What we do | Our aims | Our values | Milestones
Our Vision: That people and Government in NSW have ready access to records which illuminate history, enrich the life of the community and support good and accountable government.
Who we are
State Records is the NSW Government's archives and records management authority. We manage the NSW State archives collection and we set the rules and provide guidance on the management of official records. Our off-budget Government Records Repository (GRR) provides records storage services to the public sector.
We are a statutory body established by the State Records Act 1998. We are a part of the Department of Commerce. Our Minister is the the Hon. Eric Roozendaal, MLC, Minister for Commerce and Minister for Roads.
See also:
- ABN: 96 588 554 718
Annual Report (and Activity Report)
Audit, Finance and Risk Committee
Privacy management plan (PDF, 50kb)
State Records video on Channel NSW (via YouTube)
What we do
Records Management
We manage a framework of policy, legislation, standards, codes of best practice and guidelines governing the making, retention and management of State records and access to them. This framework applies both to records managed by public sector bodies and to the State archives collection.
Services and Guidance
We provide a wide range of services to the public and the NSW public sector, along with guidance for public sector bodies on all aspects of records management.
Records in our Care
A major operational focus for us is the documentation, storage and preservation of records. These include the State archives collection held in our own facilities, State archives maintained elsewhere in partnership arrangements with other organisations, and semi-active records stored commercially for our public sector clients.
Functions
Section 66 of the State Records Act 1998 provides that State Records has the following functions:
- setting and monitoring standards for the creation, management and disposal of State records
- providing practical advice, guidance and training to NSW public sector agencies in all aspects of records management
- providing centralised and cost-effective storage and retrieval services for the semi-active records of public sector agencies
- identifying those State records which should be retained as State archives and authorising the disposal of those which should not
- documenting and 'cataloguing' State archives in their functional and administrative context
- storing State archives in appropriate environments and ensuring that those stored elsewhere are also stored to the necessary standards
- using 'micro-' and 'macro-preservation' techniques to preserve the State's archives
- making State records more than 30 years old available for public access and use
- guiding public sector agencies in administering public access to those State records for which they are responsible
- interpreting, promoting and enhancing public awareness of the State archives collection, and
- making the best use of information technology and communications to improve our services and business.
See also:
Conference facilities for hire
- Freedom of Information
Our aims
- Ensure that the business of the NSW public sector is properly documented and that official records are managed efficiently and effectively to support frontline service delivery, good governance and accountability.
- Develop, document, preserve and make available the State archives collection as a cultural and information resource in order to enrich the people and communities of NSW.
Our values
We are committed to:
- the highest possible professional standards
- our customers and their needs in our decision-making and business directions
- integrity and accountability in our dealings with stakeholders, customers and the records
- innovation, creativity and openness to ideas in our work
- respect for our customers and their diverse backgrounds and interests, and respect for each other.
Milestones in our history
- 1821 - Colonial Secretary and Registrar of the Records appointed
- 1879 - Keeper of Archives position proposed
- 1887 - Archivist appointed to transcribe records for History of New South Wales from the Records
- 1910 - Trustees of Public Library prepare report on neglect of government records
- 1911 - Departments advised to transfer historical records to the Mitchell Library
- 1953 - Archives Department established within Public Library of NSW
- 1955 - Government Records Repository established
- 1961 - Archives Authority of NSW and Archives Office established
- 1976 - Records Management Office established
- 1999 - State Records Authority and its Board established
Other organisations