Directory entries of Archival Repositories 1999
(continued)

Brief history: Up to 31 May 1997 the archives formed part of the First National Bank Museum, which was established in 1979 to, inter alia, identify, document, research and bring to the public the important historical documents accumulated by the Bank. The Museum was closed to the public on 31 May 1997 and the archives now exist as a single entity.

Acquisitions policy: Material pertaining to the history of First National Bank and its predecessor banks.

Areas of specialisation: The history of First National Bank and its predecessors.

Core holdings: Core holdings include: Board Minutes and related documents of FNB and its main predecessor banks, viz: Bank of Africa, Natal Bank, Eastern Province Bank, National Bank of the Orange Free State/Orange River Colony, De Nationale Bank der Zuid Afrikaansche Republik, Barclays Bank (Dominion, Colonial and Overseas)/Barclays Bank DCO, Barclays National Bank Ltd. Branch and Head Office General Ledgers, Signature Books and related ledgers. Directors' Reports and Balance Sheets of FNB and its main predecessor banks. Annual Reports. Correspondence Collection. Photographic collection. Staff Records. Branch Records. Various smaller collections. Small research library containing books dealing mainly with banking and related subjects.

Finding aids: Computer indexes exist to most of the collections and the archives also has a sophisticated computer database system (STAR) which is currently being compiled.

National register participation: No.

Brief history: After Union (31 May 1910) DF du Toit was appointed as the first acting archivist in the Free State. He resigned in 1923. On 29 March 1927 LB van der Walt was appointed as the first full-time archivist. He took up his post in the newly completed archives building in Elizabeth Street (currently this building is used as a Records Centre). This building was the first in South Africa to be built exclusively to be used as an archives repository. In 1996 a new repository was taken into use because of space considerations.

Acquisition policy: Public records are transferred in terms of archival legislation. Concerning non-public records, currently emphasis is placed on the collection of documents regarding the black inhabitants of the Free State as there is a clear gap exists regarding such records in this repository. This is done by means of an outreach programme, which was introduced in 1998. A photographic collection programme is underway where emphasis is placed on the early history of the black people and steps taken to preserve this heritage. All donations in the form of documents, photographs and other documentary material (books, etc.) will be accepted.

Areas of specialisation: Public and non-public records relating to the Free State.

Core holdings: Largest Groups: MHG - Master of the Supreme Court (Estate Files), 1839-1942. HG - Criminal and Civil Cases, Supreme Court, 1849-. AKT - Registrar of Deeds, 1841-1970. Most consulted: MHG - especially by genealogists, medical history research, etc. AKT - also by genealogists and land reform researchers. SRC - Chief Superintendent of Refugee Camps, 1900-1903: This group consists of registers of all the Refugee Camps in the Free State during the Anglo-Boer War. Genealogists consult it and researchers busy researching the Anglo-Boer War. Other major groups: SBS - Regional Representative, Department of Home Affairs: Registers re births, marriages and deaths for the Bloemfontein region. GS - Governmental Secretary, 1854-1900. CO - Colonial Office, 1901-1911. Records, which originated at all the provincial government levels, and those which originated at the different local authorities in the Free State as well as the different magistrate's offices in the Free State.

Finding aids: Inventories exist for almost all the archival groups in this repository. These are in typed form and some have been published. Currently a programme is implemented of translating all of these inventories from Afrikaans to English. Most of the documents have been data coded and computerised. References to these documents can be found quite easily by making use of the computer retrieval system in the reading room. A published Guide to Accessions (non-public records) exist in Afrikaans.

National register participation: Yes.

Brief history: GALA was established in January 1997 as a repository of material relating to lesbian and gay experience in South Africa. GALA is an independent project of the South African History Archives. The archives were made possible by a three year grant from the Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries (HIVOS), based in the Netherlands. The archives arose in order to address the need for a permanent institutional home for the wide range of material of cultural and historical significance to lesbian and gay communities in South Africa.

Acquisitions policy: GALA does not, to date, have a formal acquisitions policy. This is being drawn up with reference to other lesbian and gay archives, internationally. GALA pursues an open acquisitions policy and all material of lesbian and gay interest is accepted by GALA. This includes documents, photographs, diaries, letters, memorabilia, clothing and artifacts of significance to gay and lesbian experience in South Africa.

Areas of specialisation: Material collected by GALA has a special significance for lesbian and gay communities in South Africa.

