The State Records Office of Western Australia invites you to our Lunchtime Seminars. Featuring a variety of topics, these seminars are designed to inform researchers about the State Records Office, its functions and the collections it houses. It also provides researches with an opportunity to meet fellow researchers, learn about members of staff, and provides a forum for questions and discussions in a relaxed and friendly environment.
2026 Margaret Medcalf Award
The annual Award for Excellence in Research honours Ms Margaret Medcalf OAM, WA’s second State Archivist for her landmark contribution to the development of the State archives collection from 1971 to 1989. Ms Medcalf turned 100 years old on 26 March 2026.
The diverse range of shortlisted nominations for the 2026 Award include a theatre production, board game, online content, PhD and Masters theses, books and journal articles.
2026 Margaret Medcalf Award shortlist:
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Examining the 1841 Wonnerup/Minninup Massacre through Western Australian Colonial Records and Wardandi Oral Histories (MPhil thesis) by Mary Blight, Curtin University, 2025.
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"our own familiar English": A historical sociolinguistic study of the shaping of Australian English through the lens of Western Australia (PhD Thesis) by Madeliene Clews, University of Western Australia, 2025.
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Our Horrible Asylum (Masters Dissertation and Board Game) by Fiona Giles, Notre Dame University, 2025.
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‘Secrets of the prison house’ an inmate’s view of Fremantle Prison 1903-1905 by Bert Leighton (book) by Andrew Gill (Editor)
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Tracking Frontier Violence: Expanding Territories and Control of Country (Unpublished Paper) by Michelle Hilbrands, 2025.
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Japanese Doctors in White Australia: Treating Prejudice (Book) by John Lamb. Routledge Advances in Asia Pacific Studies, 2025.
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‘A Convict in Her Own Right': Rethinking Prisoner Classification in Western Australia, 1829–1868 (article) by Emily Lanman in Law & History: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Law and History Society 11 (1) 2025.
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Brendan’s Odyssey - Barracks Arch, the Pemberton to Northcliffe Railway, the Big Bell Hotel, the Brisbane and Wunderlich display parks and the Jokers Tunnel (YouTube Channel and Website – 2025 contributions) by Brendan Meharry, 2025.
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Collecting the West: Revealing Western Australia through its Collection (book) by Alistair Paterson, Andrea Witcomb, Gaye Sculthorpe, Baige Zylstra, Tiffany Shellam, UWA Publishing, 2025.
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The Shameful Isles: the true story of North-West Australia's fatal experiment with medical Apartheid (book) by David Price. Fremantle Press, 2025.
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The Aboriginal Land Inquiry: Recovering the Voices of the WA Aboriginal Land Rights Movement 1983-1984 (BA Hons Thesis) by Ashleigh Severinsen. Notre Dame University, 2025.
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The Unfortunate Woman v Her Well-Respected Killer (Exhibition Film) Old Court House Law Museum, by Megan Shaw (Curator) and Andrew Clarke (Director, Edify Media). Law Society of Western Australia, 2025.
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Riots: Returned soldiers and public disorder in Australia at the end of World War 1 (Book) by Fiona Skyring. UWA Publishing, 2025.
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Arthur Haynes and the Smoking Gun (Theatre Production) by Theatre 180 (Jenny Davis, Playwright and Josephine Jay, Visual Design and Production). Theatre 180, 2025.
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The Australian Wars: the truth about the bloody battles fought to establish the nation (book - chapters relating to Western Australia) by Rachel Perkins, Stephen Gapps, Mina Murray and Henry Reynolds (Editors) - (WA Chapters written by Chris Owen, June Oscar, Henry Reynolds, Kim Scott) [Allen & Unwin, 2025].
1834 Pinjarra Massacre
On 28 October 2025, the WA Governor Chris Dawson issued an apology for the 1834 Pinjarra Massacre. This apology received extensive media coverage and was widely praised as a symbol on ongoing reconciliation with Traditional Owners.
