the Colonial Post, Railway and Customs records. The announcement follows the agreement reached last year with the Northern Territory Government to co-locate offices in Darwin.
The Media Release will be available on the Ministers’ website shortly – http://www.ministerhomeaffairs.gov.au/www/ministers/oconnor.nsf/Pag...
David Swift, State Director of the Adelaide and Brisbane Offices and Mr John Williams, Advisory Council member, will represent the Archives at the announcement.
Consultations with staff in Adelaide and the Adelaide Consultative Forum are continuing.
Cheryl"