Core holdings: GALA's collections include organisational, legal and personal records, academic and research papers, records of media coverage, photographs, memorabilia and other artefacts. Several collections provide detailed insights into gay and lesbian anti-apartheid politics in the 1980s, both in South Africa and internationally. These include personal correspondence and organisational records. There is a suite of collections which covers in detail legal reform here over the last 40 years. We have collections of international and local gay and lesbian magazines, as well as an ongoing media monitoring collection, which includes newspaper clippings and audio and video material from the South African press and broadcasters. Notable individual collections include the papers of Mr Justice Edwin Cameron and the Simon Nkoli collection.

Finding aids: The archives operate on a manual index card system. Information on the GALA collections can be accessed on the Web. Inventories can be sent to long distance researchers.

National register participation: Yes. Linked for on-line retrieval.

Brief history: This library used to be the Education Library of the former Transvaal Education Department (TED). The archive collection therefore consists (or should) of all ex-TED publications from its beginning - e.g. manuals, circulars, reports, research papers, matric exam-papers, syllabi.

Acquisitions policy: All ex-TED publications. It does not include administrative information e.g. correspondence, files of the old department.

Areas of specialisation: Education in general and curriculum related areas from ex-TED.

Core holdings: Example of titles: Manual for General School Organisation. Media Guide: buyers guide for children's books. Subject bibliography series for school libraries.

Finding aids: URICA computerized database. Card catalogue (prior to 1986). Records on computer database, marked ARG.

National register participation: No.

Brief history: Documents have been collected since 1956 when Reinet House was established as a museum. Taken up in archive since 1993 and not completed.

Acquisitions policy: Documents, books, maps, certificates, photographs, newspapers that have been bearing on Graaff-Reinet area, people, town, etc. are collected.

Areas of specialisation: Graaff-Reinet Heralds. Graaff-Reinet Advertisers Anglo-Boer War. Family history. Maps. Scrap books. Minute books of agencies, businesses, municipality. Ledgers of companies. Photograph collection of Graaff-Reinet and farms. William Roe Photographic Collection.

Core holdings: Largest group collection: newspapers. Most heavily consulted: family history. Acquisitions policy: Museum policy, title (evidence in form of receipt/voucher/gift), records (history important), providence (information), ethics.

Finding aids: Catalogue available.

National register participation: No.

Brief history: The Strange Collection originated in 1913 with the purchase, by the Johannesburg Public Library of Harold Strange's Africana Collection. It was however, only made available to the public in 1935. In 1941 it became a separate department and the collection of material began in earnest. By 1960 it could boast one of the foremost Africana collection in the world. Primarily a collection of printed material, it does however, have an interesting and significant archival collection.

Acquisitions policy: All material is donated.

Areas of specialisation: History of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand. Languages and literatures of Southern Africa. Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902. Theatre in Johannesburg. Historical buildings of Johannesburg. Southern African Shipwrecks. Political parties in South Africa.

Core holdings: South African Labour Party Archives. Herbert Baker and Fleming Ltd. letter books. African City Properties Trust Ltd. Wanderers Club. Rand Pioneers Association. Johannesburg Historical Buildings Project. Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust. Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society. Literary manuscripts of South African writers, eg. Eughne Marais, Stephen Black, Olive Schreiner, CM van den Heever, Sarah Gertrude Millin. Cornish Association of the Transvaal. Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902, diaries. Percival Kirby Papers. Independent Cultural Association.

Finding aids: Card catalogues. Johannesburg Public Library Network on the URICA System. Typed inventories.

National register participation: Contributor to NAREM. Not linked for on-line retrieval.

Brief history: Building built 1991, opened on 1 July 1992. Victorian style. Small lecture theatre at back for various activities.

Acquisitions policy: Only donated articles accepted. No temporary articles accepted unless on loan for at least 5 years.

Areas of specialisation: Local history. From very first inhabitants of the Umgeni Valley Iron Age to the present time.

Core holdings: Diaries of James Erasmus Methley. Howick Boer War display.

Finding aids: Each item accessioned. Visitors are provided with a guide to specific items of interest.

National register participation: NAREF. Not linked for on-line retrieval.

Brief history: The repository of the IBA was begun in 1996 upon appointment of a Records Manager. The organisation itself began in March 1994, following the introduction of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act in 1993, and the repository houses records relating to the history of broadcasting policy development at the IBA up to final position papers; licence applications and conditions relating to broadcast licences issued and applied for in the categories of community and commercial/private radio and TV as well as general administrative records relating to the setting up and running of the Authority.

