Negatives and prints at the National Archives of Australia are deteriorating while the War Memorial plans a $500m upgrade.Credit:National Archives/Australian War Memorial
Years of funding and staff cuts have caught up with the Archives,which is struggling to prevent the disintegration of unique pieces of Australian history. By contrast,the Australian War Memorial is on the verge of a $500 million renovation project including a new research centre for people to access its military records.
The peak national body of historians says the government needs to find a more balanced approach to funding the preservation of and access to Australia’s precious records.