As the ASA hosts its 50-year celebrations, the City of Sydney (Council) Archives prepares for its own 50th anniversary in July 2026. This paper discusses the range of internal and external communities, institutions and individuals that interact with the City Archives and the value-add that the Archives provides. Given the City's unique location, encompassing the historical centre of Sydney, the heartland of Sydney's queer movement, and Redfern's vibrant Aboriginal community, needs can be diverse. The paper also tracks how these relationships have changed over nearly 50 years. With growing emphasis on open data and self-service through the award-winning Archives and History Resources catalogue, communities can now engage with the City Archives in ways they choose. The paper also examines the increasing focus on creative outreach and innovative strategies to continuously improve, reach new audiences, raise the profile of the Archives and secure its ongoing existence.

The official Australian narrative is largely dominated by the that of the major metropolitan capital cities, with regional towns having little presence in the wider Australian story. This paper showcases how the twenty documentaries were made in collaboration with the Stories of Our Town two film makers, with archives and the other GLAM institutions, academics and community storytellers. See: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/category/stories-of-our-town/

The digitisation of archives and collections often emphasises digital preservation and is seen as an end goal, whereas it is merely a step in the life of a collection's digital journey. A comprehensive digital twin of a collection has the potential to transcend static representation, offering new ways to engage with and interpret archival materials. This paper aims to demonstrate how digitisation, when approached as part of a broader process, can transform archives and collections, creating rich, interactive experiences that reframe collections as dynamic resources for storytelling, education, and connection. The paper seeks to delve into tools and strategies adopted for three completely different collections highlighting the tailored methodology for each. Starting with the University of Melbourne's Miles Lewis Heritage Building Materials Collection, the project is a digital resource of very ordinary looking objects that make up a collection of heritage building materials that were 3D scanned, using photogrammetry and subsequently digitally curated to enhance the ability to engage with the objects and understand their scale as well as understand their provenance and importance in the history of Australian building technology. The Richard Tandler Stereoscopic collection is a series of stereoscopic images captured by celebrated emigre designer Richard Tandler through his life. The slides have been scanned and converted into anaglyphs and virtual reality to help a wider audience to view them without losing their three dimensional character. Lastly, the Walhalla Old Post Office collection highlights the use of digital technologies in enhancing the reach and accessibility of a remote collection situated in a house museum. This presentation will provide background and context for these three collections, demonstrating how technology has been put into practice to make these unique and previously inaccessible collections available to a wider audience.