Council of Australasian
Archives and Records Authorities  

Australian Archival Statistics 1999

Compiled by Queensland State Archives for the Statistics Subcommittee of the Australian Council of Archives Inc.

Introduction


The Australian Council of Archives conducts an annual survey of all members, as well as some other institutions that have archives management programs, as part of the Council’s ongoing endeavour to maintain and make available a database of information about archives in Australia.

The statistical database is a valuable source of comparative information for individual Archives to make use of, and it provides data to support applications for funding to governments and other resource-allocating bodies. If you have ever wanted to know, for example, how institutions with similar-sized holdings fare in terms of staffing levels and funding, then the statistical database will be a vital tool. The statistics for 1989 cover 35 archival institutions.

The survey forms for 1999 were sent out in electronic format in late January 2000. Of the 46 forms despatched, 35 were completed and returned. The survey forms for 1999 were dispatched only to those organisations which provided statistics in previous years.

Notes

Some organisations indicated they could provide approximate figures only. In some cases the information supplied was insufficient or not in a form which could be readily compared. Others were not able to complete all fields but supplied what data they could.

Contents

NATIONAL ARCHIVES   Australian Archives NZ National Archives
    30-06-99 30-06-99
Holdings     
1a At start of year - Archives (metres) 249308  
1b At start of year - Total (metres) 462571 69369
2a Accessions during year - Archives (metres) 7517  
2b Accessions during year - Total (metres) 11544 823
3a Number of accessions - Archives 1955  
3b Number of accessions - Total 3341  
4a Volume of disposal - Archives (metres)    
4b Volume of disposal - Total (metres) 28205  
5a At end of year - Archives (metres) 255895  
5b At end of year - Total (metres) 445910 70232
Arrangement & description     
  Percentage of holdings available in public finding-aids    
6a At start of year (%) 98  
6b At end of year (%) 98  
7a Number of accessions processed during the year 3341  
Reference services     
8a Visits to search room during year 25313 18527
9a Items made available in search room 71783 51442
10a Enquiries recorded (except records creators/owners) 70293 7542
11a Items loaned to creators/owners 79232 4229
Use Of Holdings Percentage     
12a Business Users (%) 2 9.4
12b Research Users (%) 98 90.6
Repository buildings      
13a Total storage area - start of year (m2) 69031 5000
13b Total storage area - end of year (m2) 54816 6681
14a Shelving capacity - start of year (metres) 597816 81236
14b Shelving capacity - end of year (metres) 585702 81236
Personnel     
15a FTE positions filled - start of year 315 69.7
15b FTE positions filled - end of year 335 68.5
Funding ($000)     
16a Total budget for the year ($000) 34,959 NZ$9660
17a Actual expenditure for the year ($000) 34,660 NZ$9642
18a Including cost of accommodation (yes/no) yes yes
 
STATE ARCHIVES   Archives Authority of NSW PRO VIC QLD State Archives SA State Records State Records Office of WA Archives Office of TAS NT Archives Service
    30-06-99 30-06-99 30-06-99 30-06-99 30-06-99 30-06-99 30-06-99
Holdings               
1a At start of year - Archives (metres) 44455 40909 26361 16575 9033 16460 3326
1b At start of year - Total (metres) 258661 74420 33771 67926 18199 16508 10398
2a Accessions during year - Archives (metres) 817 1866 278.64 2719 280 530 0
2b Accessions during year - Total (metres) 32431 2312 307.48 6985 280 576 0
3a Number of accessions - Archives   73 364 477 174 140 0
3b Number of accessions - Total   73 389 542 174 143 0
4a Volume of disposal - Archives (metres) 32 0         0
4b Volume of disposal - Total (metres) 4068 0 189.88 2213 824 46 0
5a At end of year - Archives (metres) 45396 50448 26639.64 19294 9313 16990 3326
5b At end of year - Total (metres) 287180 75442 33888.6 72698 17655 17038 10398
Arrangement & description               
  Percentage of holdings available in public finding-aids              
6a At start of year (%) 99 85 84   96 95 97
6b At end of year (%) 99 80 85   96 95 97
7a Number of accessions processed during the year 17 15 389   174 117 0
Reference services               
8a Visits to search room during year 14078 23633 9892 3687 8260 10560 582
9a Items made available in search room 89156 48962 21762 19271 20154 27000 8776
10a Enquiries recorded (except records creators/owners) 10429 50536 16101 5306 11391 3068 689
11a Items loaned to creators/owners 124521 11056 4523 24929 6208 2814 2022
Use Of Holdings Percentage               
12a Business Users (%) 2.2 34.8 9 56 25 n/a 65
12b Research Users (%) 97.8 65.2 91 44 75 n/a 35
Repository buildings               
13a Total storage area - start of year (m2) 27000 10000 6260 5048.58 2585 2000 1000
13b Total storage area - end of year (m2) 27000 10000 6260 5048.58 2585 2000 1000
14a Shelving capacity - start of year (metres) 280000 84173 48158 75728.7 23450 18763 13079
14b Shelving capacity - end of year (metres) 280000 84173 48158 75728.7 23450 18763 13079
Personnel               
15a FTE positions filled - start of year 105.13 43 40 28 16 25 9
15b FTE positions filled - end of year 105.5 69 52 31 16.1 25 13
Funding ($000)               
16a Total budget for the year ($000) 8,516 33,137 4,951 3,572 1,295 1,400 2526
17a Actual expenditure for the year ($000) 8,916 29,771 5,011 3,537 1,281 1,400 2382
18a Including cost of accommodation (yes/no) yes yes yes yes yes no no
 
