6c Disrupting Colonial Archives: Queensland State Archives first steps on the Path to Treaty
Tracks
Collaboration and Advocacy
| Tuesday, October 18, 2022 |
| 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM |
Presentation Type
Traditional Paper -- Moderator: Dr. Louise Curham
Session Information
Perspectives On Access: The three speakers in session 6 have three different standpoints on access. Their topics range through anti-racist description, the consequences of access restrictions for a particular group of users, and a multi-facetted programmatic approach to decolonisation. Overall the session will be a principled and practical approach on improving one of the most fundamental archival purposes, one to which significant resources and processes are devoted.
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Ms Julie Shanks
A/manager, Access And Engagement
Queensland State Archives
Disrupting colonial archives: Queensland State Archives first steps on the Path to Treaty
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In 2021 Queensland State Archives embarked on its First Nations First program. Using the archival collection, we are helping to foster truth telling and healing and increase Queenslanders’ awareness and understanding about our painful shared colonial history and its ongoing effect on First Nations peoples. We are changing our culture, making the archives a welcoming and respectful space and improving our service delivery for First Nations peoples. Importantly, we are adopting more inclusive practices that welcome and include First Nations worldviews to become a more comprehensive and inclusive record of the people of Queensland. We are decolonising the archives.
How are we doing this? We have a long-term program focused on knowing what’s in the collection, making the records accessible and discoverable, building relationships and engaging with the community, building our capabilities, diversifying our workforce and making changes to our physical space. We’ve started and still have a lot of work to do but we are on our way. Our key projects moving us forward include improving our metadata, our pilot project with the Cherbourg community, researching our First Wars records and our language records, training for our workforce and developing our key partnerships with individuals and organisations.
Our path is not linear. Sometimes it’s curvy, even circular and we’re changing as we learn more. This presentation will provide an overview of our program, consider what has worked well and why and what we’ve learnt along the way.
How are we doing this? We have a long-term program focused on knowing what’s in the collection, making the records accessible and discoverable, building relationships and engaging with the community, building our capabilities, diversifying our workforce and making changes to our physical space. We’ve started and still have a lot of work to do but we are on our way. Our key projects moving us forward include improving our metadata, our pilot project with the Cherbourg community, researching our First Wars records and our language records, training for our workforce and developing our key partnerships with individuals and organisations.
Our path is not linear. Sometimes it’s curvy, even circular and we’re changing as we learn more. This presentation will provide an overview of our program, consider what has worked well and why and what we’ve learnt along the way.
