Educating archivists in Australia and beyond: the contribution of the University of New South Wales archives course, 1973-2000

Abstract

Education is critical to the development of a profession. Programmes of professional education serve to welcome newcomers and to expand the horizons of existing practitioners. So it was with the first university course for archivists in Australia, which began at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 1973. For the next 27 years, the course and its teachers were to become significant influences in the expansion of the Australian archival profession. The curriculum embraced Australian and international theory and practice, and the strength of the relationship between educators and the local professional community was one of its hallmarks. Many future leaders and innovators received their graduate training at UNSW and the experience created networks that endured over the long term. The reach of the UNSW course went well beyond its home in Sydney, for it included among its graduates the staff of national archives from countries across three continents - Oceania, Asia and Africa. The key UNSW archival educators, Peter Orlovich and Ann Pederson, made significant personal contributions to the profession internationally. The legacy of the UNSW course endures in its graduates and their work in Australia and beyond.