Author: Public Record Office Victoria
National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is celebrated across Australia each year between the 27th of May and the 3rd of June commemorating the anniversaries of the 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. The week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared history. The theme for 2017 is 'Let's Take the Next Steps'.
This year's Reconciliation Week also marks 20 years since the release of the Bringing Them Home Report - the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families. The report highlighted the importance of access to records for Stolen Generations and their families.
The Koorie Records Unit at Public Record Office Victoria
The Koorie Records Unit promotes awareness about Aboriginal records created by governments in Victoria by:
- improving the accessibility of records to the Aboriginal community
- strengthening links between Public Record Office Victoria and Indigenous community organisations through outreach, education and training
- providing advice and assistance to researchers wishing to access records about Aboriginal people in Public Record Office Victoria’s collection and in the collection of the National Archives of Australia’s Melbourne Office
- in partnership with the National Archives of Australia, provides a Koorie Reference Service with a dedicated officer to assist researchers identify records of interest in our collections.
Attend our NRW events
The Koorie Records Unit is running two events this Reconciliation Week.
Find more events in your area by visiting the NRW website.
Resources to help you learn more about our shared history
The Koorie Records Unit has compiled many useful resources that allow us to find and understand Aboriginal records held in the state archives.
- Finding Your Mob: Researching Aboriginal family history at the Victorian Archives Centre
- Walata tyamateetj: A guide to government records about Aboriginal people in Victoria
- Footprints: A touring exhibition on the journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper
Learn more about our Koorie Services here.
Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.
PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples