National Archives director David Fricker with some of the institution’s vast holdings. The Archives has trebled the number of formal members since starting a fundraising drive.Credit:Colleen Petch
The keeper of Australia’s memories urgently needs at least $67.7 million todigitise records that are disintegrating or becoming obsolete. However,it received only a minuscule boost to its operating budget of $700,000 and no funding for extra staff in this month’s federal budget.
This follows years of funding cuts to the institution,which is struggling to protect 384 kilometres of records that are growing rapidly every year. At the same time,eight other national institutions received a collective $85.4 million extra.
To help cover costs,the Archives has launched a membership program that asks $40 a person or $60 a household. In the past week,the number of members has gone from about 100 to more than 300,whiledonations have brought in $30,000.
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Archives director-general David Fricker said the level of public support was gratifying.
He revealed the Archives is establishing a fund that will be dedicated to those records most at risk of disintegrating. These include tapes of John Curtin’s wartime speeches;Pitcairn Island’s births,deaths and marriages register of theBounty mutineers and their descendants;andpersonnel files of RAAF non-commissioned officers from World War II.
Its holdings also include 120,000 hours – more than 13.5 years – of video and audiotape that need digitising.