For Diocesan Staff

This page provides information for the admnistrative staff of the Diocese of Sydney about the work of the Sydney Diocesan Archives, in terms of:
• The role of the Diocesan Archives within the administrative framework of the Diocese of Sydney
• Records collected by the Diocesan Archives from diocesan administrative divisions, departments and organisations
• Services provided by the Diocesan Archives to the administrative staff of diocesan administrative divisions, departments and organisations

Please contact the Sydney Diocesan Archivist by telephone or email to discuss how the Sydney Diocesan Archives can assist you in your administrative work, whether it be research support, or preparation of your non-current records for transfer to the Archives.

‘Keeper of the Records’

The Sydney Diocesan Archives is a department of the Archbishop’s Office division, and operates as a branch of the Diocesan Registry. In Anglican dioceses, the Diocesan Registrar is deemed to be the ‘Keeper of the Records’ on behalf of the Bishop or Archbishop of the diocese.
The Registrar and the Deputy Registrar of the Diocese of Sydney create licensing records for persons, buildings, and parochial units on a daily basis; this work constitutes the creation and administrative use start point of the the record-keeping process. The licensing records are kept and maintained by the Registry staff while they are current and semi-current.
The Archivist of the Diocese of Sydney cares for these licensing records when they have reached the non-current stage of their life cycle; this work constitutes the permanent retention and research potential end point of the record-keeping process.

Thus, the primary task of the Sydney Diocesan Archives is to work in close co-operation with the Deputy Registrar to manage the records created by the Diocesan Registry. The records created by the Registry form the core of the Sydney Diocesan Archives collection, and the Diocesan Archives provides day-to-day support to the work of the Registry.

Archbishop’s Office

The Sydney Diocesan Archives provides information storage and retrieval, research support, and records management services, to the staff of the Archbishop’s Office division.
The Sydney Diocesan Archivist provides ongoing training in the principles of records management and archives administration to the staff of the Archbishop’s Office, tailored to the requirements of their tasks. Accordingly, the administrative staff of the Archbishop, the Registrar, and the five regional Bishops and Archdeacons, work closely with the Sydney Diocesan Archivist to organise the preparation of non-current records for deposit into the Diocesan Archives.
The staff of the Professional Standards Unit use the Sydney Diocesan Archives collection to undertake research in support of the work of the Pastoral Care and Assistance Scheme.

Sydney Diocesan Secretariat

The Sydney Diocesan Archives also provides information storage & retrieval, research, and records managment services to many other administrative units within the Diocese of Sydney, and in particular to the staff of the Sydney Diocesan Secretariat (SDS), which is the administrative arm of the Diocese of Sydney.

In conjunction with the records created by the Archbishop and the Registrar, records created by the staff of the Secretariat constitute an important part of the collection in the Sydney Diocesan Archives, including records created by the following agencies:
• Sydney Diocesan Synod
• Standing Committee of Sydney Diocesan Synod
• Diocesan Secretary
• Church Property Trust
• Glebe Administration Board
• Boards of Trustees of former glebes
• Finance and Loans Board
• Three Corporations Committee

The Sydney Diocesan Archives provides research support for SDS staff, in particular for the following divisions:
• Chief Executive Office
• Parish Services, in particular Church Property Trust for property and heritage enquiries
• Secretarial & Diocesan Secretary, in particular Legal Services for property enquiries

Staff from these divisions also visit the Sydney Diocesan Archives to undertake research to support their work, or they request the Sydney Diocesan Archivist to prepare a research report.

The day-to-day work of the Sydney Diocesan Archives is supported by the following divisions of the SDS:
• Technology
• Finance & Accounting
• Human Resources & Corporate Services

Diocesan Organisations

Similarly, the Sydney Diocesan Archives provides information storage & retrieval, research, and records managment services to other organisations within the Diocese of Sydney, including:
• Anglicare (formerly Home Mission Society, and before that Church Society)
• Anglican Education Commission (formerly Board of Education)
• Anglican Media Sydney (formerly Anglican Information Office)
• Mothers Union
• GFS (formerly Girls Friendly Society)