UNIVERSITIES   University of NSW La Trobe Bundoora La Trobe Bendigo University of Adelaide University of WA
    31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99
Holdings           
1a At start of year - Archives (metres) 870 349 150    
1b At start of year - Total (metres) 870 1019 339 760 629
2a Accessions during year - Archives (metres) 45 31      
2b Accessions during year - Total (metres) 50 265   100 30
3a Number of accessions - Archives 150 8      
3b Number of accessions - Total 0 22   20 39
4a Volume of disposal - Archives (metres)   0      
4b Volume of disposal - Total (metres) 5 116     0
5a At end of year - Archives (metres) 910 380 150    
5b At end of year - Total (metres) 910 1168 339 860 659
Arrangement & description           
  Percentage of holdings available in public finding-aids          
6a At start of year (%) 90 100 90 90 90
6b At end of year (%) 90 95 90 90 95
7a Number of accessions processed during the year 100 8   20 37
Reference services           
8a Visits to search room during year 184 303 124 55 124
9a Items made available in search room   360 82   491
10a Enquiries recorded (except records creators/owners) 285 20 124 99 391
11a Items loaned to creators/owners   3773 65   80
Use Of Holdings Percentage           
12a Business Users (%) 59% 90 90 25 60
12b Research Users (%) 41% 10 10 75 40
Repository buildings           
13a Total storage area - start of year (m2) 230 45 79   131
13b Total storage area - end of year (m2) 230 115 79   131
14a Shelving capacity - start of year (metres) 1680 550 440 1235 670
14b Shelving capacity - end of year (metres) 1680 2160 440 1235 670
Personnel           
15a FTE positions filled - start of year 3.8 4.2 1 0.6 2
15b FTE positions filled - end of year 3.8 3.2 1 1.6 2
Funding ($000)           
16a Total budget for the year ($000)   n/a 5.5   85
17a Actual expenditure for the year ($000) 224 n/a 5.5   85
18a Including cost of accommodation (yes/no) no   no   no
UNIVERSITIES
(continued) 		   Monash University Charles Sturt University University of Sydney Noel Butlin Archives ANU  
    31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99  
Holdings           
1a At start of year - Archives (metres) 1648 2891.86 1493 13086.93  
1b At start of year - Total (metres) 1648 2891.86 1493 13086.93  
2a Accessions during year - Archives (metres) 113.82 132.53 54 184.9  
2b Accessions during year - Total (metres) 113.82 132.53 54 184.9  
3a Number of accessions - Archives 59 201 46 27  
3b Number of accessions - Total 59 201 46 27  
4a Volume of disposal - Archives (metres) 3.96 26.86 - 442.5  
4b Volume of disposal - Total (metres) 3.96 26.86 - 442.5  
5a At end of year - Archives (metres) 1758 2997.53 1547 12829.33  
5b At end of year - Total (metres) 1758 2997.53 1547 12829.33  
Arrangement & description           
  Percentage of holdings available in public finding-aids          
6a At start of year (%) 100 85 98 99  
6b At end of year (%) 100 75 85 99  
7a Number of accessions processed during the year 59 92 39    
Reference services           
8a Visits to search room during year 118 1294 139 678  
9a Items made available in search room 801 1605 1567 4535  
10a Enquiries recorded (except records creators/owners) 558 135 442    
11a Items loaned to creators/owners 635 539 0 117  
Use Of Holdings Percentage           
12a Business Users (%) 90 0 17 10  
12b Research Users (%) 10 100 83 90  
Repository buildings           
13a Total storage area - start of year (m2) 286 930 236 3700  
13b Total storage area - end of year (m2) 307 930 236 3700  
14a Shelving capacity - start of year (metres) 2487 5026 1632 10700  
14b Shelving capacity - end of year (metres) 2902 5026 1632 10700  
Personnel           
15a FTE positions filled - start of year 2.93 3.25 2.6 3.5  
15b FTE positions filled - end of year 3.27 3.25 3.6 3.5  
Funding ($000)           
16a Total budget for the year ($000) 214 n/a 152 262  
17a Actual expenditure for the year ($000) 237 202 158 221  
18a Including cost of accommodation (yes/no) no no no no  

