News from Access Services at Public Record Office Victoria
October 2004 – Number 7

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. PROV in the Community - Upcoming Events
2. Central Highlands Historical Association (CHHA) Expo winning displays announced
3. Ballarat News
4. Koorie Records News
5. Exhibitions – Transported Back
6. PROV Seminars
- Preserve Your Treasures
- Seminar Series and Archival Support Program
7. What’s New
- PROVguides
- Online Indexes
- Archives@Victoria
8. Saturday Openings
9. PROV and NAA Christmas and New Year Closure
10. Calendar
11. Feedback
12. About this publication

1. PROV in the Community - Upcoming Events

PROV is involved in hosting or featuring displays at a number of local and family history seminars throughout the October – November period in metropolitan and regional areas.

Family History Feast
A day of free information sessions for family history researchers. Presented by National Archives Australia, Public Record Office Victoria, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the State Library of Victoria, the day will include talks by professionals who work at these organisations.

Saturday 16 October, 10am-3pm
Village Roadshow Theatrette, State Library of Victoria.
Bookings are essential, as numbers are limited. Ph 03 9348 5600 or email to amanda.crawford@dvc.vic.gov.au by Friday 8 October.

West Bourke Local and Family History Fair
Presented by Essendon Historical Society, the fair includes displays, talks and advice on researching local and family history.

Saturday 23 October, 10am to 4pm
Kensington Neighbourhood Centre, Anthony Street, Kensington.
For more information, visit http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wbourke or email westbourkev@hotmail.com

Annual Goulburn & Murray Association of Local and Family History Groups (G&Mags) Expo
G&Mags Expo features displays and information sessions.

Saturday 20 November, 10am to 4pm
Mulwala and District Services Club, Melbourne Street, Mulwala.
Contact Mary Anne Hatters on ph. 03 5768 2219 or email kirkhatters@bigpond.com for more detail.

2. CHHA Expo 2004 Winning Displays Announced.
The Central Highlands Historical Association Expo held over the weekend of 2 - 3 October was once again to be a successful event. Displays and talks held on local and family history issues proved to be informative and well received by the public.

PROV’s Access Services Manager, Shauna Hicks judged exhibitors’ displays with the assistance of Alex Stoneman, President of CHHA and Sue McNamara, Associate Professor of Education at Aquinas College.

The winners were:

1st Prize ($250 worth of archival supplies and a framed certificate)
Bungaree & District Historical Society

Encouragement Awards (Each society receives $100 worth of archival supplies and a framed certificate)
Ballan Shire Historical Society and Avoca & District Historical Society

Highly Commended (Prize – Framed Highly Commended Certificate)
The Ballarat Branch of the Cornish Association of Victoria Inc.

All winners were very enthusiastic and appreciative of their prizes.

3. Ballarat News
It’s been a busy year at the Ballarat Archives Centre (BAC). By the end of the 2003-2004 financial year, 78 new series with a total of 89 consignments were made available on Archives@Victoria.

Staff at BAC are involved in a program to increase the data available in Archives@Victoria and the effort is really starting to show some results. Already this financial year a number of finalised series are available, including:

VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966)
VPRS 12787 Rate and Valuation Records (1870-1966)

VA 4712 Mount Franklin (Shire 1871 to 1915)
VPRS 14621 Rate Records (1885 to 1893)

VA 2407 Cohuna (Shire 1922-1995)
VPRS 7181 Rate Records (1922-1978)

VA 4711 Glenlyon (1860-1885; Shire 1865-1966)
VPRS 14625 Rate Records (1866 to 1966)
VPRS 14622 Council Minutes (1860 to 1869)

New series are becoming available monthly, so with this in mind, watch this space!
A special mention also for the involvement of BAC staff in events, seminars and projects over the last few months and most notably Joan Hunt’s guest role on radio with the 774 ABC Drivetime program.

4. Koorie Records News
The Koorie Records Unit has been busy traveling interstate to see how other organisations provide access to records for Indigenous people. Recent visits to Adelaide and Perth were part of a PROV project to report to the Victorian Government on improving access to records for Indigenous people.

