Worker in the Queensland State Archives, Michelle McNamara, has admitted she is never failing to be surprised and delighted by the hidden records and stories that come to light in her job and in the Archives.
“The place is full of lots of stories and, on the face of it, these records look quite plain and pedestrian, but when you dig a bit deeper they are quite amazing,” Ms McNamara said.
“We have about 3.5 million records here; that’s 70 linear kilometres worth of records,” she said.
She said the Queensland State Archives held not only the permanent records of the State Government, but also the records of many others.
“Family history is probably one of the most common things that people come here to research, but it can also be used for publications, authors writing books, or for legal research like Native Title,” Ms McNamara said.
She said unearthing hidden stories was the best part of her job with Archives.
“The records that I enjoy the most here are those that tell stories about people’s lives,” Ms McNamara said.
“There are a lot of records that disclose secrets about people’s lives here and finding that information can change their life.”
She gave the example of a man who came in with his adult daughters.
“He grew up in foster care — he didn’t know where he went to school, didn’t know who his carers were, but he found that information in our records,” Ms McNamara said.
“It changed his life; he knew a bit about where he grew up and who he grew up with.
“That stuff is in our records and it’s amazing when people find that sort of thing in our collection.”
Queensland State Archives actively shares interesting material with the public through social media and exhibitions.
