International Council on Archives Congress (ICA2012)
Sustainability. Trust. Identity. These are the themes for the 2012 International Council on Archives (ICA) Congress, held in the southern hemisphere for the first time from 20–24 August in sunny Brisbane, Australia. If you are an archivist, information manager, audiovisual or preservation specialist, this could be the premier event in your 2012 professional calendar.
Rub shoulders with the world’s top archivists including keynote speakers David Ferriero, Archivist for the United States of America, and Judge Baltazar Garzón, renowned Spanish jurist. Help drive the future by being involved in ‘talking circle’ sessions and a top program of presentations and gatherings. Enjoy the facilities at the world-renowned Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and experience the vibrant city of Brisbane. And you can save up to $300 if you register before the end of May.
To view the program and register.
Former Polish President checks into the archives
Left to right, Ula Tansley and former President of
Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski delve into the archives.
Archivist Ula Tansley of Polish nationality was the right person in the right place when the former President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski made a visit to the Wellington office of Archives New Zealand recently.
Ula has been in New Zealand for just a year and was able to show Mr Kwasniewski some archives relating to the Polish children who came to New Zealand during World War Two.
“Mr Kwasniewski was most interested in documents reflecting life of the children in the Pahiatua camp set up for them near Palmerston North, their day-to-day life, education and documents reflecting their jobs aspirations. He also looked at the film we have in the National Film Unit Collection which shows the children arriving and settling in New Zealand.
“He enjoyed this hands-on view of his national history.” As part of his trip to the capitol Polish Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska accompanied Mr Kwasniewski, who is credited with finalizing and signing Poland’s Constitution in 1997.
Samoan delegation finds their history in the archives
From left to right, Uili Fecteau, Hon Mr Fosi,
Hon Mr Fosi, holding a 1914 map of Europe written
in Samoan, and Chief Archivist Greg Goulding.
Finding out about their past history and particularly the years from 1900 to 1914 when Samoa was administered by Germany was the highlight of a 10-strong Samoan Parliamentary delegation visit to Archives New Zealand on 2 April.
Led by the Hon Laauli Leuatea Polataivao Fosi, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the group were given an overview of the documentation held by Archives relevant to Samoa and dating from the present back to 1847.
Archivist, Uili Fecteau, said the group was most impressed by being able to see original documentation from the 14-year German administrative period.
“Little is known of that time, because after World War One, the files were largely neglected and they greatly appreciated being able to see this documentation, “he said.
“The box of archives contained a number of handwritten letters which are extremely valuable in terms of cultural memory. Written in English, Samoan and German the documents keep them in touch with their countries’ past and its relationship with Germany and New Zealand.
“They also appreciated seeing the documents in three formats – the paper originals, the microfilm and the scans. The next step in the process is making these documents available in digital format.”
Currently Archives New Zealand and the German Federal Archive are working on a project to digitise all the Samoan documents. With funding from the German Government the documents are digitised and there are plans to make the files available electronically for research in Samoa, New Zealand and Germany.
This year is the 50th anniversary of Samoa’s independence from New Zealand and the delegation called into Archives as a first stop to a week long visit here.
Samoa’s history has been captured on film and these can be viewed at the Archives New Zealand channel on YouTube.
Ngā Tapuwae March 2012
The latest issue of Archives New Zealand's newsletter detailing information and happenings for the archives is available online. Please use the following link to Ngā Tapuwae March 2012
Future Perfect Conference 2012
The Future Perfect Conference – Digital Preservation by Design will be held in Wellington 26-27 March 2012.
With guest speakers from the United States, Europe and Australia the conference is expected to attract interest from information technologists, records and information managers, enterprise content architects, developers, academics, librarians and archivists.
People with an interest in digital preservation, digital continuity, open standards and open data (particularly government data), metadata, public sector information, technology management and archiving are also expected.
Check out the programme and registration of interest form at: http://futureperfect.org.nz
Coromandel goldmining features in new exhibition
A celebration of goldmining in the Coromandel peninsula is behind a new online exhibition put together by Archives New Zealand’s Auckland Regional Office.
The exhibition shows what it was like to live and work in the goldfields. As reported by Alexander Aitken, Mining Inspector, alluvial deposits found in the Coromandel district in 1851 were the earliest discovery of gold in New Zealand.
From 1862 Warden's Offices were responsible not only for the local management of gold mining and the resolution of disputes, but also the allocation of residence, business and machine sites, water rights, administration of agricultural and pastoral leases, and the hearing of civil and criminal suits within the district.
These Warden’s Office records feature heavily in the exhibition and include applications for rights, registration of claims and claim plans. Mining company registration records also appear. The names of some of the claims are quite fanciful – Nil Desperandum, Asteroid, Golden Anchor, Mount Aurum, and Harp of Tara are just a few examples.
Life in the goldfields would have been dirty, noisy and dangerous. An extract from the Thames Hospital register records details of three men who had been involved in an explosion at the Caledonian Low Level mine in 1884.
The Wardens Courts also licensed machine sites, including stamper batteries, which were used to crush the gold-bearing ore. At one time there were 693 stamper heads operating in Thames alone. These batteries operated almost 24/7, with a break on Sunday mornings to allow for church attendance. It was a stressful environment and people reported that they found the silence unnerving.
Currently volunteers at Auckland Regional Office are indexing some Warden’s Courts holdings, which will make these records more accessible. These records are being made searchable through Archway, Archives New Zealand’s online search engine.
UNESCO recognition for National Film Unit newsreels
The National Film Unit newsreels, a significant collection in the care of Archives New Zealand, have just been placed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) New Zealand Memory of the World Register.
UNESCO recognition for National Film Unit newsreels media release.
Ngā Tapuwae December 2011
Ngā Tapuwae December 2011 - the latest issue of Archives New Zealand's newsletter is available online.
Ngā Tapuwae October 2011
Ngā Tapuwae October 2011 - the latest issue of Archives New Zealand's newsletter is available online:http://archives.govt.nz/about/publications-media/nga-tapuwae-october-2011
Re-housing the Treaty of Waitangi under consideration
A new home for this country’s founding document the Treaty of Waitangi is under consideration in a specially prepared space in the refurbished National Library building in Molesworth Street, Wellington.
In an announcement yesterday (19 October) Hon Nathan Guy, the Minister Responsible for Archives New Zealand and the National Library, said creating a new exhibition space in the Library building for Te Tiriti gives many more New Zealanders the opportunity to engage with and learn about this country’s founding document.
Archives New Zealand Chief Archivist Greg Goulding said moving Te Tiriti to a larger venue would give more New Zealanders the opportunity to engage with and learn about this country’s founding document. The close proximity to Parliament, which also has a high public profile, is another plus.
Speaking on behalf of manu whenua, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, Sir Ngatata Love said the prospect of re-housing Te Tiriti is a welcome move, as giving the document a higher profile is in keeping with its mana.
The Treaty is currently on display at the Archives New Zealand building in Mulgrave Street in Wellington. However, the National Library’s newly refurbished building on Molesworth Street is due for completion later next year presenting an opportunity to maximise the use of this new facility.