New Director - Alan Ventress | Online News | Closed June 9 | Additional transfers of Primary Applications | Spotlight on the Dreadnought Scheme and the Scheyville Training Farm | Exhibition | Upcoming Talks and Tours
New Director - Alan Ventress
As the new Director of State Records, I would like to pay tribute to David Roberts, Director 1998-2008, who did such a fantastic job in the position over the last decade. I sincerely hope that I can, in a small way, emulate his successes.
The overall strategic direction of the organisation will not change. We have been given clear directions by the NSW government to focus on digital recordkeeping and disposal coverage by agencies and this will continue to be State Records major focus over the next few years. However, we will not be neglecting our readers. I hope to be able to re-focus our Volunteers Program in the near future, by providing better accommodation and work areas for the volunteers, which will in turn lead to a greater number of indexes and resources being available on our web site for family historians.
In relation to our web site, we are investigating the opportunities 'Web 2' provides and are intending to move to new levels of interactivity. To this end we will be investigating Blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, the use of Flickr for photos and YouTube for State Records video content. For those of you who are interested State Records already has five videos on YouTube (search for State Records New South Wales. They provide a most interesting insight, especially some of the behind the scenes footage.
If you have any questions relating to the provision of State Records services to the public or suggestions for improvement please email me at alan.ventress@records.nsw.gov.au or phone (02) 8247 8653.
On a personal level
I was born in Saltburn, Yorkshire, went to boarding school in Shropshire and served 6 years in the British Army, in the infantry and military police. I first came to Australia, via an overland trip through Africa and worked Cape Lambert in the Pilbara region of North West Western Australia.
Between 1973 and 1976 I travelled extensively in, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, North East Asia, Latin America and Europe and taught English as a second language in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.
I gained entrance to the University of NSW in the first intake of mature students and between 1977 and 1980 studied English Literature, Drama, Spanish, Latin American Studies, Asian history, Australian Politics, Political Philosophy and Librarianship. In 1978 I became an Australian citizen.
After working for six years as Serials Librarian at the University of NSW in the Social Sciences and Humanities Library, I was appointed to the position of Collection Development Librarian at the State Library of NSW in 1987 and became Mitchell Librarian in 1993. I was appointed to the position of Associate Director, City at State Records in 2001.
I am currently the Vice President of the Royal Australian Historical Society, a member of the NSW Working Party of the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Chairperson of the Henry Parkes Foundation, a member of the NSW Geographical Names Board and a Board Member of the Dictionary of Sydney.
In 2003 I was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003 for services to the Centenary of Federation and was granted Life Membership of the History Council of NSW in 2004 for services to history in New South Wales.
Online News
The latest additions to the online indexes and resources on our website include:
1. New trial copy service - Early Probate Records
We have introduced a new online copying service, which is attached to the online Index to the Early Probate Records. The fee for the service is $25.00 for the first entry and $5 for each additional entry. Researchers may order up to 9 additional entries on one order. The Early Probate Index records the name, date, item number and page number. The index was created from three record series and is for supplementary probate records. It does not include the main probate series. You can order copies of the records online via the search facility. Simply 'tick' the relevant search result(s) and follow the instructions.
» Search the Early Probate index.
» Find out more about the copy service.
2. Completion of Volunteers' Project - Index to the Ticket of Leave Passports 1835-69
Ticket of Leave Passports allowed convicts holding tickets of leave to travel between certain points, visit a certain place or to attend the city markets for a specified period of time. The project to index the ticket of leave passports has been going for many years and has involved the work of many volunteers. The last four volumes from the series have now been added to the online index which makes this index complete! There are 11,145 entries.
» Search the Ticket of Leave Passport Index
3. Interactive Web content
Recently State Records has been updating the website to include new interactive media content. We have added a slide show to Archives in Brief 70 on photographs.
We have also added footage to YouTube, including:
Archives in Brief 98
- an embedded video on railway refreshment in
The Sydney Harbour Bridge
- a presentation narrated by Alan Ventress.
Closed June 9
We will be closed on Monday 9 June for the Queen's Birthday Holiday.
Additional transfers of Primary Applications
The Department of Lands, previously Land Titles Office [Registrar General] has been progressively transferring primary applications to State Records.
What are the Primary Application Packets?
A Primary Application was necessary when The Real Property Act, 1862 established a system whereby owners could convert land granted prior to 1863 to Real Property Act title. This was done by what was called a Primary Application. To convert land held under Old System Title the current owner needed to lodge the completed Primary Application form together with a survey of the land and documents proving title, which include a set of deeds, with the Department of Lands. This documentation - including any correspondence between Lands and the owner(s) about the land - was placed in a 'packet' known as the Primary Application Packet. If the application was accepted a Certificate of Title was issued.
To date the following PA packets are available from the Western Sydney Records Centre, NRS 17513 starts 1863:
| From | To |
|
PA 62391 |
PA 65081 |
|
PA 14231 |
PA 21235 |
|
PA 15424 |
PA 64919 (with gaps) |
|
PA 80140 |
PA 81467 |
To read more information relating to Primary Applications see Archives in Brief 108
Spotlight on the Dreadnought Scheme and the Scheyville Training Farm
Occasionally in the reading rooms researchers will visit to locate records relating to the Dreadnought Immigration Scheme.
