Home >> Events and Programs >> Hamer Awards >> Hamer Awards Winners 2008

Sir Rupert Hamer Records Management Awards

Award Winners 2008

Government Agency Categories

The Awards in the Victorian government agency categories recognise excellence and innovation in records management.

Winners and their projects are as follows:

Small Agency – Rural Finance Corporation ( Certificate of Commendation )

PROJECT: Rural Finance Corporation Records Management & Disposal Program
In 2006 the Corporation identified a number of significant records management issues, and committed staff and budget to develop and implement a Disposal Program. This resulted in: improved records management and awareness of obligations across the agency; improved access through a scanning program and by transfer of records to PROV; and moves towards assessment of the document management system for compliance against the VERS Standard.

Medium Agency – Victorian Auditor-General's Office ( Winner )

PROJECT: Records Management Checklist – A tool to improve records management
VAGO commenced a major performance audit of records management in the Victorian public sector in mid-2007. The Records Management Checklist was the primary tool developed and used to collect evidence for the audit. It was used by 110 agencies to self assess their performance and was recognised by them as a valuable tool. The Checklist helps agencies comply with PROV records management standards, can identify areas for improvement in records management, is principle-based and is consistent with Australian and PROV Standards.

Large Agency – Department of Human Services ( Winner )

PROJECT: Records Management Improvement Strategy
Key objectives of the strategy were to reduce an estimated 76 kilometres of records through authorised destruction of time expired records; to increase the percentage of records captured in the recordkeeping system; and to preserve and prevent deterioration of vital records and finding aids. Achievements in 2008 included the development of 6 Retention and Disposal Authorities, endorsement by the Secretary of a new departmental Recordkeeping Policy and the establishment of a Records Management Strategy Steering Committee.

Large Agency – City of Greater Dandenong ( Certificate of Commendation )

PROJECT: Historical Scanning Project: Scanning the past to build the future
This project was aimed at dealing with controlling and providing access to various records, including inactive and archival records, dating from before the 1994 council amalgamations. The focus was to address storage and preservation of permanent and vital records, including imaging for efficient access and service delivery and linking legacy records to active records, and to facilitate access to current information in a cost effective manner.

Large Agency – University of Melbourne ( Certificate of Commendation )

PROJECT: Web Archiving @ the University of Melbourne
The Web Archiving program's Collection Management Plan focuses on University of Melbourne web pages that contain corporate records or document corporate activities. Using an internet archive subscription service, two approaches permit either quarterly, whole-of-domain retrieval for archiving or a selective approach to target particular pages more frequently.

NOTE: No prize was awarded in the Regional/Rural Agency Category

Community Archives Categories

Recognising achievements from Community Archives in preserving and making accessible records of significance to their local communities.

Winners and their projects are as follows:

NOTE: No prize was awarded in Category 1.

Category 2 – Castlemaine Historical Society Inc. ( Winner )

PROJECT: Metcalfe Shire Council Sundry Correspondence Files
Castlemaine Historical Society received 76 boxes and three volumes of sundry correspondence from the former Metcalfe Shire. The boxes contained over 500 documents each and all records required cleaning, rehousing and indexing to make them accessible. The indexing project resulted in a powerful tool to assist research into the former Shire and to make the records accessible to the wider community.

Category 3 – Royal Historical Society of Victoria ( Winner )

PROJECT: Mac Robertson's Round Australia Expedition 1928
With the assistance of a Potter Foundation grant, the R.H.S.V has commenced digitising its collection. The significant McPherson Robertson collection was an early candidate for digitising and images from it have been used in the online exhibition ‘Mac Robertson's Round Australia Expedition 1928'. As well as providing improved access to the collection, volunteer involvement and the use of tools such as blogs have led to affiliated societies having access to teaching aids to form similar projects they might undertake.

Category 3 – Bellarine Historical Society Inc. ( Certificate of Commendation )

PROJECT: Geelong and District Potpourri Database
The database is ongoing work that provides access to a variety of indexes of records and other information sources relevant to the Geelong district. The indexes are produced primarily by volunteers in historical societies across the region. The database is freely accessible online and updated CD ROM versions are regularly distributed to local groups who have no, or limited, internet access.

Category 4 – East Gippsland Shire Council (Winner)

PROJECT:
A project to apply the Local Government Retention and Disposal Authority led to the transfer of permanent records to PROV and the identification of significant temporary records with local historical significance. By a process of consultation and negotiation, the Shire supported the appointment by PROV of six local Places of Deposit (POD) in 2008. So far the Shire has transferred 95 large volumes of historic council records to the six PODs.

AWARD WINNERS GROUP PHOTO

Back Row, L-R: Alleyne Hockley, Ian Hockley & Ray Pattle (Castlemaine Historical Society); Malcolm Smith & Lisa Sullivan (Rural Finance Corporation); Ruth Edge (City of Greater Dandenong); Susie Zada & Pam Jennings (Bellarine Historical Society); Joy Patton (Victorian Auditor-General's Office)
Front Row, L-R: Kate Prinsley, Vicki Court, & Andrew Lemon (Royal Historical Society of Victoria); Lucinda Davies & Catherine Nicholls (University of Melbourne); Ann Goode (East Gippsland Shire Council; David Ali & Sandra Papashalis (Department of Human Services)

Back to top