This article highlights the timeline of the establishment of the State Records Authority of New South Wales.
1821 Establishment of the position of Colonial Secretary and Registrar of the Records who is responsible for government administration in New South Wales.
Bladen, Principal Librarian of the Public Library of NSW ‘It is a disgrace to Australia as an enlightened nation that there is no place where the original papers bearing on the discovery of the continent; the exploration and settlement of the states; the constitutional history and records of their courts of law and judicial and political institutions can be consulted by the student of history.’ 1910 Opening of the Mitchell Library.
Trustees of the Public Library consider ‘that no time should be lost towards the establishment of an Archives Office’ 1915 Letter from Sir William Dixson (later benefactor of the Mitchell Library) to the Chief Secretary requesting the establishment of an archives department 1953 Appointment of Allan Horton to the position of Archives Officer at the Public Library of NSW and establishment of Archives Department within the Public Library of NSW 1955 Establishment of Government Records Repository (responsible to the NSW Public Service Board) and work commences on the preparation of archives legislation 1960 Archives Act proclaimed to commence on 1 June 1961 1961 29 June first meeting of the Archives Authority of New South Wales Original Board members: Principal Archivist G.D. Richardson Chairman Dr H S Wyndham CBE, MA, Ed D, Dip Ed Deputy Chair Mr G.M.Gray CBE, BA, Other members The Hon Mr Justice W H Collins LLB, Mr Senior Inspector J.R.Clancy, Dr George Mackaness OBE, MA, DLitt, Hon D Sc, Mr John Metcalfe BA, FLA, Mr F H Rogers MA, FLA, FNZLA, Major General J R Stephenson CBE, DSO, ED, Professor J M Ward MA, LLB 1963 Appointment of Mr R F Doust, BA as Senior Archivist 1964 Site of about 50 acres (200,000 m2) acquired for a permanent repository at Kingswood 1967 Allan Horton appointed as member of the Archives Authority of NSW 1973 Retirement of Gordon Richardson, Principal Archivist and appointment of Russell Doust, Acting Principal Archivist 1975 November 28.
Government Records Repository at Kingswood opens 1976 Ian Maclean appointed Principal Archivist 1976 Establishment of the Records Management Office and Archives Office becomes administratively separate from the Public Library of NSW 1978 Archives and Records Management Offices move from the State Library to a new purpose built archives building in Sydney’s historic Rocks area 1979 City Reading Room opens – for the first time the Archives Office has its own separate reading room and exhibition area 1980 John Cross appointed Principal Archivist 1982 Abolition of the Department of Services (previously the Chief Secretary’s Department) 1985/6 25th anniversary.