National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea was established in the Territory in 1957 and it was mainly emphazing clearly upon records management. It became part of the Office of Library and Archives Board (OLAB) in September 1993. National Archives of Papua New Guinea is mandated by the Office of Libraries and Archives Act to be the official custodian of the government’s corporate memory. It is responsible for the permanent preservation of the nation’s records which are of national and historical significance.
Mission Statement
To ensure the efficient management of the records of the government of Papua New Guinea throughout their lifecycle and the preservation of those public records of significant value for current and future use by the government and citizens of Papua New Guinea and others.
The National Archives and Public Records Services plays two roles;
- Preservation of significant national records and making available information in them.
- Public Sector Records Management – Improving records keeping systems in government instrumentalities and advising on timely disposal of records.
Its functions can be summarized to provide;
- Preservation and storage of significant national records and archives
- Reference and Information services
- Records management and disposal
Program Objectives
The National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea is governed by the National Library and Archives Act 1993. In accordance with this Act and guided by the OLA Vision 2010 strategic Plan, the National Archives endeavours to ensure the efficient and economical management of the records of the government of Papua New Guinea throughout their lifecycle and the preservation of those public records in significant value for current and future use by the government and citizens of Pap0ua New Guinea and Overseas.
Its program objectives are;
- Promote and develop a national archival system
- Promote access to information from records and Archives
- Promote the storage and preservation of public records and archives
- Promote effective lifecycle records management in the public sector
- Promote professional archivist and records manager training and staff development
The National Archives carries out these function through its various sections.
Records Services
The Senior Archivist and Staff;
- Co-operate with departmental records officers on the principles and practices of efficient records management , including the compilation of disposal schedules.
- Arrange for the transfer of records deemed to be of permanent value from government agencies to National Archives.
- Arrange for provision of storage and a loan service to the office of origin of semi-current government records (that is records, usually of no permanent value and not in frequent use but which need to be retained for a period of time).
Archives Services
The Senior Archivist and Staff;
- Arrange and describe permanently valuable archives so as to make them useable by researchers and others.
- Operate a reference and research room where the public may carry out research on archives, and assist them as required.
- Deal with written and telephone enquiries from the public and government departments both in PNG and overseas.
Conservation Services
The Conservation Officer;
- Ensure that National Archives buildings are environmentally controlled to archival standards and that storage methods are adequate.
- Carries out repair work on archives where necessary and possible.
- Advises departments and the public on conservation matters.
Holdings
Format of records (documents [volumes and files] photographs [slides, contact prints, negatives] maps, microfiche
All archival records preserved are in the form of documents (bound volumes and files, microfiche), photographs (slides, negatives, contact prints, enlargements) and maps (large town plans) produced by former department of public works.
Size of Collection
It is estimated about 100,000 of records.
Government Records
The biggest collection we have in custody is the government records. These are Post-War and Pre-Independence records of Papua New Guinea as well as the current day to day government records.
Private Papers
PNG Archives has a small collection for the private papers for prominent leaders of the country. These important records are voluntarily deposited to Archives by the owner for safe-keeping. Accessing of these private records is restricted to the public but only with owner’s consent.
Reference Services
We disseminate information on the history of Papua New Guinea by providing researchers with the facilities and services to use the archives and its records. Through this, we hope to in still greater awareness of our heritage amongst the general public.
What sort of record do we have in the Reference Room?
- Departmental /Agency Accession Lists
- Departmental/Agency Records Series
- Patrol Reports
- National Archives Guides
- National Archives Registers
- Photographic Records
- Micforms (fiche & roll films)
- PNG publication/reference sources
- Annual Reports
- National Gazettes
- Miscellaneous booklets and Folders (Police, PIB, Pension lists only)
- Some guides to records held in Australian archival institutions.
Services Offer
- Free Consultation of materials for research
- Reprography of materials are made upon request – K.50t per document and Micrographic Fee of K3.00 per fiche.
- Sale of Archives Publication K5.00 per booklet
- Sale of Archival Boxes K5.00 per box.
How to Register
Fill out an application form at the reference desks. Once approval /endorsement of the form by National Archivist/Senior Archivist is given, a readers ticket will be issued to you for a period of 12 months.
Where do you register?
The place is:
National Archives of PNG Reference Room
P.O. Box 734
WAIGANI – NCD
Ph: 3431451 / 1450
Opening Hours
Monday – Thursday – 9.00am to 3.00pm Closed on weekends ,public holidays and for lunch each day.
For General Enquiries
P.O. Box 734, WAIGANI, NCD, PNG
Telephone [675] 3431450 / 3431451
Facsmile No: [675] 3245251
Email: rabbi_kairu@educationpng.gov.pg or Vicky_puipui@educationpng.gov.pg
Location of Office
Located along the Sir John Guise Drive, Waigani. Opposite the Ex-Australian High Commission Building now houses the Attorney General Department. About 300 meters from the National Parliament.
Bus Service
- Catch PMV – Route 7 – Airport through Gordons Market, Waigani Offices, Waigani Market, University of PNG to Gerehu.
- Route 15 – Airport through Gordons market, Waigani offices, Tokarara, Hohola 4mile back to 7 mile.
- Route 11 – Morata, Waigani Market, Waigani Offices 4mile, town.
- Taxi services also available from anywhere in the city.
National Archives – Lae Branch
The Lae Branch is a branch of the National Archives Division within the Office of Libraries, Archives and Literacy. It was established in 1974 and its function is specifically to serve as a records centre for semi-current records at the provincial level. It is the only provincial branch in the country and it is located along the Montoro street, next to Lae Builders Company.
