Letter from historian Andrew G. Peake , JP, OAM ,to concerned groups .
I am writing to you on behalf of the History Council of South Australia and the Friends of SA Archives regarding the situation regarding the National Archives Australia repository in SA, which is slated for closure at the end of the year, with all the records being transferred to the eastern states, probably Canberra.
South Australia is the first state/territory slated for its repository to close, as its lease expires in October, 2021, although it has been extended to December. At least WA, Tasmania and NT are also slated for closure, with the date dependent as leases expire on repositories.
SA has been assured that the records will be comprehensively described and then largely digitised at the Digital Hub to be created in Canberra. But can you trust them! Earlier records removed from SA, a decade or so ago, e.g. bankruptcy records, were removed to Perth, and then some years later, transported across the country to Sydney, where they remain un-described, and largely inaccessible.
We are recommending that you discuss this prospect with like minded historical
For SA we are facing a loosing battle, as it has only in the last month that we have learnt of the prospect. As it is, our campaign was hampered by the Commonwealth Govt, coming up with $67.7m to digitise records, although there is no guarantee that this will include all relevant SA records, as much of the funding will go to preserving 'magnetic tape' material.
SA is particularly disadvantaged as the NAA repository in SA has a large amount of pre-colonial records that were transferred to Commonwealth departments on Federation.
