State Records Office of Western Australia

The State Records Office of Western Australia (SROWA) is the Western Australian government archive authority created by legislation separating government archival services from the State Library of Western Australia, which was in the past known as 'Library and Information Service of Western Australia' (LISWA).

The SROWA is a separate legal entity, although it can sometimes be confused with the J S Battye Library, a collection area of the State Library, due to its housing in the same building - the Alexander Library Building (named after Professor Fred Alexander).

The distinction is that, while J S Battye Library houses published materials and archival records for individuals, companies and organisations, relating to Western Australian history, the SROWA has legislative responsibility for ensuring [http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/about/recordkeeping.asp government records] are appropriately created and maintained. It also manages the [http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/about/archival.asp State archives] collection, defined as those government records recognised as having enduring value for the State and the community, and currently containing over 2 million government archives relating to Western Australian history. This represents approximately one-quarter of the State's total archival heritage, with a further 35 linear kilometres of archives held in individual government agencies.

Separate legislation to create a State archives was first considered in the 1930s. The 1950s Library Board Act was eventually amended to make provision for archives, but specific records and archives legislation did not become a reality until the passing of the [http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_924_homepage.html State Records Act] in 2000. The current legislation has its genesis in the recommendations of the 1996 Commission on Government - Specified Matter 9. The Commission on Government was itself the result of one of Western Australia's most notorious Royal Commissions - the Royal Commission into the commercial activities of Government and other matters, better known as WA Inc.

From the SROWA website:

"The passing of the State Records Act in November 2000 and the subsequent establishment of the State Records Commission has begun a new chapter in the history of the State Records Office. The most notable development to date being the achievement of independence from the State Library of Western Australia, with the State Records Office attaining status as an independent agency operating within the sphere of the Department of Culture and the Arts."

State Records Office of Western Australia website [http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/about/history.asp "A Brief History of the SRO"] .

In other states and locations the equivalent office may be known as the 'Public Records Office' or the 'State Archives'.

ee also

* Archive
* National Archives of Australia

External links

* [http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/ State Records Office]
* [http://www.naa.gov.au/ National Archives Australia]
* [http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/battye.html J S Battye Library]
*