News from Access Services at Public Record Office Victoria
April 2005 – Number 10

rEsearch is a bi-monthly update on public access news at Public Record Office Victoria (PROV). Current and past editions of rEsearch are available online here and are also emailed to subscribers. Email a request to ask.prov@dvc.vic.gov.au if you want to be included on our subscriber list.

Contents
1. New Online Catalogue to replace Archives @ Victoria
2. Family History Fair – Made to Measure!
3. Provenance, Call for Papers
4. Koorie Records Indexing Project
5. From the Ballarat Archives Centre
6. Exhibitions
- Forgotten Faces – Chinese and the Law
- Transported Back
7. PROV Tours
8. What’s New
- PROVguide 74 Women – Sources at Public Record Office Victoria
- Archives@Victoria
9. Seminars 2005
- Archival Support Program, February - November 2005
- Seminar Series, February - June 2005
10. Saturday Openings, April - June 2005
11. PROV Events Calendar April - June 2005
12. Feedback
13. About this Publication

1. New Online Catalogue to replace Archives @ Victoria

Researchers who have used records at Public Record Office Victoria over the last few years will have become accustomed to using the online catalogue, Archives@Victoria to search and order records. From 4 July 2005 you will notice some significant changes to the catalogue that are aimed to make it much more user-friendly.

To start with, the name Archives@Victoria will disappear. The catalogue will instead become an integral part of the PROV website. All of the search, order and user registration functions will be presented as menu options together with new features such as Research Pathways, which will provide guidance for both experienced and novice researchers.

There will be better context sensitive help available and you will be able to choose the way your search results are sorted and displayed. Other features will include the ability to locate and view digital records through the catalogue and to place an alert on records you want to order that are out on order to someone else.

Prior to the implementation of the new online catalogue, there will be limited services to Archives@Victoria on Saturday 25 June while system testing takes place. This day is an open Saturday for the VAC Reading Room and only records ordered prior to the day will be available for viewing. Users will not have access to Archives@Victoria to search or place new orders however PROV databases and indexes will be made available on CD Rom in the Reading Room.

2. Family History Fair - Made to Measure!

The National Archives of Australia and Public Record Office Victoria are hosting a free Family and Local History Fair on Saturday 16 April, 10 am-4 pm at the Victorian Archives Centre, North Melbourne.

If you’ve ever wanted to trace your family’s journey, find your grandfather’s war service record or connect with long lost friends, this event is your perfect fit.

There will be plenty on offer: chat to local history and genealogy groups; hear talks about family and local history records held by the NAA and PROV; take a tour of the VAC and see inside the PROV repository; ask about caring for your keepsakes at the Conservation clinic; visit PROV’s exhibition Forgotten Faces: Chinese and the Law and enjoy lunch or light refreshments at Café 99.

For further information, contact the NAA on 03 9348 5600.

3. Provenance – Call for Papers

We are now calling for papers for the 2005 issue of Provenance – the journal of Public Record Office Victoria, which will be published later this year. The submission deadline has now been extended to 30 April 2005.

The basic requirement for articles to be considered for publication in Provenance is that they include research from records in PROV’s holdings. The journal welcomes articles from across all disciplines and subject areas, from anyone who has used our records and believes they have an interesting story to tell.

In November 2004, Provenance became an online journal that can be accessed for free from the PROV website (http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/provenance/welcome.asp). Interested authors can also obtain a brief for contributors detailing submission guidelines from the website at http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/provenance/cfp.asp.

To discuss submission of an article or to obtain further information about the journal, please contact the editor Sebastian Gurciullo by emailing sebastian.gurciullo@dvc.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 9348 5600.

4. Koorie Records Indexing Project

In 2005 PROV will be undertaking a Koorie Records Indexing Project. Based on successful programs at other archival institutions (such as the National Archives of Australia and Community and Personal Histories project in Queensland) PROV will be name-indexing the records in its collection created by the Chief Protector of Aborigines and his successors. The indexing project will be lead by Simon Flagg, Koorie Reference and Indexing Officer. The indexing is expected to start in May 2005 and we hope the index will be publicly available in mid-2006.