PROV’s Koorie Records Unit is also actively involved in the Australian Society of Archivists Indigenous Issues Special Interest Group (II SIG), editing the newsletter and participating in activities and events at the recent ASA annual conference in Canberra. At the conference, II SIG launched ‘Pathways to your future and our past – Careers for Indigenous peoples in archives and records’ which is a brochure aimed at encouraging Indigenous people to take up careers in archives and records management. Copies of the brochure may be obtained from the ASA by phoning 1800 622 251.

5. Exhibitions – Transported Back
Transported Back, has come back to VAC and will feature photographs of Victoria’s Railway history until 28 January 2005. The exhibition traveled to Swan Hill during the July – August period where it was well received by visitors to the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement Museum.

PROV is delighted that Transported Back has successfully obtained promotional sponsorship from Metlink. Public transport Metcards featuring an image from the PTC photographic collection will be in circulation for the duration of the exhibition. So look out for them when you next catch a train, bus or tram in Melbourne.

6. PROV Seminars
- Preserve your Treasures
Treasures of the Keeper an exhibition of unique and extraordinary original records from Public Record Office Victoria is finishing up this month. To wind up this exhibition we are holding a free ‘Preserve your Treasures: Conservation Clinic’ at VAC on Saturday 13 November, 10am-12pm.
Bring your own family treasures – photographs, letters, diaries – and staff from National Archives of Australia and the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, will offer advice and their expert knowledge on how to keep your treasures safe for future generations. Conservation products and materials from Treasures of the Keeper sponsor, Zetta Florence, will also be on display on the day.
This is a VAC Reading Room open day so drop in to do some research and have your treasures assessed at the same time. For further details please contact Kasia Zygmuntowicz on 03 9348 5676 or kasia.zygmuntowicz@dvc.vic.gov.au.

- Seminar Series and Archival Support Program
Places are still available for ASP event ‘Computers and Small Archives’, Saturday 20 November at VAC as well as upcoming sessions in the Seminar Series program.
For details and to download booking forms visit http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/events/patrn.asp.

7. What’s New
- PROVguides
New and revised PROVguides are constantly being produced. ‘PROVguide 26 - Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes – Access’ is the newest addition to the research guides set while service guides ‘PROVguide 2 – Copy Service’ and PROVguide 15 – List of Search Agents’ have recently been revised. PROVguides are available in PROV reading rooms or can be downloaded from http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/archivesvictoria.

- Online Indexes
The final section of the British and Foreign Inwards Immigration Index (1912-1923) has been released and is available on the PROV website. This concludes publication of the British and Foreign Index which now encompasses 1852 – 1923. To view this and other online indexes, visit http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/access/online.asp.

- Archives@Victoria
Victorian Public Record Series (VPRS) are occasionally reprocessed as research by PROV archivists uncover more about the records and their contexts. 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. For further information, please visit http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/archivesvictoria or contact PROV reference staff on ask.prov@dvc.vic.gov.au.

These consignments were transferred from VA 4106 Yarra Valley Water and cover properties in the Yarra River catchment area.

VA 1007 Melbourne Water Corporation [MMBW]
VPRS 11570/P1 and P2 Plans of Drainage (House Connections), Single Number System (1902 - 1975)
VPRS 11554/P1 Property Sewerage Plans (1976 - 1995)

Department of Education & Training records

VA 1224 Committee of Classifiers
VPRS 11541/P1 Index to Meetings of Committee of Classifiers (1979 - 1985)

VA 899 Apprenticeship Commission, VA 900 Industrial Training Commission & VA 3002 State Training Board
VPRS 11545/P1 Annual Reports (1971 - 1989)

VA 714 Education Department & VA 1112 Ministry of Education & Training
VPRS 11546/P1 Curriculum Branch Accommodation Committee Minutes (1984 - 1987)

VA 3098 Department of Education II
VPRS 11516/P1 Schools Division Correspondence (1987 - 1991)
VPRS 11850/P1 Information Technology Branch Manuals and Design Specifications (1972 - 1989)
VPRS 11392/P1 School Council Files (1962 - 1996)
VPRS 11446/P1 Country Areas Program (1986 - 1997)

VA 910 National School Board & VA 0713 Board of Education
VPRS 9684/P2 School Inspectors Notebooks (G W Brown) (1860 - 1870)

VA 1176 Technical and Further Education Board
VPRS 11416/P1 Document (Board Papers) Register (1984 - 1987)

VA 714 Education Department
VPRS 11477/P1 Register of (Merit) Certificated Children (1891 - 1898)
VPRS 11478/P1 Record of Female Teachers Who Completed Physical Training (1914 - 1940)
VPRS 11479/P1 Register of Male Teachers Attending Physical Training and Teachers Who Obtained Junior Cadet Certificate (1912 - 1940)
VPRS 11480/P1 Register of Teachers Who Completed Certificates of Competency in Swimming and Lifesaving (1911 - 1979)
VPRS 11481/P1 Register of Teachers of Subsidised Schools (1914 - 1952)
VPRS 11482/P1 Record of Teachers Admitted to Teachers College (1938 - 1938)
VPRS 11483/P1 Index of State Schools and Applications for New Schools (1875 - 1951)
VPRS 11484/P1 Deeds (1922 - 1946)
VPRS 11547/P1 Administrative Services Committee Minutes (1984 - 1984)
VPRS 11399/P1 Enrolments for Government Schools (1954 - 1979)
VPRS 11485/P1 Country Boys Register (1894 - 1900)
VPRS 11486/P1 Record of Technological Schools (1884 - 1892)
VPRS 11487/P1 Singing Teachers Primary Certificate Register (1927 - 1973)
VPRS 11490/P1 Index of Merit Certificate Awards (1904 - 1915)
VPRS 11394/P1 Rialto Fitout Committee Minutes (1983 -1984)
VPRS 11413/P1 Victorian State Schools Equipment and Decoration Society Minutes (1914 - 1915)

VA 2588 Boards of Advice & VA 714 Education Department
VPRS 11515/P1 Register of Precedents and Ministerial Orders (1873 – 1940)

VA 4089 Royal Commission on Technical Education
VPRS 11517/P1 Minutes of Proceedings (1899 - 1901)

VA 1112 Ministry of Education and Training (previously known as Ministry of Education)
VPRS 11851/P1 Special Education Committee Minutes (1987 - 1988)
VPRS 11848/P1 Strategic Planning Branch Corporate Planning Manual (1988 - 1991)
VPRS 11410/P1 School Improvement Plans (1986 - 1986)
VPRS 11395/P1 Rialto Accommodation Committee Minutes (1985 - 1987)
VPRS 11397/P1 Student Safety Committee Minutes (1984 - 1991)

VA 1176 Technical and Further Education Board
VPRS 11404/P1 List of Classified Subject Headings for General Correspondence Files (1980 - 1986)

VA 713 Board of Education & VA 714 Education Department
VPRS 11447/P1 Record of School Sites (1921 - 1930)

Victorian Railways

VA 4616 Victorian Rail Track (VicTrack)
VPRS 13912 P1 Index to General and Project Files, Construction Division (Railway Construction and Property Board) (1980 - 1982)
VPRS 13938 P1 General Subject Files, Town Planning Section, Estate Office/Property Group (1946 - 1989)
VPRS 12987/P1 General Index to Melbourne Underground Railway Loop Files in VPRS 425 Inward Registered Correspondence, Annual Single Number System (1958 - 1980)
VPRS 13186 P2 General Index to Town Planning Scheme Files, Town Planning Section, Estate Office/Property Group (1955 - 1979).

8. Saturday Openings, October – December 2004
The Victorian Archives Centre Reading Room is open on the second and last Saturday of each month, excepting long weekends. Saturday openings for October to December are 9 October, 30 October, 13 November, 27 November and 11 December.

9. Christmas and New Year Closure
The VAC and BAC Reading Rooms will be closed to the public from 25 December 2004 through to 3 January 2005 inclusive. This affects both Public Record Office Victoria and National Archives of Australia operations.

10. PROV Calendar, October – December 2004
The PROV calendar for speaking engagements and other dates can be viewed at: http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/events/patrn.asp#speaking

11. 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.

Please note the changes to our email addresses. The email addresses for the general ask.prov email and PROV staff emails have changed slightly. If you are emailing any of our general addresses or staff addresses, please change the domain from '@dpc.vic.gov.au' to '@dvc.vic.gov.au'.

12. 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 1449-0331
Copyright © 2004 Public Record Office Victoria

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