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| News from Public Record Office Victoria |
August/September 2009 |
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rEsearch is a bi-monthly update of Public Access News from PROV ISSN 1449-0323 Copyright © 2009 Public Record Office Victoria |
Guests at the Ballarat Collections Network Memorandum of Understanding launch view a display of PROV records.
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1. PROV involved in an Australian first regional heritage agreement A collective agreement established in Ballarat between a number of its key historical and cultural organisations is the first of its kind outside a capital city anywhere in Australia. Developed by the Ballarat Cultural Network, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will change the way in which Ballarat's historical and cultural collections are dealt with in the face of disaster. Launched on 11 August at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the MOU forms a framework where network members agree to assist each other to prepare for and respond to emergencies or disasters such as fire or floods. The cooperative approach is a dynamic and strategic move in dealing with Ballarat's priceless collections and was drawn up in response to the city's previous experiences of collection damage such as the flooding at the Ballarat Gold Museum on New Year's Day in 2007. Justine Heazlewood, PROV's Director and Keeper of Public Records and guest speaker at the launch said, "The MOU…ensures that we do our uttermost to provide a response network in the event of disaster in the Ballarat district. It would indeed be a disaster if prized and priceless artworks and cultural items such as the original Eureka flag or nineteenth century maps and plans of Ballarat are not given every chance possible to be safe from occurrences that could possibly threaten their existence." Signatories of the MOU include: PROV's Ballarat Archives Centre; The Sovereign Hill Museums Association & Gold Museum; Ballarat Historical Society; Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation; City of Ballarat; Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens; University of Ballarat; The Eureka Centre and Art Gallery of Ballarat. For further information about the Ballarat Collections Network or the Memorandum of Understanding please contact PROV's Community Archives team by phone on (03) 9348 5600 or email. |
Representatives of the Ballarat Collections Network including: Far left, Justine Heazlewood, Director and Keeper of Public Records. |
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2. Farewell to Shauna Hicks "I remember arriving at PROV from Canberra in February 2003 not knowing very much about Victoria but I was determined to learn more. The easiest way was to get out there and meet people and I am pleased to say that over the last six years I think I have travelled to most places. Mildura, Echuca, Shepparton, Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale, Wodonga, Yarrawonga, Bendigo, Ballarat, Warrnambool, Colac, Colbinabbin, Warragul, Leongatha, Benalla, Carisbrook are just some of the places that I have fond memories of. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who welcomed me so warmly to their meetings and put up with my sometimes odd (Queenslander) pronunciation of Victorian place names. "I am also very pleased to have taken PROV in an online direction over the last six years making indexes and digitised records more accessible and freely available via the PROV website. I am especially proud of the collaborative project with FamilySearch to digitise and make freely available the wills, probates and inquest files to 1925. The feedback on this project has been really good and I thank everyone for supporting the project. "Although I am retiring from government after 35 years, I am not retiring or moving back to Queensland (not yet anyway). I am starting my own research and consultancy business and will still be out and about in Victoria. One project that I will be involved with is a series of family history roadshows called Unlock the Past, so you may find that I will be visiting an area near you soon. Do please come up and say hello." |
Shauna Hicks
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3. Lands Guide: A guide to finding records of Crown land at Public Record Office Victoria PROV is thrilled to announce the publication of the much anticipated Lands Guide. The Lands Guide is a comprehensive reference resource for accessing records relating to Crown land in the State of Victoria. The publication caters to a wide range of research interests, from finding out about the lives of ancestors to information about the history of land in a particular location. The Lands Guide will be available from September 2009 as a printed book for $49.95 (plus postage and handling) and as a CD-ROM for $19.95 (plus postage and handling). A downloadable version of the publication will also be available online for $19.95. If you are interested in purchasing the Lands Guide and would like to receive immediate notification when it is ready for purchase, please email us your details including postage address and let us know which version of the publication you are interested in receiving (printed book, CD-ROM, or online download). |
Cover image of Lands Guide: A guide to finding records of Crown land at Public Record Office Victoria |