Holdings
Format of records (documents [volumes and files] maps, microfiche
All archival records preserved are in the form of documents (bound volumes and files, microfiche) and maps (town maps)
Size of Collection
It is estimated about 50,000 of records
Government Records
The biggest collection we have in custody is the government records. These are Pre-Independence records of Papua New Guinea as well as the current day to day government records.
The branch manager and staff carry out archives and records services (as above) on a smaller scale.
Major developments
Public Sector Records Management Toolkit – Train the Trainer; 14–15 September 2009
Participants of the Public Sector Records Management Toolkit –Train the Trainers Guideline Workshop, held at the PNG National Library Gallery, 14-15 September, 2009
Parbica recordkeeping for Good Governance Toolkit Train the Trainers workshop was conducted in Port Moresby, PNG from the 14-15th September, 2009. The Port Moresby workshop was treated as a pilot project in Training the Trainers on using the Parbica Toolkit on Good Governance for Recordkeeping.
Messrs Cunningham and Semmler facilitate the workshop with assistance from Mr. Jacob Hevelawa MBE, Director General – OLA and Mrs Tukul Kaiku, Lecturer – Social Science and Humanities – UPNG.
Total number of participants was 47 from 23 government agencies and were mainly Training Officers/HR Managers/IT Specialist and Records Officers/Managers and officers of the Office of Library and Archives and Literacy.
Official launching of the PARBICA Toolkit Record Keeping for Good Governance; 12 August 2011
Children dressed in traditional attire representing the four regions in the country officiated at the Launching of the Parbica Toolkit Record keeping for good governance in 2011.
The launching of the Parbica Toolkit was for the National Government to officially endorse and accept the toolkit as a set of tools to be used as a guide in managing official government records in the country.
Mr. Joseph Sukwinanomb, Director Vision 2050 Office, Department of Prime Minister’s officiated at the launching of the Toolkit on behalf of the Chief Secretary to Government.
The launching was attended by Heads of government departments and statutory bodies in PNG including the 47 participants who attended the Train the Trainers workshop in 2009.
Records Management Survey Project – 2011
Records management Survey Project is a project identified by the National Archives is being conducted Annually with funding from PNG Government and Donor Aid especially Ausaid.
The project coordinated by the PNG Archives aimed to;
- Establish contact and strengthen a network between government agencies and National Archives for improvement and sustainability of records and archives services provided to government agencies by the National Archives
- Understand and determine the status of current and semi-current records management system and practices including electronic records in all levels of government and give advice and assistance in areas that require improvements;
- Establish if there are any archival materials that need to be rescued as well as legislation and policy guidelines on recordkeeping that is in place and used by records managers and relevant authorities as a guide to effectively and efficiently manage and dispose of records including electronic records.
Project was conducted in six provinces [Morobe, East Sepik, Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Western Highlands and Southern Highlands Provinces]
The National Archives of PNG through the Office of Libraries and Archives, Ministry of Education acknowledge the funding assistance given by Ausaid for this project in 2011.
The records management survey project is a way forward for the National Archives of PNG in establishing Provincial Archives Centres in the Country. So far, we only 1 which is in Lae, Morobe Province.
Simbu Province has got an archives section which is attached to the Finance and Budgets Division. Plans are underway to build an Archives Building in the Province and funding is a major constrain for us.
Since the Project was launched out in 2000, we have surveyed 10 provinces out of the 21 provinces in the country. Surveys have been conducted in Bougainville, East New Britain, New Ireland, Madang, East Sepik, West Sepik, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands , Enga, Provinces yet to cover are; West New Britain, Western, Oro, Gulf, Milne Bay, Manus, Hela, Jiwaka.
Director-General of Office of Libraries, Archives and Literacy
Mr. Jacob Hevelawa, MBE was confirmed as Director General Office of Library , Archives and Literacy which was endorsed by Minister for Education through the National Executive Council on 30th March, 2011.
National Archivist Position
Mrs Vicky Puipui Brian is now acting national Archivist until further notice.
Memory of the World
National Archives of Papua New Guinea was awarded with an award for the inscription of F E Williams Collection on the Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia/Pacific on the 16th May, 2012. This is a joint nomination by PNG Archives and National Archives of Australia
Training Workshop for Digitisation of Land Use Records – Department of Agriculture and Livestock
PMB – PNG Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), Preservation of Land Use Survey Reports Project, funded by AusAid, was instigated by Mike Bourke of the ANU, following the fire which destroyed the records of the Lowland Agriculture Experiment Station at Kerevat, East New Britain Province in April 2011.
Digitisation Workshop in the PNG Department of Agriculture and Livestock was conducted for two weeks, 16-27 April, in which DAL and PNG National Archives staff began a ‘back-capture’ archives digitisation project, including archival survey, listing and preparation of documents, database content compilation, installation of the digital camera and peripheral equipment (supplied to DAL), operation of the digital camera using a ‘remote capture’ interface, processing , storage and backup of digital images, storage and preparation of original documents for transfer to the National Archive. The Acting National Archivist, Mrs Vicky Puipui Brian and Ms Lien Erepe attended the two weeks training.
National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea
Office of Libraries Archives and Literacy
P.O. Box 734
Waigani, National Capital District
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Telephone No: [675] 3431451
Facsimile No: [675] 3254251
Email address: vicky_puipui@educationpng.gov.pg
Download this page