South Australian Archives (GRG56)

Also known as Archives Department, Archives Section, Archives Branch and State Archives.

Attempts to collect and preserve records of historical value relating to South Australia were first made by the Public Library Board (est. 1884) (1). In 1914 the historian George Cockburn Henderson (1870-1944) was commissioned to report to the South Australian Government on contemporary European archival practice (2). Henderson subsequently recommended the establishment of a Department of Historical Records under the direct control of the Library Committee of the Board of Governors (3).

Consistent with his opinion that separations on the basis of form (published and unpublished) and record type (private and public) were inappropriate in a 'new' country, he recommended that such a Department should be empowered to collect diaries, chronicles, reports, gazettes, calendars, scientific papers, journals, pamphlets and leading newspapers as well as archives (4).

In 1919 the new Department came into existence with G.H. Pitt appointed Archivist (5). It was made responsible to the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery Board. By virtue of An act to regulate the disposal of public documents (No. 1683 of 1925) the powers of the Archives Department as exercised through the Board were defined in relation to public documents. This act was superseded in 1939 with proclamation of the Libraries and Institutes Act No. 44 of 1939, which incorporated provisions of the earlier Act relating to public records. Also in the same year, the Archives Department was made part of the Public Library of South Australia, though the archivist apparently retained the prerogative of reporting directly to the Libraries Board on matters relating to his department, and he was the officer who exercised the Libraries board authority in regard to the destruction of public documents (6).

In 1960, major administrative changes were made in the State Library of South Australia involving the creation of three major divisions:- Reference, Lending and Technical Services (7). As a consequence of this re-organisation the status of the Archives was reduced to that of a section of the Reference Division. Further loss of prestige followed with effective abolition of the position of Archivist in 1961 (8). Following a further re-organisation in 1971 based on recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry on the Management, Organisation and Staffing of the Libraries Department, Archives was established as a Branch (9). The title of Archivist, however, remained an unofficial title.

In 1973 Cabinet approved the recommendations of the Libraries Board relating to access to State Government records. The previous 50 year restriction was replaced with a 30 year one (11).

The following persons have occupied the position of Archivist since its creation in 1919: G.H. Pitt 1919-1948 (10): J. McLellan 1948-1960: G. Fischer 1961-1968: J. Love 1968 - 1985.

The Public Record Office of South Australia was established administratively as a division of the Department of Local Government on 1/10/1985. The Public Record Office of SA became the repository of official state and local government records. The Mortlock Library of South Australiana housed the private records held by the former South Australian Archives.


See GRG24/6/113/1937 re preservation of Government documents as at 1937.

REFERENCES:

(1) Report on the collection, storage, and preservation of archives in Europe, Parliamentary Paper No. 46, Adelaide, the Government Printer, 1915., p.3.
(2) ibid., p.3
(3) ibid., p.9
(4) ibid p.4
(5) Annual Report of the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery Board, Parliamentary Paper No. 13, Adelaide, the Government Printer, 1919., p.4
(6) Fischer, G.L., Archival Development in South Australia., The Australian Library Journal., April 1969., p.71.
(7) ibid., p.75
(8) ibid., p.76
(9) Annual Report of the Libraries Board of South Australia, Parliamentary Paper No. 54, Adelaide, the Government Printer, 1973., p.3.
(10) GRG 19/355, Minutes 15/11/1918, p.400 appointment of George Pitt (Senior Cataloguer and Archivist) and Mabel Hardy (Assistant Archivist). George Pitt previously Chief Cataloguer.
(11) Libraries Board of South Australia, 19/3/1973.