 

COLLECTING INSTITUTIONS   National Library of Australia Aust War Memorial Powerhouse Museum National Library of NZ State Library of SA JS Battye Library WA John Oxley Library John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library
    30-06-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 30-06-99 30-06-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99
Holdings                 
1a At start of year - Archives (metres)   4590 583 7220 3865 1330.72 1991.68 198
1b At start of year - Total (metres) 10492 7290 583 7220 3865 1330.72 1991.68 198
2a Accessions during year - Archives (metres)     25.5 122 77 9.4 33.14 15
2b Accessions during year - Total (metres) 243   25.5 122 77 9.4 33.14 15
3a Number of accessions - Archives     17 366 1552 67 132 111
3b Number of accessions - Total 319   17 366 1552 67 132 111
4a Volume of disposal - Archives (metres)   1 0   31     0
4b Volume of disposal - Total (metres)   5 0   31     0
5a At end of year - Archives (metres)     608.5 7322 3911 1340.12 2024.82 213
5b At end of year - Total (metres) 10735   608.5 7322 3911 1340.12 2024.82 213
Arrangement & description                 
  Percentage of holdings available in public finding-aids                
6a At start of year (%) 86 90 70 100 50 50   98
6b At end of year (%) 86 95 70 100 50 50   95
7a Number of accessions processed during the year 250   15 366 1552   1 111
Reference services                 
8a Visits to search room during year 2951 6000 24 4330 24065   21513 1306
9a Items made available in search room 9851 17896 2735 14938 13481   883406 2085
10a Enquiries recorded (except records creators/owners) 2156 18016 103 1416 5442   5816 1704
11a Items loaned to creators/owners 1 0 437 20 n/a   0 0
Use Of Holdings Percentage                 
12a Business Users (%) 3 1 80 5 n/a   1 0
12b Research Users (%) 97 99 20 95 n/a   99 100
Repository buildings                 
13a Total storage area - start of year (m2)     130   850   335.8 360
13b Total storage area - end of year (m2)     130   850   335.8 360
14a Shelving capacity - start of year (metres)   6552 1074 12500 5355   1670.8 1075
14b Shelving capacity - end of year (metres)   6552 1080 12500 5355   1670.8 1075
Personnel                 
15a FTE positions filled - start of year 11.5 26.5 1.5 7.5 12 2 2 2.5
15b FTE positions filled - end of year 12.5 26.5 1 7 11.4 2 2 2.5
Funding ($000)                 
16a Total budget for the year ($000)   521 n/a n/a n/a   20 n/a
17a Actual expenditure for the year ($000)   $300 n/a n/a n/a   20 n/a
18a Including cost of accommodation (yes/no) no no         no no
 
COMMERCIAL & OTHERS   RACS Adelaide Catholic Archives Geelong Hist. Records Centre Reserve Bank RTA of NSW Telstra Westpac Historical Services
    31-05-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99 31-12-99
Holdings               
1a At start of year - Archives (metres) 170 233 823 424   739.01 5295
1b At start of year - Total (metres) 237 233 846 2408 7796 3458.58 5295
2a Accessions during year - Archives (metres) 9 15 32 30   0 35
2b Accessions during year - Total (metres) 17 15 40 400 2838.2 816 35
3a Number of accessions - Archives   183 77 3000   0 302
3b Number of accessions - Total 26 183 97 40000 122 73 302
4a Volume of disposal - Archives (metres)   1.5 15     0 107
4b Volume of disposal - Total (metres) 9 1.5 20 320 161.6 0 107
5a At end of year - Archives (metres) 179 246.5 840 454   739.01 5223
5b At end of year - Total (metres) 245 246.5 866 2488 10472.6 4274.58 5223
Arrangement & description               
  Percentage of holdings available in public finding-aids              
6a At start of year (%) 80 56 100   96 25 95
6b At end of year (%) 80 65 98   96 25 95
7a Number of accessions processed during the year 25 176 64   76 0 302
Reference services