Rudd Government listens to Adelaide on National Archives
Date: 23 February 2010
The Rudd Government today announced the National Archives of Australia will maintain face-to-face services in Adelaide. “Australia’s National Archives play a vital role in keeping the political, social and cultural history of Australia alive,” the Minister with responsibility for the National Archives, Senator Joe Ludwig, said. “I understand the importance of maintaining a local presence in each state and territory.” “The Rudd Government has listened to community concerns and today I can announce that the Government will keep the Adelaide office open until a suitable co-location arrangement can be made.” Member for Adelaide, Kate Ellis, welcomed the news, saying today’s announcement coincides with Shake Your Family Tree Day, a National Archives initiative to encourage more Australians to explore their family history. “Instead of closing the Adelaide office, the Government will move to co-locate with similar institutions,” Ms Ellis said. “This will enable the National Archives to continue to provide high quality services in Adelaide for all South Australians,” the Member for Port Adelaide, Mark Butler said. “This is a good outcome for South Australia. In particular, the Adelaide office has an important role to play in assisting South Australians in their search for Colonial papers and migrant arrivals as well as military and maritime information.” “Co-location will help put the National Archives on a sustainable footing for the long term, while maintaining face-to-face services in South Australia,” the Member for Makin, Tony Zappia said. The National Archives has already begun looking at options for co-location with local institutions. “The reality is that our society is changing and more people are using the internet to search for records,” Senator Ludwig said. “Last financial year there were only 720 visits to the Adelaide reading room compared to 22,290 visits nationally, while more than 1.9 million records were accessed online.” Similar arrangements will be put in place in Darwin and Hobart, and the Government will encourage other National Archives offices to consider options for co-location.
