Each State or Territory Library has primary responsibility for the newspapers published in its jurisdiction. Click on a State/Territory for further information about how ANPlan is preserving access to newspapers in that area.
The National Library of Australia and the ACT Heritage Library work cooperatively to ensure the preservation of newspaper titles published in the Australian Capital Territory. The National Library of Australia has responsibility for both national newspapers and newspapers published in the ACT. Retrospective ACT titles microfilmed in 2006/7:
See also the Australian Capital Territory ANPlan page.
There are over 1,917 NSW newspapers in the State Library's collection including 305 current titles and 1,612 'dead' titles. None have significant unfilmed periods. The State Library's paper copy is completely filmed for 1 880 or 98% of titles.
Newspapers are a heavily used resource and provide an interesting reflection of the community. The city/country breakdown is 55% of NSW newspaper titles published in rural areas and 45% of titles in cities. Twenty-three percent, or about 70 titles, currently received are in 35 community languages other than English.
In addition to the current newspaper microfilming program, in which all current newspapers are microfilmed systematically as a volume is completed, in 2006/7, two retrospective titles were acquired and microfilmed. NSW public libraries, historical societies, newspaper publishers and members of the public identify new newspapers or unfilmed newspapers and bring them to the Library's attention so that claiming and filming may take place. In 2006/7, a total of 1,066,358 pages (5,447 reels; this number includes masters, duplicates and negatives) were added to the State Library of New South Wales' collection. Transfer of newspapers filmed on the unstable cellulose acetate to polyester is a continuing program for the Library as is the creation of 'printing master' copies for each newspaper, thus preserving the original 'preservation master'.
The State Library of New South Wales is currently re-filming the Sydney Gazette & New South Wales Advertiser to complete and improve the quality of the master so that it will be suitable for digitisation.
See also the New South Wales ANPlan page.
In 2006/7, in addition to the current newspaper microfilming program, the following retrospective titles and periods were acquired and filmed:
The Northern Territory Library preserves both current and retrospective newspaper titles. It is currently engaged in a cooperative microfilming project with the National Library of Australia and the State Library of South Australia to re-microfilm the Northern Territory Times (1891-1932) to a standard suitable for subsequent digitisation.
Retrospective titles filmed in 2006/7:
The following newspapers on acetate were duplicated:
Regional titles filmed are: Alice Springs News, Centralian Advocate, Katherine Times, Northern Territory News and the Sunday Territorian.
See also the Northern Territory ANPlan page.
The State Library of Queensland's microfilming program includes both current and retrospective newspapers. In 2006/7, the SLQ microfilmed 30 titles, 275 reels in-house, 131 reels by contract; total 406 reels (214,311 frames).
See also the Queensland ANPlan page.
Newspapers filmed in 2006/7:
The State Library of South Australia (SLSA) maintains preservation standard in-house microfilming facilities and has been contributing to the Australian Newspaper Plan (ANPlan) since its beginning as the National Newspaper Plan Working Group in 1991.
Each year, SLSA microfilms all current South Australian newspapers and as many ‘old’ newspapers as funding will allow. In the 2006-2007 financial year, SLSA produced 475 reels of microfilm - the highest number filmed in 12-months by the Library since ANPlan began.
All retrospective filming of newspapers is funded either through ANPlan microfilming cooperative project payments from the National Library of Australia or in partnership with South Australian local councils, public libraries and newspaper publishers.
The State Library of South Australia’s current goal is to complete retrospective filming of The Advertiser, South Australia’s longest-running daily newspaper. The gap in preservation standard film for this important title has been reduced to the editions from 1939-1959. It will be reduced further in 2007-2008 when SLSA uses ANPlan funding to film 1940-1944. The National Library is digitising The Advertiser from SLSA’s high quality microfilm for the Newspaper Digitisation Project.
SLSA’s next priority is the South Australian Register, South Australia’s first newspaper. Its first edition was printed in London in June 1836 shortly before its publishers set sail for the new colony. The Library has recently piloted its own newspaper digitisation projects using the earliest years of this title as well as The Border Watch (1910-1912) funded by the Mount Gambier Public Library, and the Southern Argus (1866-1913) Victor Harbor Times (1912-1941) funded by the Victor Harbor Public Library.
In January 2007 SLSA surveyed regional and suburban newspaper publishers about the possibility of receiving from them the ‘pre-press’ electronic files that are used to print current hard-copy newspapers. These files could become important elements in preserving access to Australian newspapers.
Newspapers at the State Library of South Australia
Newspaper titles recently microfilmed
Responsibility for Tasmanian newspaper titles is shared between two organisations. The Archive Office of Tasmania is responsible for collecting newspapers prior to 1912 and the State Library of Tasmania is responsible for newspapers from 1912 onwards.
The State Library of Tasmania has complete microfilm collections of almost all of the state's newspapers. It manages the microfilming of major Tasmanian newspapers (Mercury, Examiner and Advocate) and a range of Tasmanian regional newspapers (see list below).
See also the Tasmania ANPlan page.
Major Daily Newspapers filmed in 2006/7:
Tasmanian Regional and Historical Newspapers filmed in 2006/7:
The State Library of Victoria microfilms both current and retrospective newspapers. A priority list for microfilming has been developed which will ensure that those newspapers of highest significance which are most at risk will be addressed first.
In 2006/7, the State Library of Victoria commissioned the microfilming of 5 significant retrospective titles (107 reels, 59,016 frames); 509 reels of acetate microfilm were duplicated.
In addition to these titles, the State Library of Victoria has an ongoing program to microfilm current and recent issues of the Melbourne daily newspaper the Herald-Sun, and the rural newspaper the Weekly Times. All back issues of these two newspapers have been microfilmed and this program ensures that microfilm holdings for these two major and significant titles are kept up to date. Approximately 48 reels of the Herald-Sun, and 6 reels of the Weekly Times are produced annually.
The digitisation of three Victorian regional newspapers is currently in a testing stage. The titles are:
See also the Victoria ANPlan page.
Retrospective titles filmed in 2006/7:
In 2006/7, the State Library of Western Australia re-filmed 9 titles (529 reels) of newspapers classed as significant and at risk of loss due to deterioration and 4 titles (59 reels) of regional and local high demand titles (total frames: 392,785). In addition to this, 3 significant titles (46 reels, 32,997 frames) were microfilmed as part of a cooperative microfilming project with the National Library of Australia. At the State Library of Western Australia, The Historical Records Rescue Consortium (HRRC) project, funded by Lotterywest, includes a significant funding component for filming newspapers. This project runs to the end of 2007.
See also the Western Australia ANPlan page.
In 2006/7, the State Library of Western Australia re-filmed the following newspapers, classed as significant and at risk of loss due to deterioration:
Cooperative newspaper microfilming with National Library of Australia:
The following regional and local high demand titles were also filmed:
* The Sunday Times 25 Dec 1910-2 Oct 1960 was filmed with funding from the Sunday Times. The Sunday Times has made available funding for a fourth and final year to film this newspaper up to 1970.