Acquisitions policy: All records related to broadcasting in South Africa are received from internal departments, sorted, assessed and indexed and retained for reference where relevant. A disposal/retention authority exists and is applied to all records held in the repository. National Archives have already identified those records which are of interest in terms of permanent archival preservation at National Archives and these will be retained at the IBA for eventual transfer.

Areas of specialisation: Broadcasting policy in South Africa. Broadcast licences issued/applied for in South Africa. Records relating to the monitoring of broadcasters during the Local Government Elections of 1995.

Core holdings: The core holdings of the IBA's repository are as follows: Licence applications for all categories of broadcast licences including community radio and TV, the SABC (here including applications for amendments to SABC's licence), private radio and private TV. This constitutes the largest collection. Monitoring records relating to the monitoring of all broadcast licensees with particular reference to monitoring of the Local Government Election coverage on radio and TV in 1995. Policy related records - history of broadcasting policy formulation since the inception of the IBA in 1994 and including final position papers on community broadcasting, private radio broadcasting, satellite broadcasting and private TV. Administrative records relating to the formation of the IBA, internal policies, Council meetings etc. The most heavily consulted and most significant category would be the first one.

Finding aids: The Authority uses a classification manual, drawn up to identify/classify the functions and main business of the IBA and it is used in conjunction with a computerised/electronic database of all records held at the Authority, both manual records and electronic records. All records held are numbered and found on the database by using keywords used in the classification of each record.

National register participation: No.

 

Brief history: Company records dating back to 1889 were stored in a basement with no formal records being kept. In 1991 the Library staff were asked to re-organise and catalogue this collection. It was moved from the damp basement to a properly air conditioned area in another building. It is now in a retrievable form, but formal records are not yet complete.

Acquisitions policy: Not stated.

Areas of specialisation: History of Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co. Ltd. from 1889-1995 and the mining industry in general during that period. History of the establishment of various Johannesburg suburbs.

Core holdings: Records comprise: Minute books, Annual Reports, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Maps, Photographs, Certificates, Correspondence - dating back to 1889. This collection is mostly consulted by authors, researchers, and occasionally staff members.

National register participation: No.

 

Core holdings: Information on artists in the Gallery's collection. History of Johannesburg Art Gallery. Contemporary South African artists, South African black artists. Federated Union of Black Artists (FUBA) - files.

National register participation: No.

Brief history: Established 1970 to house DF Malan and NP van Wyk Louw collections donated to the University of Stellenbosch, as well as other original documents and papers in the library's possession. More than 320 collections have since been added, with most of these having strong ties with the Western Cape, and with the town and University of Stellenbosch.

Acquisitions policy: To acquire through donation original documents relating to the town and University of Stellenbosch, and the Western Cape, with a strong emphasis on Afrikaans literature, politics and the social and cultural history of the region, to support research needs of the staff and students of the University, and of post-graduate researchers from other centres, both locally and abroad. Acquisitions policy has been mostly passive, but selected potential donors whose collections will complement and enhance the present collections are being approached. Portfolios and documents of a few art students associated with the University are also collected.

Areas of specialisation: Afrikaans literature, South African politics, Cape politics and history, South African art, vernacular architecture, University of Stellenbosch history, family history of individual SA families, cultural organizations history.

Core holdings: South African politics and history (DF Malan, AC Cilliers, JD du P (Japie) Basson, PJ Cillii, PA Weber); Afrikaans language and literature (NP van Wyk Louw, WEG Louw, DJ Opperman, CJ Langenhoven, Uys Krige, Sheila Cussons, Lina Spies, Hennie Aucamp, ME Rothmann, Sarah Goldblatt); South African art (Maggie Laubser, Hugo Naudi sketchbooks, Sheila Cussons sketch books, Helmuth von Michaklis, TO Honiball, Anton Kannemeyer, Conrad Botes and Otto Schrvder); Missionary Societies (Bahr collection of Berlin MS, Rhenish Missionary Society, Heese family Berlin MS); South African vernacular art (James Walton); University of Stellenbosch (collections of all previous principals, Students' Council, University choir, memorabilia and photographs); Family histories (Cillii, Malan, Neethling, De Villiers, Wicht, Thom).

Finding aids: Catalogues of major collections. Guide to accessions. Inventories. Indexes. Card catalogue for photographs.

National register participation: Contributes to NAREM. Not linked for on-line retrieval.

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