The historical records uncovered as part of Queensland's Path to Treaty can often include offensive and derogatory terms which are unacceptable today.
Queensland’s Path to Treaty journey began with the release of the Statement of Commitment in 2019, to reframe the relationship between the Queensland Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In 2021 the Treaty Advancement Committee, building on the work of the Eminent Panel and Treaty Work Group, presented a report to the Queensland Government. The recommendations provided the foundation to build solid processes to progress treaty reform.
The Queensland Government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non-Indigenous Queenslanders participated in the signing of Queensland’s Path to Treaty Commitment on 16 August 2022.
Truth-telling
The Treaty Advancement Committee recommended a two-stage approach to truth-telling and healing:
local truth-telling and healing activities working with our public institutions – for example, the Queensland State Library, museums, Queensland State Archives, and art galleries
a formal Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry (Inquiry) set up under legislation, for a period of three years.
The Act establishes the First Nations Treaty Institute and Inquiry.
Get ready for the Inquiry
Departments may be invited or required to produce documents to the Inquiry, make a written submission or attend a truth-telling session. Public records held by agencies will be essential to the truth-telling process and the work of the Inquiry as they may:
Provide evidence about the historical interactions between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Queensland Government
Detail the extent government policies, procedures and practices have impacted, and continue to impact, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Support understanding of our shared history and historical context in which the Treaty, or Treaties are being negotiated.
In order to provide responses to the Inquiry about your agency's historical functions, and take part in truth-telling activities, your agency should consider the following steps:
Undertake an administrative history to understand the impact of your agency's functions and activities on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Search for specific agency records and information relating to those functions and activities including annual reports, published policies and histories and historical records.
Issue an internal disposal freeze to temporarily cease the disposal of records relevant to the Inquiry even if they are due for destruction in an approved retention and disposal schedule.
The Chief Executive of an agency can issue an internal disposal freeze to protect records from destruction that may be required by the Inquiry. The freeze should remain in place for the term of the Inquiry and employees should be made aware of the freeze and their obligations under it.
Administrative histories
Developing an administrative history by listing the principal responsibilities, legislation and functions of your agency and its predecessor agencies over time, will help to identify your agency's historical interactions, policies, procedures and practices which have impacted on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Understanding the history of your agency and the historical context of the services that were delivered, or not delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will help you connect the past with all the records your current day agency is responsible for.
There are a variety of sources you can access to determine your agency's administrative history.
Queensland State Archives may hold records created by your agency or predecessor agencies which can be a useful source of information to locate interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
As we recognise that our existing Appraisal Statement does not adequately reflect records of importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it should be read in conjunction with Queensland State Archives' Statement of Intent which marks a new approach to sharing and valuing the historical knowledge of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Records for which your agency is responsible for can be requested using ArchivesGateway or viewed in the Reading Room at Runcorn.
ArchivesSearch will help you to identify predecessor agencies as well as what records held at Queensland State Archives your agency is responsible for.
Information will include:
A description
Establishing, abolishing, and administering legislation
Your department may hold public records relating to Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples of permanent and enduring value.
It's likely you will experience challenges identifying and locating records required for the Inquiry. Remember these records go back as far as 1859 where records management practices were very different to what is expected today.
Key challenges include:
knowing what types of records your agency holds or where records are located as they may be held within your own agency, offsite with a third-party storage provider or at QSA.
identifying relevant records as they often have only minimal or generic descriptions (called ‘metadata’) that are searchable via a database or QSA’s ArchivesSearch catalogue – for example, a box of different files on a range of subjects is described simply as ‘general correspondence’. Physical inspection of the files is required to know their content. Improving record metadata will make these records much easier to find and use.
Permanent records relating to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are a valuable source of information for communities and should be considered for transfer to Queensland State Archives.
Conduct a thorough search of your document and records management systems to know what types of records you hold that may assist in identifying your history. This includes records held offsite with third party storage providers.
Identify submissions previously made to Royal Commissions or Inquiries, as submissions will likely be written from detailed research and analysis of the records your agency holds.
Relevant records may also be spread across many different record series that your agency is responsible for. This means that you will have to look in a number of different places in order to understand which records may be required for the Inquiry.
These records will relate to:
Individuals
Communities
Services
Decision-making
Investigations
Government policies, procedures, and practices that have impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
It is strongly recommended that you first understand the administrative history of your agency including the administrating agency name and responsible functions over time.
The following workflows developed to support the audit of your records management framework during a Machinery-of-Government change may also assist:
What services do we provide to individuals and communities?
What activities do we undertake that impact individuals and communities?
What records do we keep about the services we provide or activities we undertake?
How do individuals interact with my agency now? How did they do so in the past?
What records do we keep/have we kept about those interactions?
Where are those records now? Are they still with our agency, with another agency, or have they been transferred to Queensland State Archives?
Records Managers, Information Managers, Data Managers, Policy areas, Archivists, Right to Information Officers, Legal Advisors and staff within the records sections of your agency will be able to assist in finding records still held by your agency, as well as locating archival records related to your agency that are held at Queensland State Archives.
There are many Queensland government records created that contain information about people, including:
Records relating to specific functions or programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Implementation of the policy of separation or the payment of wages, pensions, or allowances
Submissions to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, or the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs records, records of missions and reserves
Institutions e.g. children's homes
Probate and administration files and wills lodged in support of applications for probate
Case books/databases and case files/notes
Registers and registration files
Enrolment, application, or admission records/registers/databases
Correspondence records (including paper/email)
Administration files, letter books
Minute books, records of meetings
Case and patient files
Court records – civil and criminal proceedings
Criminal justice files/databases – police and prisons
Employment registers/files/databases/histories
Land and property ownership, or leasing records
Licensing records for individuals e.g. pearl diving
Business and company licenses/ registers/databases
Education and school records
Records of Executive government activities e.g. Cabinet submissions, briefing notes and communications
Records of local council activities
Records come in all kinds of formats, including:
Physical record such as paper-based documents, plans and photos
Digital records stored on shared drives or within an eDRMS, business system, or database, including emails
Records in other formats such as magnetic, optical and audio visual media
SSO is an authentication process that allows you to access multiple services and applications with one username and password.
Most Queensland Government agencies use SSO. If your agency doesn't use SSO, contact your agency IT service desk and let them know you would like to use it.
Most government-owned corporates, non-government organisations, and statutory authorities do not currently use SSO. If your organisation doesn't use SSO, contact your IT service desk and let them know you would like to use it.
