Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive wins Community Heritage Grant

Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive has been awarded a $6,350 federal Community Heritage Grant by the National Library of Australia to fund a preservation needs assessment of the collection. 

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. 

The Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive preserves regional film and sound heritage dating back to 1916. The archive houses about 8,000 cans and cassettes of local and regionally produced visual material and over 20,000 items on the database, plus historical audio material. 

Miranda Heckenberg, Communications Officer for Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive Committee said the grant was important in supporting the effort to preserve the archive at the grassroots level. “In 2017, an independent ‘Significance Assessment’ of the archive was conducted. Following on from that assessment, the money from this grant will be used to pay for a ‘Preservation Needs Assessment’ which will be carried out by an audiovisual conservator early next year. 

“This is the next step in the process to enable us to apply for further funding to convert materials currently held in older style formats to digital, thereby ensuring their long-term conservation,” she said. 

Councillor Helen Tickle said it is important that the archive is supported to ensure it is protected and maintained into the future. “The Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive is said to be one of the country’s best regional film and sound collections. I’d like to thank the many volunteers who work tirelessly to care for this unique and valuable collection which preserves our region’s rich and diverse history,” she said. 

The Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive is open to the general public on Tuesdays and on other days by appointment. It is located at Tamworth Regional Council, Ray Walsh House, Peel Street. Visit www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au to search the archive and find out more information. 

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