I need some advice re: some material that has been offered to our (religious, and therefore private) archives. One of the members of the religious order for whom I work has in his possession two photo albums created by his father, who was a lay missionary working on Bathurst & Melville Islands in the early 1930s. Most of the images are of the social and cultural lives of the indigenous people he lived with; some were reproduced in a book written about the experience, called 'North of the Never Never', published by Angus & Robertson in 1934. The son (who is in his late 70s) asked me whether the archives would be the best place for them once he dies. I am wondering about the appropriateness - on a number of levels - of keeping the photos here: - firstly I'm not conversant with the protocols re: handling of material relating to indigenous people (although this could be rectified). Secondly, I'd be drawing a long bow to include the material in our archives, given that the images are not of activities undertaken by members of this order (I could, of course, keep them as part of the personal collection of the friar in question, but....) Thirdly, if it turns out that the images are of some value (not monetary) should they not form part of the 'national' collection? If this is the case, where is the best place for them? Can someone point me towards the best person/department to speak to about this?
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Hi Kim, we'd ( the Picturse and Manuscripts Branch at the NLA) would be delighted to speak to you either to offer advice or to discuss providing the material with a new home. Contact either Nicki Mackay-Sim at pictures_acquisitions@nla.gov.au, ph: 02 6262 1395 or me on manuscriptsacquisitions@nla.gov.au, ph; 02 6262 1456. Nicki is the Curator of Pictures and I'm the Curator of Manuscripts. All the best, Emma Jolley.
You could try talking to Di Hosking, Director, Audiovisual Archives, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) (www.aiatsis.gov.au/corporate/contacts.aspx), regarding protocols and long-term placement of the collection.