A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to 

The teaching of English to Post WWII Migrants

Foreword    About this Guide     Access to the records    Citing and Publishing records

Migrant Education in New South Wales

1. Adult Migrant Education

2. School Education

3. Related Records

Appendices

   1. Establishment files, 1948-55

   2. Establishment files, c.1950-72

   3. Addresses and hours of opening

Bibliography

Foreword

The arrival of post World War II immigrants has had a profound effect on the nature and diversity of Australian society. This Guide helps to commemorate cultural diversity in NSW by bringing together State archives that document the provision of education to migrants in the latter part of the 20^th century. The records listed in this Guide reflect the changing role of government administration in adapting to a new era in immigration.

By publishing this Guide we aim to make the records of the NSW Government more accessible to all those who live in, and have contributed to, the cultural growth of NSW. Gail Davis, Senior Archivist, Research, deserves special mention for her detailed work in researching and compiling the Guide.

State Records has a role to play in encouraging and promoting the use of records to facilitate a better awareness of our communities and society. We believe this Guide will be a valuable resource in helping to understand the interaction of Government and the people of NSW.

David Roberts                                        The Hon Justice David Levine RFD
Director                                                Chairperson of the Board

About this Guide

State Records manages the archives of the Government of New South Wales. The State’s archives are a unique and irreplaceable part of our cultural heritage. They document the business of Government in New South Wales, and its interaction with individuals and groups in our society, from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 until today.

The Adult Migrant Education Program (AMEP) celebrated 50 years of service in 1998. This Guide aims to make the records concerning the operation of adult migrant education in New South Wales more accessible to researchers by bringing together records from the holdings of State Records. The records highlight the program’s contribution to building a strong and diverse community in New South Wales.

The Guide lists the main series in our collection relating to adult migrant education. It also includes series from other agencies that further an understanding of the migrant education experience. These records date from the arrival of post World War II European migrants to the mid 1980s.

The Guide also includes records relating to the Colombo Plan as many overseas students attended courses in New South Wales under this Plan. The Plan originated from a meeting of the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers at Colombo in January 1950. The aim of the plan was to promote economic development in South and South-East Asia by providing technical training, assistance and equipment for programs developed by participating countries. In 1951 the Government of New South Wales agreed to participate and some financial assistance was received from the Commonwealth Government.

This Web site version will be updated when further records are identified.

Structure

The Guide

An archival record is usually part of a series of items created or maintained by an organisation, institution or individual. The State archives described in this Guide are arranged according to the Government agency that created and maintained them.

The Guide looks first at the records of the Adult Migrant Education Service (AMES) and the Department of School Education, as these agencies were responsible for creating and maintaining the majority of the records. The record series are listed chronologically under each agency.

The Guide then lists the records of those NSW Government offices that control related records. The agencies are arranged alphabetically and the series are listed chronologically underneath them.

The entries

The entries give the title of the record series and the date range of the series. Beneath the series title is a brief description of the contents of the records series. In the right hand column the reference numbers for the series are listed. The reference numbers are required when requesting records from State Records or citing them in written work and publications.

Access to the records

The State Records Act 1998 establishes a general entitlement to access to State records that are at least 30 years old. Not all such records, however, are open for public access. Some contain information, such as sensitive personal information, that require a longer period of closure. Government agencies assess the records for which they are responsible, including those held as State archives, for continuing sensitivity. They are required to make an ‘access direction’ to open or close the records to public access.

The Adult Migrant English Service has made access directions for its records contained in this Guide. Student records and teachers’ personal records, including personal files are closed to public access for 50 years. The remaining records of the Adult Migrant English Service are open to public access once they are 30 years old.

Access directions to other records listed in this guide are stated under the agency title. For access to records not yet available for public access researchers will need to contact the relevant agency.

Location of the archives

State Records operates two reading rooms for viewing records. The Western Sydney Records Centre is located at Kingswood and the Sydney Records Centre is at the Rocks.

A network of regional repositories located in host institutions in Armidale, Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Wollongong and Broken Hill, store and provide access to State archives of regional significance and to copies of key State archives.

Original records are not transferred between readings rooms. Records identified in the guide as having been filmed are available at both reading rooms.

Access to original (uncopied) State archives is by Reader's Ticket. 

Citing Records

The correct citation of State archives enables staff to identify and locate the records a researcher has used. It also means that other researchers are able to refer to them. Abbreviated citations are generally all that is needed when citing State archives. Sometimes it may be appropriate to give a more detailed or expanded citation, for example in a full bibliography, or if you are using only footnotes and no bibliography.

The form of citation for State archives is a follows: the name 'State Records Authority of New South Wales' followed by a colon, the series 'number' - which may be either the Concise Guide (CGS) or New South Wales Record Series (NRS) number - followed by a comma, and then the record item number. It is important to differentiate between the original control number assigned at the time the record was created and imposed numbers. Imposed control symbols should be shown in square brackets, for example [3/1960]. An example of an abbreviated citation is:

State Records Authority of New South Wales: CGS 7995, [3/1960].

State Records Authority of New South Wales may be abbreviated to SRNSW if the full name has been used in the first citation.

Archives in Brief No 10 provides full details.

Publishing State archives

If you are considering publishing State archives, either entire documents or extracts from them, you must apply in writing, to State Records to obtain written permission and you must acknowledge State Records as the source of any documents, extracts or quotations.

Archives in Brief No 11 provides full details.