[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Archives humour, Australian



I've been waiting for someone who was there for the whole period to
post something on the Romney Shakespeare Company, which
flourished in the National Archives of Australia (then the Australian
Archives) in the 70s and early 80s (Romney being the trade name
of the huts in which the Archives was then housed). They're
probably too busy in the rather more elevated positions most of
them now occupy in the archives world.

They produced a couple of films, one I think named 'Murder in the
Archives' and staged a number of revues, including 'The Sound of
Archives'. If Andy would like to contact me off list, I could direct
him to someone with the full record of the RSC's activities.

I took part in probably their last public appearance, a choral
presentation at an Archives' Christmas party. The 'Paranoia' chorus
(sung in 4-part harmony) with the refrain 'They shall be closed
forever...and ever...and ever' still intrudes on my mind whenever I
hear the Hallelujah chorus.

One of the NAA's current Assistant Director-Generals has made
efforts to resurrect this sense of fun, for example holding a
competition for archival parodies of Christmas carols, with the
winning entries beng performed at the NAA Christmas party.

I don't think there is any lack of archival humour, it just needs
publicising, and I wish Andy well with his project to do that and
raise the public profile of our profession.



Eileen Boyldew
University Archivist, University of Queensland

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>