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4. Upcoming exhibition at the VAC - Strike a Pose...with Lee Lin Chin Strike a Pose … with Lee Lin Chin explores the world of Australian style up to 40 years ago, when trendsetters created a fashion revolution with an eclectic mix of daring mini skirts, space-aged garments and hippy granny dresses. Hosted by PROV, the exhibition features 89 photographs taken by Australian Government photographers during the 1960s and 1970s to promote the burgeoning Australian fashion industry and the Australian lifestyle overseas. With fashion icon and SBS World News presenter Lee Lin Chin as guest curator, the exhibition reflects on the emerging local fashion industry of the time, along with its personalities, trends and influences. When: 16 September to 20 November, 2009. Entry Cost: Free This exhibition is supported by Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program supporting touring exhibitions by providing funding assistance for the development and touring of Australian cultural material across Australia. |
Pierre Cardin fashion parade at the Canberra Theatre Centre, 1967. NAA: A1500, K17370
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5. Delve into your family tree PROV is holding a free seminar on 17 September for people who are interested in researching their family history. The seminar will include tips on how to get started and where to get help, as well as showing how family stories can be put together using records from the archives. The seminar is part of a two-day event in Horsham, which includes a range of sessions for researchers. For more information visit PROV's website, or telephone Andrea Rae on (03) 9348 5600. |
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6. Further discoveries as PROV volunteers work on outward passenger lists More historical gems are being discovered as PROV volunteers continue to index the outward passenger lists. Amongst the names being indexed, famous Australians from our past appear, including Mr Banjo Paterson who was recorded travelling to New Zealand on November 7, 1901. Having reached the early 1900s, volunteers are noting with interest the quantity of ships carrying several hundred men travelling to Cape Town to engage in the Boer War. They are also observing the reoccurring voyages made by groups such as the Pollards Lilliputian Opera Company. The company has been listed several times throughout the passenger lists, the most recent being a departure on the Pilbarra to Adelaide on 27 June 1900. There were 42 people in the company, including seven boys aged between nine and eleven and 23 girls aged between six and twelve. Further research by the PROV volunteers sheds light on the company. They discovered that in the mid 1880s, this famous company of talented children was formed in Launceston by James Pollard. They performed the latest musical theatre and opera around the world, and were acclaimed in Australia and New Zealand. Their first production was the new London smash hit by Gilbert and Sullivan, HMS Pinafore. The company was initially based on the Pollard's extended family of 13 children. Later on children were recruited from working-class Melbourne families and the Melbourne Orphan Asylum. When the children turned 16 they were considered too old to perform with the troupe and new younger recruits were used in their place. Visit the PROV website to access the online index to outward passengers. |
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7. Provenance issue 8 out soon - Call for articles for issue 9 in 2010 Provenance is the free scholarly journal of PROV. Provenance features peer-reviewed articles and other contributions which have drawn upon records in PROV custody. Issue 8 of the journal will be online in early October. If you would like to be notified as soon as it is published, email a request to 'subscribe' to the journal. If you are researching PROV records and are interested in writing an article about what you have discovered, you may want to consider submitting an article to issue 9 due for publication in 2010. The deadline for the upcoming issue is 31 March 2010. For enquires about contributing to the journal contact, the Editor, Dr Sebastian Gurciullo, by phone (03) 9348 5600 or email. To view current and back issues of Provenance, visit the Provenance page of the PROV website. |
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8. Last Days at the VAC! An Aboriginal Moomba: ‘Out of the Dark' PROV's newest touring exhibition An Aboriginal Moomba: 'Out of the Dark' is on display at the VAC until 31 August before being available for loan free of charge to community groups and organisations. The exhibition features high quality reproductions of photographs held in PROV's collection and images reproduced from the personal scrapbook of political activist and film-maker Bill Onus. They were taken at the all-Indigenous theatrical display, An Aboriginal Moomba, which was held at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in 1951. The performance was developed in response to the absence of any Indigenous Australian content for the celebrations of the Centenary of Victoria and the fiftieth anniversary of Federation in Australia. The performance was enthusiastically received by audiences and highly acclaimed by the critics. An Aboriginal Moomba: 'Out of the Dark' is based on a 2008 exhibition entitled Making a Show of It, Indigenous Entertainers and Entrepreneurs in 1950s Melbourne which was developed by City Gallery, Melbourne in partnership with PROV. To book the exhibition for your community facility, contact Asa Letourneau by phone on (03) 9348 5600 or email. |
Still from a performance of 'An Aboriginal Moomba' at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne between 23-27 June 1951.
