Two weeks ago I attended the Royal Australian Historical Society’s annual conference. It was good to catch-up with friends, promote the family history group and hear very interesting speakers. The topics were broad, covering migration, from our convict beginnings to the migration of today.
Sunday started with presentations of awards and then a panel discussion and this is where it became interesting. New South Wales is looking at decreasing the number of Local Government Areas, (LGA) and something that I hadn’t considered is what happens to local family/local history groups, with the restructuring? While the council I live in will stand alone and out groups are safe, there are several others that are facing problems. Problems that were raised were,
- What if the LGA is divided between two other LGA areas? You would loose your groups identity.
- What happens if the LGA is absorbed by its neighbouring LGA?
- If your group is in a council owned building, will you be able to stay?
- What could happen to your collection?
While the big picture is for less councils, these smaller things are important to us. So pay close attention to what is happening, as your local groups existence could depend on it.
Bye for now,
Lilian