As part of his research into the massacre, the Governor visited the State Records Office earlier in 2025 and viewed official records held in the State Archives Collection that reported what transpired in 1834. These documents included Colonial Secretary’s Office correspondence being digitised as part of the FOBL supported project. The Governor acknowledged the value of these documents in his apology and how important they were to him in his research. These documents still carry enormous weight and resonance, almost 200 years after they were written.
The SRO would like to acknowledge the assistance on Senior Researcher Mark Chambers from the Aboriginal History WA unit who carried out a check of official records looking for any new insights into the 1834 events. In his research, Mark found that James Stirling twice makes reference to the massacre taking place at “Dunlanup”. This remains puzzling as we have not found any other record that identifies the place or position of Dunlanup, nor have we found it on any historical plan.
Research Sector Support
In October 2025, SRO staff attended the launch of the Two Centuries of Chinese Heritage exhibition at the WA Museum Bolla Bardip. The SRO has contributed digital copies of many records for this exhibition and the related Chinese Heritage Portal project operating from UWA. These records included extensive sets of files from the late 1800s / early 1900s of people of Chinese nationality seeking to enter or re-enter Western Australia.
The Chinese Heritage Portal project builds on the research material amassed by Dr Anne Atkinson in the 1980s/90s. The website for this project is at: https://www.chinesewa.net/
In December 2025, the SRO caught up with Dr Jacinta Walsh, lecturer at Monash University in the Centre for Indigenous Studies, to discuss the future digitisation of historical Kimberley police records held at the SRO. These records contain extensive references to Aboriginal people.
Living in the 80s
The SRO has started digitisation of extensive sets of photographs and slides from the Tourism Dept, 1960s-1980s. This will be a long-term, ongoing project, although check SRO’s Facebook for a glimpse of some of these images.
As these photographs were taken or commissioned by a State government agency, they are State records under the terms of the State Records Act.
Digitisation of Colonial Secretary’s Office records
The first 255 volumes of Colonial Secretary’s Office inwards correspondence (Accession 36) has been digitised. This covers the period 1829-1853. Digitisation for this collection is ongoing in 2026, through the support being provided by the Friends via the Sholl Bequest.
New Friends of Battye Library Project
In parallel with the CSO digitisation project, the SRO has commenced a new project. Funding has been provided through the Sholl Bequest to unbind a series of Perth Police Criminal Registers (consignment 3904), in readiness for their digitisation and rehousing. These volumes record people charged during the period 1921- 1948, providing a detailed description of the individual, a list of their convictions and a photographic mugshot. These records are very popular items but have been showing signs of wear and tear through regular handling. This project addresses 35 future handling concerns, as well as ensuring quality digital copies of the conviction sheets can be made after they have been unbound (not something that is possible while the volumes are still bound). While physical handling of these records can still be made after they have been rehoused, with each conviction sheet protected by polypropylene enclosures, preference will be given to digitised copies. The SRO gives sincere thanks to the Friends for supporting this project which we would not currently be able to undertake without funding through the Sholl Bequest.
Public Transport Authority Photographs
The SRO has been working in partnership with the Public Transport Authority to conduct an appraisal exercise of unregistered WA Government Railways photographs in the PTA’s custody. The SRO is assessing these photo collections to identify those of archival value, namely in depicting railways processes, infrastructure, services and new initiatives. Most of the photos date from the 1980s/90s. While this is an ongoing project, the SRO has already taken custody of selected photos.
Earliest Aboriginal Handwriting?
