Royal Commission Working Group

In October 2014 CAARA established the “Royal Commission Working Group” (Working Group) to consider the complexities and issues relating to the joint Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and to make recommendations to CAARA on the custody and disposal of, and access to, these records.

Although the Group was originally established for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the role expanded over time to include other responsibilities relating to Royal Commissions as follows:

  • Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
    • Determining a primary custodian for records of the Royal Commission
    • Ensuring disposal coverage
    • Considering access
    • Considering potential for changes in ownership where materials gathered by the Royal Commission are passed on to State/Territory/Commonwealth authorities for further investigation.
    • Working with the Royal Commission on their recordkeeping requirements
  • Records of former joint Royal Commissions in the custody of the National Archives
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption
  • Statement of Principles outlining arrangements for records of future joint Royal Commissions.

Throughout this time the Working Group regularly reported to CAARA.

In 2018 CAARA approved expanding the Working Group for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and future Royal Commissions’ Terms of Reference, with the scope now incorporating working on recordkeeping issues relating to:

  • Former and future joint Royal Commissions
  • Working collaborating on recordkeeping related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and future joint Royal Commissions as applicable
  • Sharing information on single jurisdiction Royal Commissions which may extend to collaborating as needed.

Membership of the Working Group consists of representatives from the Australian Government and all State and Territory Government archives.

Members of the Working Group in 2019 are:

Dani Wickman (Territory Records Office) – CAARA Executive Lead

Simon Froude (State Records of South Australia) – CAARA

Eric Swain (National Archives of Australia – Chair)

Esther Carey (National Archives of Australia – Secretariat)

Linda Bell (Northern Territory Archives Service)

Louise Paynter (Northern Territory Archives Service)

Alison McNulty (Public Record Office Victoria)

Troy Pullen (Queensland State Archives)

Jennifer Trafford (Queensland State Archives)

Tara Majoor (State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)

Angela McGing (State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)

Catherine Robinson (State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)

Janine Silvestri (State Records of South Australia)

Tony Leviston (State Records of South Australia)

Lena Stekl (State Records Office of Western Australia)

Samara Mcllroy (Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office)

Megan Robinson (Territory Records Office)

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