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9. PROV Wiki – tell us what you would like to see Do you have a favourite document or group of records that you would like to write about? The PROV Wiki is a ready site where people can share and collaborate with others interested in PROV's records and Victoria's history and cultural heritage. PROV is also interested in hearing about any topics that you would like to see on the Wiki. Tell us your ideas by sending an email. Since it was launched, more than 6,000 people have visited the PROV Wiki, with many adding content to the site. The 1956 Melbourne Olympic photos, the Women's Suffrage Petition 1891, and the Ned Kelly sites are the most visited to date with many people adding their own information to the Olympic and petition sites. The PROV wiki is located at http://wiki.prov.vic.gov.au |
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10. Free events on offer for the 2009 Victorian Seniors Week Festival. PROV will be hosting or involved in a number of free public events during the 2009 Victorian Seniors Week Festival which runs from 4-11 October, 2009. They are: Discover Family history @ Victorian Archives Centre (VAC) Come and learn the different ways that we can assist you in discovering your family history. There will also be displays and people available to assist with
enquiries from the Genealogical Society of Victoria, State Library of
Victoria and Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies on the
day. When: Tuesday 6 October 'It was the Best of Times'
This session will be presented by author Bill Hannan, whose most
recent publication of the same title looks at the history of secondary
education and teaching in Victoria during the 'Great Expansion Period'
of the 1950s to 1970s. From his career as a teacher, Bill draws
on his experiences to present a fascinating seminar that is based
both on history and memoir. When: Thursday 8 October Introduction to Family History Internet Workshops When: Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October For a full list of activities and events visit the 2009 Victorian Seniors Week Festival website. |
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11. PROV Family History Competition 2009 winners announced The competition themed 'Are there skeletons in your closet?' produced some fascinating entries. To see who the winners are, and read their entries, visit the history competition page on the PROV website. |
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12. Seventh Victorian Family History State Conference – 'The Border and Beyond'. Presented by the Victorian Association of Family History Organisations in conjunction with Yarrawonga Family History Group, the Seventh Victorian Family History State Conference entitled 'The Border and Beyond' will be held over the weekend of 28 to 30 May 2010. For further information and expressions of interest, contact the Convenor. |
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13. Building works at the Victorian Archives Centre – disruption to services As part of a program of building works being conducted by PROV to improve its facilities, there will be some disruption to services to the public. The VAC including the Reading Room is closed on Mondays and Saturdays until February 2010. PROV will conduct business as usual including the reading rooms on Tuesdays to Fridays. Public tours of the VAC are suspended until February 2010. To bring all PROV services into alignment during this time the Ballarat Archives Centre (BAC) including the Reading Room is also closed on Mondays until February 2010 but is open on Tuesdays AND Wednesdays (in lieu of Mondays). This necessary work will ensure that the archival collections of both PROV and the National Archives of Australia stored in the Victorian Archives Centre continue to be preserved in state-of-the-art facilities. Visit the PROV website for Reading Room opening times or further information regarding the Building Works or send an email. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced during these closures. |
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14. Records now available from PROV Visit our new records page to view new series that have been added to the online catalogue Access the Collection. The list is updated every two months to coincide with the publication of rEsearch. |
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15. Calendar of public events Visit our events calendar for a list of upcoming PROV speaking engagements. Book now! |
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16. Feedback If you would like to send feedback and suggestions on the content of this newsletter or if you know someone who would be interested in receiving rEsearch, please email ask.prov@prov.vic.gov.au |
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17. About this publication We have included you on our mailing list because you have indicated interest in receiving PROV information. However, if you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please email ask.prov@prov.vic.gov.au or phone PROV reception (03) 9348 5600 and we will remove you from our list. Back issues of this publication are also available at http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/publications/ |
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