Arts and Culture

The History Council of Western Australia is working to establish adequate purpose-built storage for government records in Western Australia. The State Records Office of Western Australia, despite having one of the most advanced legislative instruments in Australia, has been unable to accept transfer of archives since 2001, leaving many kilometres of archives in non-archival storage.

The Council has expressed concern about the implementation of de-accessioning at the State Library of Western Australia, and the loss of access to experienced librarians to assist users with their research. We have been consulted during the development of its Strategic Plans, and provided input on the Legal Deposit Legislation and subsequent regulations.

The Council was also active in advocating to ensure that, after the National Archives of Australia (WA) moved from its Berwick St venue in September 2018, a suitable venue was selected that had easy access and good facilities for researchers. This was achieved when the NAA (WA) office was opened in Northbridge, with a research centre, seminar facilities, an exhibition space and administration offices. Its archives are now stored in a private repository in Belmont, . We have also been working to ensure the retention in Western Australia of records held in the National Archives that relate to this state.