Broken Hill City Council wins community heritage grant

Broken Hill & Outback Archives has been awarded a $12,790 federal Community Heritage Grant to fund the rehousing of the Ralph O’Connor Negative Collection.

The grant was announced at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on 30 October, 2018.

This year, grants worth $367,470 were distributed to 60 community groups and organisations from around Australia to assist in the identification and preservation of community owned but nationally significant heritage collections.

Council’s Archives Officer, Alison Wayman said the grant was important in supporting the efforts to preserve the Ralph O’Connor Negative Collection at the grassroots level. “This grant provides the funds, to rehouse this amazing collection” Alison said. This collection represents the life work of Mr Ralph O’Connor a significant Broken Hill Photographer. His collection recorded various formal functions held in Broken Hill for over 5 decades.

Outback Archives staff and volunteers will be trained on rehousing the negative collection by ARTLAB Australia, Conservation and Preservation Specialists. Director-General of the National Library of Australia, Dr Marie-Louise Ayres, said the National Library was particularly delighted this year to again receive applications from all over the country.

CHG is managed by the National Library. It is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Communications and the Arts; the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive; the National Museum of Australia and the National Library.