A NEW outback archive policy will be on public exhibition, but it could see a push to secure historical artefacts like the bound Barrier Daily Truth copies.
At the December monthly City Council meeting, the report for the Draft Outback Archive Collection Management Policy went before councillors.
The policy has been written to replace an earlier policy from 2009 which no longer meets the standards of a professional collection management policy.
The draft aims to develop the management of the Outback Archives and collect, document and conserve items related to the history and heritage of Broken Hill.
They will also look to make the collection available to the public and organisations for the purposes of research and to develop and maintain a collection of local, state and national significance and repute.
During discussions it was mentioned that Council was interested in accessing the former Barrier Daily Truth (BDT) bound copies.
“Archives are important everyone in the city,” Mayor Tom Kennedy said.
“The BDT archives are particularly important and the historical value for those.”
Mayor Kennedy said they haven’t had much success in obtaining them.
They belong to the Barrier Industrial Council which own the newspaper and building.
“Ultimately it will be their decision what they do with the archives of the Barrier Daily Truth.
“But for the Broken Hill community, those papers and the historical value of those papers are important to everyone.
“I believe we have copies; there’s different sections that are missing decades, different decades are missing and some of the newer decades are missing.
“What is at the BDT is really important, but they also have other archival items other than the paper, which is also important.
“Some of the historical photos that are being kept and some of the other things that the BDT has that Council will just not have.
“There is always concern about any material that’s left unlooked after, it doesn’t matter whether it’s in a building such as the BDT or someone’s house if you leave it for too long; it doesn’t take long before things are damaged.
“When it comes to Council’s archives and the importance of the policy, you have to have the right temperature, the right humidity. If it doesn’t, they start to become more and more damaged.
“So, I’d say, without a doubt, they aren’t in the best environment to protect them and the best condition they can.”
Mayor Kennedy said they might look to come up with an arrangement in the New Year to try and secure the archival items.
“We have pushed asked in the past and maybe it’s time that a little bit more pressure is put on them.
“Even if it isn’t the hand over but to make sure they’re kept in a good environment where they’ll be kept in a good condition.
“Council doesn’t have to have everything, but they do certainly want to make sure that that the historical value of those records is maintained and kept in an environment that they’re not going to be damaged.”
Barrier Industrial Council president Ros Ferry said she was unable to comment.
