Re: SRA archives gone to the State Archives??

[robson <robson@cia.com.au>]

chris wrote:
> 
> I heard that the SRA has sent all its archives to the NSW 
> govt state archives at St Marys (as posted on another 
> newsgroup). Surely access to these is now going to be 
> more difficult as it wouldn't supprise me if the stuff 
> is packet away in a warehouse never to be seen again. Does
> anybody know the proceedures to get access to this material



The State Archives are held by NSW Government State Records Office.
The main repository is at Kingswood (formerly the State Archives).
Government records are held in accordance with the State Records Act
1998 ( http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/sra1998156/
), which superseded the State Archives Act 1960.

Their web site is at http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/ where there is
details of public access. There is already a holding of railway
records but it appears that only a sample of each type of record has
been kept. 

I dare say a large amount of the State Rail Authority archives were
destroyed prior to the transfer to Kingswood. Perhaps someone could
confirm here what paper records were actually saved. There seems to be
a trend to only keep a "sample" of a particular subject. Who would
have decided what to keep and what to destroy? Was their expertise in
railway history or just archives in general?

I am sure that most of the popular photos, negatives, plans, and
drawings were saved (although a lot of the original linen drawings
were destroyed in the 1980s after microfilmimg took place). What
about, for example, the loco and rolling stock history cards, and the
Commissioner's files (containing contract details and general railway
correspondence)?

Perhaps someone is this group could phone the State Records Office to
see what was transferred, and when it is likely to be made available
to the public for research.

Contact details are:

Western Sydney Search Room 
143 O'Connell Street
Kingswood NSW 2747

Telephone: (02) 9673 1788 Fax: (02) 9833 4518

Hours of Opening
Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm 
Saturday: 10.00am - 4.00pm 
Sundays and Public Holidays: CLOSED