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Unique Indigenous historical and cultural material to be preserved

The Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, today announced $10.2 million in funding to complete the preservation of materials from a unique historical and cultural collection held by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).

There is a programme currently underway to digitally preserve 40 per cent of the most ‘at risk’ fragile and deteriorating audiovisual materials. This measure will enable preservation of the remaining 18,000 hours of the most vulnerable audiovisual material which is at significant risk through decomposition. This will be achieved by continuing to digitise the collections, conducting community access activities and supporting Indigenous communities to develop their own digital archives.

The initiative will also ensure access to Indigenous materials by Indigenous communities, researchers and international scholars, educators and to all Australians to promote knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures, past and present.

The material to be preserved and digitised includes the JW Schomberg Collection of more than 400　negatives and glass plates as a pictorial record of the people of Moa and Badu Islands in the 1920s and 30s, and the Francis Birtles Collection of almost 4,000 nitrate negatives taken in the 1920s throughout Queensland and the NT.

"Through this measure, and a previous Budget allocation of $12 million, the Australian Government has invested in world-class digital infrastructure at AIATSIS," Minister Bishop said.

"This initiative will ensure the conservation and preservation of the irreplaceable historical and cultural collection of Indigenous heritage held at AIATSIS for current and future generations of Australians."

Why is this important?

• AIATSIS is the custodian of a unique cultural and historical resource collection. The archived collection of fragile and deteriorating audio-visual (film, photographs and audio) materials held by AIATSIS is at substantial risk of loss through decomposition. Approximately 40 per cent of the most at-risk collection is already being preserved and digitised. The remaining 60 per cent of the collection is at substantial risk of loss through cellulose acetate decomposition (film cancer).
• This initiative will ensure the preservation of important historical and cultural material for current and future generations of Australians, providing the material in a highly accessible format. It will ensure the conservation and preservation of the irreplaceable and unique resource collection of Indigenous culture and heritage held at AIATSIS.
• It will provide access to Indigenous materials to promote knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures, past and present.

Who will benefit?

What funding is the Government committing to the initiative?

What have we done in the past?

When will the initiative conclude?