5. From the Ballarat Archives Centre

The Ballarat Archives Centre (BAC) welcomes several new Reference Officers into the reference team, Lauren, Ben and Deb. Lauren who has had previous experience at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, will be undertaking training at the Victorian Archives reading room in North Melbourne for the next few months. In the meantime Ben and Deb will be training at BAC. Ben is an archivist and has had many years working in the industry, most recently with Bayside Health based at the Alfred Hospital. He will be working in the reading room Mondays & Tuesdays. Deb has had many years interest in history and is undertaking further study in Information Services. Deb will be working on the reference desk on Tuesdays.

6. Exhibitions

• Forgotten Faces – Chinese and the Law
PROV’s new exhibition, Forgotten Faces: Chinese and the Law, a collaborative venture with the Golden Dragon Museum Bendigo, is now on display at the Victorian Archives Centre, North Melbourne. Featured in the exhibition are haunting images of Chinese male prisoners from nineteenth century prison registers and original records from the PROV collection, including a nineteenth century anti-opium petition from members of the Chinese community to the Victorian Parliament. These are among the scant original documents available today of the Chinese community in nineteenth-century Victoria. Objects from the Golden Dragon Museum Bendigo, including opium pipes, lacquered Chinese furniture and scales for weighing gold are also on display.

For further information, please contact PROV on ph (03) 9348 5600.

• Transported Back
This very successful exhibition has finished its run at the Victorian Archives Centre. Don’t despair, however, if you haven’t had a chance to view this extraordinary exhibition of black and white photographs from the Public Transport Corporation collection. Transported Back will soon be available as a travelling exhibition. Further details will be made available through rEsearch and the PROV website (www.prov.vic.gov.au/events/patex.asp). In the meantime, visit www.prov.vic.gov.au/access/ptc.asp to search the PTC photographic collection database of thousands of images and don’t forget Museum Victoria’s Victorian Railway website at http://www.museums.vic.gov.au/railways to view a selection of images and other railways material.

7. PROV Tours

These popular one hour, behind the scenes tours are run by PROV’s volunteer tour guides on the last Friday of the month at 10.00am, 12.00am and 2.00pm. Groups do not exceed 15 people and we have had very enthusiastic responses from people who have taken this tour. Tour dates now include an 11.00am tour on Saturdays when the Reading Room is open to the public, including 30 April, 14 and 28 May and 25 June. It is necessary to book by phoning PROV Reception (03) 9348 5600.

Would you like to volunteer at Public Record Office Victoria to help PROV make records more accessible? We are looking to expand our volunteer program and are seeking people who would like to index Passenger Lists and other records, transcribe 19th and 20th century documents and act as Tour Guides. If you are interested please call Susie Leehane (03) 9348 5782 or email susie.leehane@dvc.vic.gov.au.

8. What’s New

• PROVguide 74: Women – Sources at Public Record Office Victoria
The latest addition to the PROVguide set is PROVguide 74: Women – Sources at Public Record Office Victoria.

The PROVguide was published following the implementation of the First Ladies – Finding Women in Public Record Office Victoria website (http://womenaustralia.info/exhib/fl/firstladies.asp) The website is the result of a collaborative project between PROV and project workers from the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) and the University of Melbourne. It has been designed as an online access point that links together historical detail, archival resources, published resources and current information about women in Victoria.

PROVguide 74: Women – Sources in Public Record Office Victoria provides information to assist researchers who want to access the website and use it as a tool to find records referring to women at PROV and other archives.

The PROVguide can be found in PROV reading rooms and online on the PROV website.

• Archives@Victoria
Victorian Public Record Series (VPRS) are occasionally reprocessed as research by PROV archivists uncovers more about the records and their context. The lists appearing below may include some reprocessed series, as well as new accessions and transfers of additional consignments to existing series. The lists may also include records that are closed (in part or whole) to general public access in PROV reading rooms. If a record has been closed under section 9 or section 10 of the Public Records Act, you may need to apply for access under Freedom of Information. To do this, you will need to know which Government department is responsible for the particular records and staff in our reading rooms can provide assistance with this.

In some instances you can also apply for Special Access to some closed records by writing to the Keeper of Public Records for permission. PROVguide 14 has information on how to go about this.

For further information, please visit http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/archivesvictoria or contact PROV reference staff on ask.prov@dvc.vic.gov.au.