The Dreadnought Fund was originally formed to raise money to purchase a battleship for the British Navy before the Australian navy was formed. When the navy was formed the Dreadnought fund was rendered irrelevant. The Government then entered into agreement with the trustees of the Dreadnought Fund to migrate 20 English youths per fortnight to meet the demand for trained agricultural workers in New South Wales. The Government was to be paid 5 pounds for each lad. The youths were to be aged 16-19, of good character and physique. The first 12 migrants arrived on 21 April, 1911 and were followed by 27 others on 15 June. The Dreadnought boys were to receive 2 pounds, part of which was withheld until the end of their training and forwarded to them if they proceeded to the position assigned to them. If the supply could be maintained 500 young men per year could be trained. From 1911 Scheyville farm trained British boys for work on Australian farms. Between 1911 and 1939, 5,595 'Dreadnought Boys' arrived in NSW. Most were trained for two or three months at Scheyville before assignment to a farm.
Scheyville farm totalled 2,150 acres and included living facilities for the young men, Farm Manager's residence, a killing room, butchers shop and a Post Office. The farm was divided into paddocks for different purposes and consisted of a dairy, piggery, sheep section, farm section, orchard, vegetable garden, millet broom making plant, sawmill, blacksmiths, saddlers, wheelwrights, carpenter's and tinsmith's shops. In February 1913 the name of the farm was proclaimed as Government Agricultural Training Farm, Scheyville after William Schey, NSW Director of Labour and Industry.
The records
The main records that have survived for the Scheyville Training Farm are the series of Scheyville farm photos c. 1926-46 which have been digitised on the website.
These photos are a valuable resource and provide great insight into the conditions on the Scheyville Farm. There are no captions, therefore none of the farm workers are identified by name, but may possibly include immigrants recruited under the Dreadnought Scheme. Most of the photographs are undated.
There is also, NRS 5533 Special files [Industrial Relations] which contains files relating to the Scheyville Training Farm (1930-52).
State Records hold few records from the actual Dreadnought scheme. The only specific record series surviving is the contribution register NRS 5543 which covers the period 1922-25. A register of moneys paid to the Department and moneys paid out on account of Dreadnought migrants. This is an original record and only available to view at the Western Sydney Records Centre.
For further information
For further administrative background history see Archives Investigator - Advanced Search - Agency 2448
The National Archives holds records relating to the Dreadnought Scheme.
For more information on Child Youth Migration see Archives in Brief 91.
There is also a Dreadnought Society who can be contacted at:
Dreadnought Association
Postal Address: 14 Kruseana Ave
Goonellabah NSW 2480
Contact: Mrs N. J. Wyndham
See also the NSW Migrant Heritage Centre online exhibition.
Exhibition
In Living Memory NSW tour
A special touring version of the In Living Memory exhibition is travelling to 17 New South Wales venues over the next two and a half years, from May 2008 until the end of 2010. After the official launch in Nowra in May 2008, the exhibition is visiting Moree, Walgett, Brewarrina, Quirindi, Armidale, Ballina, Kempsey, Newcastle, Penrith, Hurstville, Moruya, Bega, Wagga Wagga, Cootamundra, Dubbo and Broken Hill.
Check the
exhibition webpage
for venues and regular updates.
The current version of the exhibition is still on display at State Records Gallery in The Rocks. Exhibition Talks & Tours are available for small groups of 5-20 people, weekdays between 10 am and 4 pm. Call 02 8247 8660 for enquiries and bookings.
In Living Memory exhibition
State Records Gallery
Sydney Records Centre
2 Globe Street (off George Street)
The Rocks
FREE ENTRY
9am - 5pm, Mon - Fri
10 am - 4pm, Sat
Closed public holidays
Enquiries & Exhibition Tour bookings (02) 8247 8660
Upcoming Talks and Tours
Getting to know the new Convict Guide
Fabian LoSchiavo will take participants through State Records new finding aid - the Convict Guide.
4 June Multi Purpose Centre 123 Flora Street Sutherland
Contact: Botany Bay Family History Society, Heather Clarey
Hawkesbury Family History Group
Gail Davis will speak about the Wonders of the State archives highlighting some of the lesser known sources in the collection.
11 June 10:30am, Hawkesbury Central Library, Deerubbin Centre, 300 George Street, Windsor.
Contact Email:
Michelle Nichols
Navigating Archives Investigator
Tips and tactics for using State Records' major finding aid.
12 June 10:30-12:30 SRC
19 June 10:30-12:30 WSRC
State Records' presentations at Port Macquarie
Christine Yeats and Lindsay Allen will present a series of talks exploring the sources in the NSW State archives relating to inquests, probate, divorce, deceased estates, convicts, immigration and land records.
21 June 11:00-3:00 at the Warner Centre Port Macquarie.
Contact: Jan Shelley
Waverley Historical Society
Christine Yeats will highlight the sources in the NSW State archives relating to some of the local colourful crimes and misdemeanours from yesteryear.
14 July 4:00pm at Bondi Junction Waverley RSL Club, Gray Street, Bondi Junction
Contact: Marion West Ph: (02) 9387 1266
Liverpool Genealogy Society Annual Seminar
Gail Davis will be talking about how to research 19th Century welfare records using the NSWState archives.
26 July 9:30 in the Hilda Davis Centre corner of Bigge Street and Warren Service Way, at the rear of Liverpool Library, Liverpool.
Contact:
Betty Shepherd
You can either book online for State Records talks or ring Lindsay Allen on (02) 9673 1788. For more information on these and any future events or to book online see the activities program webpage.
© State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority, 2003.
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