The SRO recently assisted Shona Coyne (Curator, National Museum of Australia) and Tiffany Shellam (History Professor, Deakin University) as they conducted research for a new exhibition – Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country - opening in July 2026 at the WA Museum, Museum of the Great Southern. Tiffany had found a reference to a document written in 1854 by a ten year old Menang girl Rhoda Tanatan and had wondered if the document still existed. We located this document, as well as an accompanying document written by eight year old Rachel Wardekan, in the Colonial Secretary’s Office correspondence. Both girls had been placed at the Albany Native School (later Annesfield) and Revered Wollaston had sent the documents to Governor Fitzgerald as evidence of the school’s work. Initially, we wondered if these were the earliest surviving examples of Aboriginal handwriting in WA although we were alerted by local historian Dr Emly Lanman to another letter written in 1843 by Noongar boy Goanger Armstrong. In this letter, written we believe in his own hand, Goanger writes to Governor Hutt requesting his brother Joseph Frazer be released from the Fremantle Roundhouse (where he had been placed after leaving employment without permission). Goanger’s request appears to have been successful as Joseph was released four days after his letter was written. We think Goanger’s letter is the earliest example of Aboriginal handwriting in WA. If that is the case, what an extraordinary document, not to mention such an early example of Aboriginal advocacy.
Enduring Walls, Evolving Stories
In April 2026, the Law Court Museum opened a new exhibition to celebrate Perth’s oldest building, the Old Court House, which reached 190 years this year. The SRO contributed copies of State archives towards this exhibition, including Reveley’s original building specification. This specification was used by the Law Court Museum to create a 3D video render of what the building was intended to look like (a little bit different to what eventuated).
Recent additions to the SRO’s online catalogue
Albany Passenger Lists, early 1900s (consignment 108)
Architectural Plans of Public Buildings c. 1970s (e.g. plans of taverns, churches, theatres, restaurants, community centres and other public buildings). These new lists will complete what is in that series of plans at consignment 5094
Supreme Court Criminal Indictment files, 1860s (consignment 3473). This work is ongoing to individually list all Criminal Indictment files up until the mid 1940s
Perth Market Trust Minutes, 1927-2014 (consignment 7788)
Government photos are also progressively being made available through the SRO catalogue. Recent additions include photos of the Alexander Library Building prior to and following construction.
WAGR Roll of Honour Boards of those who served in WWI from the different branches of the WAGR (Cons 7808)
Photos of WA Premiers from John Forrest through to Richard Court (Cons 7812 and 7835)
LISWA artwork associated with the opening of the Alexander Library Building (Cons 7798)
Colonial Secretary files (post 1883, Cons 527 and 752) and Police Department files (post 1883, Cons 430).
Stories from the State Archives Collection
Hear WA stories live on WA Afternoons with Michael Tetlow (ABC Radio, 720AM ) from 2pm Fridays.
The State Records Office is a regular participant on ABC Radio's History Repeated segment (720 AM) from 2pm on Fridays and 6PR's Remember When segment from 8pm Sundays. You can listen to some of our past segments here. https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/state-records-office-of-western-australia/stories-the-state-archives-collection
Did you know?
SRO often provides assistance to journalist Malcolm Quekett for his weekly series in The West Australian (weekend edition) “The Untold History of WA”. Recently, we assisted Malcolm with a story he was preparing about the different buildings that formed Government House during the 1800s.
In reviewing Public Works Dept plans held at SRO, we were surprised to come across an alternative design to the current building. This alternative design was prepared by Captain Wray of the Royal Engineers in 1857. We include an image of Wray’s proposed design here.
Geoffrey Bolton Lecture Series
Each year the State Records Office hosts a lecture in honour of the distinguished Australian historian, Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Bolton AO, who passed away on 3 September 2015. The Lecture series recognises Professor Bolton’s long period of use and promotion of archives, his service on various committees of the State Archives, and his overall contribution to the promotion of Australian history and culture.
The stated aims of the Geoffrey Bolton Lecture are twofold: to encourage the expression of ideas and debate about the meaning and nature of history, culture and society, grounded in archival research; and to provide archival and historical context to national debate on contemporary issues.
Since 2004 the lecture series has lifted the profile of archives and record keeping in Australia, and promotes debate about the use and interpretation of archives, in what is now a nationally important forum.
Contact the SRO for further information.