FROM THE ARCHIVES
Another busy and eventful year in the Foundation Archives began with settling into the new
office space in the downstairs archives store. How do I spend my time? With ongoing
archival activities: acknowledging and registering donations and preparing them for storage;
locating and scanning photographs, and attempting to identify the students pictured for
annual school reunions; researching the activities of many of our former students in reply to
family history enquiries; setting up and changing displays in the many showcases around the
school; researching candidates for the newest Hutchins Lion and potential recipients of the
Ivied Tower Award; digitising documents and photographs in order to increase the online
accessibility of the Hutchins Archives and Heritage Collection; writing articles for
Communiqué and Magenta & Black. Much time was spent this year on research and
preparation of historical documents and photographs for the School Choir prior to its
attendance at the Anzac Day celebrations in France.
Class visits from Years 2Ba and 2Bo were enthusiastic affairs, with the most popular exhibits
being the perennial favourites, the cane and the portable typewriter, closely followed by the
donning of various articles of uniform and trying out the old student desk and nibbed pen.
The visit from Mr Palfreyman’s 3JBC was a smaller and quieter affair, though the favourite
items were much the same. We also had visits from Years 5 and 6 groups.
B Storrs, R Cousins and A Bayley, 2Bo
O Thomas and A Chan, 3JBC
Waiting in line, 2Bo
H Allison and S Lynch, 3JBC
A visit to the state by the UK descendants of former staff member Robert Samuel Hornblow
enabled us to add to our history file on this colourful character [see Virtus 2011]. We also
fielded visits from Charles Sturt University librarians-in-training and the new Archivist from
The Friends’ School, as well as from many Old Boys. Workplace student Angela Strk spent a
number of days over several weeks learning library and archival procedures and assisting
with daily tasks, as part of her TAFE library technician course.
Professional Learning activities included attendance at Melbourne Grammar School’s
presentation entitled Researching the Great War and the Role of the School Archivist,
followed by a tour of its archives. The Museums Australia National Conference over four
days in May was an exciting learning experience, featuring giants of the archives, art and
museums world presenting on a range of topics which was simply breathtaking in its scope
and interest value. A recent workshop on Preventative Conservation, run by Arts Tasmania
and featuring the considerable knowledge and skills of UK conservation expert Linda Clark,
was another great learning experience. A powerpoint presentation on Hutchins history given
by the Archivist to the Sandy Bay Historical Society focused on features around Sandy Bay
of particular interest to that keen group of historians.
Aerial view of the Junior School, War Memorial Oval and Queenborough Cemetery, 1957
An Introduction to Archives workshop held at Hutchins by the Australian Society of
Archivists (Tas branch) brought in more budding archivists for training and consolidated our
partnership with the organisation. An extended period of overseas leave in Europe from
August-October in order to pursue a personal research project precluded my attendance at the
ASA 2014 AGM in New Zealand. Consequently I missed the announcement that Character
Unbound: A History of The Hutchins School had received a Commendation in the ManderJones Awards, which recognise publications showcasing the archival profession.
An enquiry during the year from John Duke of Avram, Earl Marshall of the International
College of Arms Noblesse, established the fact that the Hutchins coat of arms was
unregistered. We are grateful for his generous donation of time, effort and a considerable sum
of money required to have the school’s name and arms added to the Australian Heraldic
Archival Register.
Assisting with preparation for the Headmaster’s participation in the deliberations of the Royal
Commission into Institutional Responses to Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse has occupied
large blocks of archival time. The compassionate and co-operative response of Headmaster
Warwick Dean will assuredly help in laying the unhappy ghosts of this sorry affair of the
1960s and 70s to rest, enabling the school to move forward with character and pride.
Margaret Mason-Cox
ARCHIVIST