The 2023 Sir Rupert Hamer Records Management Awards were awarded this week (25 May) honouring significant projects that captured and preserved public records.
Announced at the Victorian Archives Centre, the biennial Awards recognised recent Victorian and local government projects that reflect excellence, innovation and dedication to best practice recordkeeping and preservation of records of permanent value.
Congratulated by the Minister for Government Services, Danny Pearson, the winners included The University of Melbourne, the Department of Justice and Community Safety and Monash Health for their outstanding approaches to records management.
“Congratulations to the Agencies and staff awarded for their continued innovation and important work in ensuring records of the Victorian Government are well managed now and into the future,” Mr Pearson said.
He said the Sir Rupert Hamer Records Management Awards were an initiative of the Public Records Advisory Council and Public Record Office Victoria (PROV), and were named after Sir Rupert Hamer who was the State Premier when the Public Records Act was passed and PROV established in 1973. Sir Rupert was a continued supporter of the Archives until his passing.
President of the Public Records Advisory Council, Judy Maddigan said it was a pleasure to present the Awards on the 50th anniversary of the Public Records Act, “showcasing the fantastic work our public servants do every day to ensure the capture of records of Victoria’s recent and distant past.”
Director and Keeper of Public Records, Justine Heazlewood said that managing good records was integral to the efficiency and integrity of Government and the “preservation of vital records for future individual, community and government use.”
The winners of the Awards were the University of Melbourne which won two awards for digital preservation and records management projects and the Department of Justice and Community Safety for its recordkeeping processes in response to COVID-19.
Commendations were also identified for the Cardinia Shire Council for its Microsoft 365 records management migration project; South West TAFE for a beginning of a new records management strategy; and the Department of Education and Training for its 150 years of the collection, digitisation and promotion of records of Victoria’s education history.
The most valuable transfer was announced as Monash Health for transfer of Queen Victoria Hospital records to PROV, ensuring the preservation of records of women’s 19th and 20th century history.
More information about the Awards can be accessed at PROV at this PS News link.
