About the Sydney Diocesan Archivist

Dr Louise Trott has been the Sydney Diocesan Archivist for the Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney since November 1996, when she was appointed as the first full-time Sydney Diocesan Archivist.
Prior to that appointment, she was part-time Assistant Archivist in the Sydney Diocesan Archives from May 1990.

Louise is a Professional Member of the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA). She is an active participant in the activities of the ASA:
• 2008-2009 Convenor of the NSW Branch of the ASA (also for the previous year 2007-2008).
• 2008-2009 National Convenor of the Religious Collections Special Interest group (SIG) (first elected to that office in 2004, and reelected each year since).
• 2009 participant in the ASA Mentor Scheme as mentor to a new archivist working in the archives of a charitable institution.

Louise is also the National Convenor of the Australian Anglican Archives Network, a body hosted by the General Synod of Australia.

Louise studied Archives Administration at the University of New South Wales during 1986, under the direction of Dr Peter Orlovich, Ms Ann Pedersen and Dr Sigrid McCausland. She graduated from the UNSW in 1987 with the Graduate Diploma in Information Management - Archives Administration.

During 1986 Louise undertook fieldwork practicum at the Australian Museum in conjunction with Michael Organ and Marguerite Buddin. This took the form of a survey, and the arrangement and description of the previously undocumented collection of archival records from 1820s onwards, which were housed in a storeroom within the Australian Museum Library. The finding aid produced at the end of this project became the first published guide to the Archives of the Australian Museum (Buddin, M., M. Organ and L. Trott, A Guide to the Australian Museum Archives, Australian Museum, Sydney, 1988; 3rd edition 1989).
Louise was also one of a number of students employed one day per week in the second semester of 1986 by the NSW Department of Corrective Services, to arrange and describe the records created by NSW prisons (which were housed temporarily in the Woolsheds at Shea’s Creek, Alexandria) preparatory to deposit into the State Records NSW collection.
To see a website about the UNSW Archives Administration class of 1986, click here: Class of 1986 Archives Administration UNSW

Prior to commencing work at the Sydney Diocesan Archives, Louise worked as an contract & consultant archivist for:
• NSW Department of Corrective Services (which included a tour of NSW country prisons to collect prison records for State Records NSW)
• The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Kensington (to set up the Provincial Archives, in conjunction with Ruth O’Hea)
• Sancta Sophia College, University of Sydney (to set up the College Archives)

Louise also holds two other degrees, both from the University of Sydney
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours), conferred 1984: specializing in Early English Language and Literature - Old Norse, Old English and Middle English (Department of English).
• Doctor of Philosophy, conferred 1997: thesis topic - ‘The Representation of Women as Witches in Old Icelandic Family Sagas’ (Department of English).