VA 3128 Family and Community Development Committee (Previously known as Community Development Committee 1992-1996)
VPRS 11506/P5 Committee Records 1992-1995 (Restricted Access)
VPRS 11506/P6 Committee Records 1992-1995 (Restricted Access)

VA 3137 Public Accounts and Estimates Committee
VPRS 12625/P5 Committee Records 1993-2002 (Restricted Access)

VA 3138 Economic and Budget Review Committee
VPRS 8839/P4 Committee Records, 1982-1992 (Restricted Access)

Lands Series Approved - Dec 2004 / Jan 2005
13951/P2 Rent Roll, Estates, Section 49 Closer Settlement Act 1905, 1905-1907 (Open)
14416/P1 Rent Roll, Section 55 Closer Settlement Act 1904, 1908-1914 (Open)
14417/P1 Estates Registers, Closer Settlement, 1911-1920 (Open)
14433/P1 Inspector's Report Books, Acquisition of Land, Closer Settlement Acts and Discharged Soldiers Settlement Acts, 1918-1924 (Open)
14435/P1 Register of Estate Purchases, Closer Settlement Acts, 1901-1928 (Open)
14436/P1 Register of Land Purchased, Discharged Soldiers Settlement Acts, 1918-1929 (Open)
14441/P1 Estate Book, Closer Settlement, 1901-1928 (Open)
14437/P1 Register of Inward Correspondence, Soldier Settlement, 1918-1920 (Open)
14438/P1 Register of Approved Overseas Settlers, British Empire Settlement Act 1922, 122-1928 (Open)
3678/P0 and P1 Register of Realisation of Assets, Closer and Soldier Settlement Acts, 1923-1936 (Open)
10442/P0 and P1 Rent Roll, Advances and Liens, 1920-1924 (Open)
14327/P2 Register of Inward Correspondence, Bairnsdale District Land Office, 1874-1922 (Open)
14334/P2 Register of Inward Correspondence, Alexandra District Land Office, 1881-1924 (Open)
14340/P2 Register of Inward Correspondence, Local, Bendigo District Land Office, 1876-1892 (Open)
14537/P1 Register of Transfers of Leases, 1934-1937 (Open)
14538/P1 Allotments Granted under the Closer and Discharged Soldier Settlement Acts, 1917-1926 (Open)
14539/P1 Cancellation Cards, Closer and Soldier Settlement Acts, 1939-1948 (Open)
14540/P1 Advances to Lessees, Closer Settlement Act 1904, 1910-1913 (Open)
14541/P1 Newspaper Cuttings, 1925-1925 (Open)
14542/P1 Register of Inward Correspondence, 1925-1925 (Open)
14544/P1 Register of the Sale of Right to Lease Sections 91 and 92 Land Act 1884 and Swamp Land Leases Section 85 Land Act 1890, 1885-?1900 (Open)
14545/P1 Register of Applications, Stawell and Hamilton, Section 147 Land Act 1901 and Section 14 Land Act 1905 (Occupation Branch), 1911-1914 (Open)
14546/P1 Register of Applications, Melbourne, Sections 113 and 114 Land Act 1898 and Sections 146 and 147 Land Act 1901, 1903-1908 (Open)
14547/P1 Register of Inward Correspondence, Survey Branch I, 1875-1876 (Open)
14548/P1 Register of Inward Correspondence, Survey Branch II, 1876-1891 (Open)
13927/P2 Rent Roll, Workmens Homes, 1903-1917 (Open)
14358/P1 Register of Applications, Mallee Division Other Sections Land Acts 1884, 1898 and 1901 (Occupation Branch), 1894-1920 (Open)
14367/P1 Register of Applications, Mallee Allotments Mallee Pastoral Leases Act 1883, 1883-1901 (Open)
14383/P1 Register of Applications, Mallee Lands, Section 6 Mallee Lands Act 1896, 1897-1899 (Open)
14385/P1 Register of Lessees, Mallee Allotments, 1884-1896 (Open)
14386/P1 Register of Lessees, Mallee Lands, Section 6 Mallee Lands Act 1896, 1897-1899 (Open)
14405/P1 Register of Applications, Agricultural Allotments, Mallee Allotments (Occupation Branch), 1892-1920 (Open)
14406/P1 Register of Holders of Mallee Blocks and Mallee Allotments, Counties of Lowan and Borung (Horsham District Survey Office), 1883-1896 (Open)
14431/P1 Register of Applications, Bairnsdale, Section 21 Land Act 1901 (Occupation Branch), 1903-1907 (Open)
14442/P1 General Ledger, 1905-1919 (Open)
14443/P1 Register of Applications, Advances, Sectiobn 86 Closer Settlement Acts 1912 and 1915, 1913-1918 (Open)
14444/P1 Summary Cards, Closer Settlement Blocks Vacated or Lease Cancelled, Northern Victoria, 1925-1946 (Open)
14446/P1 Discharged Soldiers Settlement, County of Borung, 1918-1918 (Open)
14482/P1 Copies of Leases, Section 142 Land Act 1901 and Section 125 Land Act 1915, 1915-1947 (Open)
14483/P1 Certificates of Adjustment, Regulation 12 April 1881, 1881-1932 (Open)
14488/P1 Register of Probates, 1879-1983 (Open)
14489/P1 Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1902-1962 (Open)
14490/P1 Register of Powers of Attorney, 1891-1902 (Open)
1317/P0 Register of Applications, Permits to Occupy, Homestead Associations, Settlement on Lands Act 1893, 1891-1902 (Open)
6909/P1 Inward Registered Correspondence and Circulars, Crown Lands Commissioners, 1842-1851 (Open)
6915/P1 Loddon Aboriginal Station Files, 1853-1856 (Open)
6918/P1 Evidence Presented, 1859-1859 (Open)
14486/P1 Schedule of Cases, Land (Crown Leases Adjustment) Act, 1937-1941 (Open)
14582/P1 File Cards, Melbourne Division, Closer and Soldier Settlement Acts, 1932-?1934 (Open)
14584/P1 File Cards, Northern Division, Closer and Soldier Settlement Acts, 1932-?1934 (Open)
14642/P1 Numerical Index and File Movement Cards for Land Policy Administration (LPA) Files, 1978-1994 (Open)
14667/P1 File List, Reserves by Purpose, 1990-1990 (Open)
14668/P1 Summary File and Locality Cards, 'Rs' and 'C' Files, ?1960-1960 (Open)

