Every Australian can make history this year by being part of the 2006 Census Time Capsule. The project was launched this morning by the Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Chris Pearce, who led a tour of the Sydney repository of the National Archives of Australia, enabling attending media to film rare footage of the secure vault area.
Senator Kemp said when the Census is held this year on Tuesday 8 August, everyone will have the opportunity to elect to have their Census information, along with their name and address, kept securely by the National Archives for a closed period of 99 years.
“This is an authentic time capsule and I can assure everyone that their information will not be made available to anyone until the year 2105,” Senator Kemp said. “I can only imagine what our nation will be like when the vault's content are finally open to view in 99 years time.”
“What an amazing resource for family historians and researchers who will want to know who lived in Australia in 2006, how we lived and where we came from,” Senator Kemp said.
Mr Pearce, who has responsibility for the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the agency responsible for conducting the 2006 Census, stated that he was certainly going to opt in on 8 August and invited all Australians to join him. “Collectively we will make a valuable contribution to preserving Australia's history for future generations and give future researchers, genealogists and historians a complete picture of our nation as we are in 2006.”
Mr Pearce was keen to point out that the wishes of those who do not want to participate in the Census Time Capsule will be respected. “Personally-identified Census information will only be kept for those people who explicitly consent to having it retained for 99 years,” he said.
“We are still some two months away from the 2006 Census being held, but this project is important. I urge everyone to talk about the Census Time Capsule and encourage friends and family to think seriously about the benefits of being part of it. Make your views known within your own household and talk about it with your kids.”
The 2006 Census of Population and Housing will be held on Tuesday 8 August 2006.
See www.abs.gov.au/census for more information.
6 June 2006
SYDNEY
Media contacts:
Melanie James (for the ABS) on 0434 572 482
Michael Christo (Senator Kemp's office) on 03 9650 7274 or 0409 040 276
Gillian Harvey (Chris Pearce's office) on 03 9887 3890 or 0411 567 060