Arts Minister Peter Garrett on June 20 announced the appointments of Professor Chris Puplick AM (Chair), Dr Deb Verhoeven (Deputy Chair), Professor Jill Matthews, Ms Grace Koch, Ms Catherine Robinson, Mr Andrew Pike OAM and Mr Philip Mortlock as members of the new Board of the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), all until 30 June 2011.
Mr Garrett said it was an exciting time for the Archive, which will commence operation as a statutory authority from July 1.
“This is an historic occasion for the NFSA and delivers on an election commitment of the Rudd Labor Government. For the first time, the NFSA will have independent statutory status in the same way as the other national collecting institutions, with its own governing Board and management. It will have ownership of the national collection of audiovisual and related material, and full responsibility for selection, acquisition, preservation and disposal of items in the collections.
“As Chair, Professor Puplick brings strong skills in public administration and governance within the arts sector which will be essential for the NFSA in its transition to a statutory authority. Dr Verhoeven’s understanding of the industry within Australia and internationally will be of great benefit to the Board in her role as Deputy Chair,” Mr Garrett said.
“The Archive continues its outstanding work providing public access to a magnificent collection, and will now be able to extend its services by taking its programs to regional audiences through new outreach activities,” he said.
“The recruitment process for the Archive’s new CEO is well underway and I look forward to working with Professor Puplick in the selection process. Until then, Ms Anthea Tinney will continue as the Interim CEO.”
Legislation establishing the National Film and Sound Archive received Royal Assent on 20 March 2008 and the Archive will commence operations as a separate statutory authority on 1 July 2008.
National film and Sound Archive Board Appointments
Professor Puplick is a consultant and non-executive Chairman of Convenience Vision Group of Companies and Principal of Issus Solutions Pty Ltd. He has had a long involvement in the performing arts, dance and film industries and was a Senator for NSW (1978-81 and 1984-90) and Shadow Minister for the Arts from 1987 to 1990. Professor Puplick also has an extensive interest in archive and museum matters and is currently Chair of the Archive Forum (a national support group for the NFSA) and has also served as a Trustee of the Australian Museum. He has previously served on many boards including as President of the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board, NSW Privacy Commissioner, Chair and Deputy Chair of the Griffin Theatre Company, the Board of the National Institute for the Dramatic Arts (where he is now serving another term) and was the Chair of the Australian National Council on AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases. He is also a current member
of the Theatre Board of the Australia Council.
Dr Verhoeven is an Associate Professor of Screen Studies at RMIT University where she also manages the Australian Film Institute Research Collection. She is a writer, broadcaster, film critic, commentator and lecturer. Dr Verhoeven is a member of the Australian Film Critics Association, the Federation of Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique, an Honorary Life Member of Women in Film and Television and a member of the Screen Economics Research Group. Dr Verhoeven is the author of more than 30 scholarly journal articles and book chapters.
Professor Matthews is Head of the School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. She has a PhD in History from the Adelaide University. Her main research interests are histories of popular culture, modernity, sexuality, silent cinema, Australian cultural, social and gender history. During her career, Professor Matthews has received numerous awards, grants and distinctions. She has published widely, through books, edited collections, book chapters, refereed articles, review essays, conference and seminar papers. Professor Matthews is the Australian Historical Association representative on both the Canberra Consultative Committee of the National Archives of Australia, as well as the Archive Forum, and is a member of the Friends of the NFSA.
Ms Koch has lectured and presented papers internationally in the archiving of recorded sound. She has served as a Board member of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives and the Australasian Sound Recordings Association. For many years she was a sound archivist in the Audiovisual Archives of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and her present position is Native Title Access and Research Officer at that institution. She has carried out research in Australian Aboriginal music and oral history with an interest in how audiovisual materials are used as evidence in Native Title claims. Ms Koch has over 50 publications on issues relating to audiovisual archiving, ethnomusicology and Australian Aboriginal music.
Ms Robinson is an archivist, currently employed by the State Records Authority of NSW. From 2004 to 2006 she was the President of the Australian Society of Archivists (with 800 members Australia-wide) during which time she advocated on behalf of the archival profession in Australia. Ms Robinson has been interested in the development of an independent NFSA for a number of years and was involved in the lobbying efforts undertaken by the Australian Society of Archivists from 2004 to 2007.
Mr Pike is a film producer and film distributor. In 1974, he formed Ronin Films with his wife, Dr Merrilyn Fitzpatrick. The company was involved in many innovative distribution and marketing activities for which Mr Pike won the Australian Film Institute’s Byron Kennedy Award in 1986. As an exhibitor, Ronin Films ran the Academy Cinemas in Sydney for several years during the 1990s and Electric Shadows Cinemas in Canberra from 1979 to 2006. He has a keen interest in policy issues affecting the film industry as a whole and is a frequent contributor to debates on industry issues. In 1999, Mr Pike was
involved in the formation of the Friends of the National Film and Sound Archive, dedicated to supporting the NFSA’s work and to promote the principles of best practice in the film archive profession. He is a former interim Council member of the NFSA (then known as ScreenSound Australia).
Mr Mortlock is the Creative Manager of Albert Music and a Director of ORiGiN Music/ORiGiN Theatrical. He has over 30 years experience in the Australian music industry as well as background in theatre, photography and graphic art. Mr Mortlock has been involved in the marketing and promotion of domestic and international artists and repertoire. He was previously a member of the ARIA Board of Directors and was heavily involved in the creative direction and foundation of the ARIA Awards and is currently a Director of the Association of Independent Record Labels.
[Release from the Arts Minister’s office]