9. Seminars 2005

• Archival Support Program, February - November 2005
The Archival Support Program is a joint initiative of PROV and the Australian Society of Archivists. These sessions are aimed at historical societies, small archives and museums but will also be of interest to individuals preserving private collections for the future.

Places are still available for the next Archival Support Program session ‘Introduction to Archives’ on Saturday 14 May at Maldon. You can learn about current methods of managing archives including collection policies and the arrangement, description and cataloguing of records. You will also explore the practical and legal issues involved in providing public access to records. Cost is $16.50 (incl. morning tea, lunch and GST)

For further information, contact Laura Daniele, Public Programs Officer on 03 9348 5757.

• Seminar Series, February - June 2005
The Seminar Series has proven to be a huge success so far with record numbers of participants attending sessions throughout February and March.

Ancestors in the Archives, Parts 1, 2 and 3 on Saturday 30 April is up to capacity numbers however limited places are still available for ‘Ship to Shore: Looking at Immigration Records’ on Thursday 19 May and ‘Bricks and Mortar: Public, Government and Private Buildings’ on Wednesday 22 June. Download a registration form from the PROV website or contact 9348 5600 for one to be sent out to you.

10. Saturday Openings, April – June 2005

The Victorian Archives Centre Reading Room is open on the second and last Saturday of most months, excepting long weekends. Saturday openings for April to June are; 9 April, 30 April, 14 May, 28 May and 25 June (limited A@V services). There is no Saturday opening for 11 June due to the public holiday weekend.

11. PROV Calendar April - June 2005

The PROV calendar for speaking engagements and other dates is available at: http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/events/patrn.asp#speaking.

12. Feedback

We welcome your feedback and suggestions on the content of this newsletter via ask.prov@dvc.vic.gov.au. If you know someone who would be interested in receiving rEsearch, they can subscribe by emailing a request to ask.prov@dvc.vic.gov.au.

13. About this publication

We have included you on our mailing list because you already receive news publications from PROV, or because you have indicated interest in receiving email information. However, if you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please email us at ask.prov@dvc.vic.gov.au or phone PROV Reception (03) 9348 5600 and we will remove you from the list.

ISSN 1499-0331
Copyright © 2005 Public Record Office Victoria

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