Nick Vine Hall was awarded the
honour of a Member (AM) in the General Division in the Queen's Birthday Honours
list announced on 11th June 2007.
The citation reads as follow:-
Nicholas John VINE HALL, deceased (award 18 July 2006), late of
Salamander Bay NSW.
For service to the community in the area of genealogy as a researcher, author
and radio presenter and through roles in family history organisations.
Save the 2006 Census
Update 8th November 2006
Photo courtesy of Avril Mitchell
Nick Vine Hall
17 August 1944 - 31 October 2006
It is with great regret that we must report the passing of Nick Vine Hall
on 31st October 2006
As the entries below will show, Nick was the driving force behind the campaign
to save the Australian Census.
He fought valiently, over a very long period , to achieve success and fortunately
lived long enough to see the result of his labours.
Even though seriously ill, he was still active in promoting the cause, right
up to Census Day this year, as witness his newspaper article immediately below.
Update 13th August 2006
Update 6th August 2006
How is the information going to
go into the Time Capsule? Where are all the forms going to be kept? What
does the time capsule look like?
Where consent has been given, the name, address
and other census information for that person will be preserved on microfilm.
The microfilm will be transferred to the National Archives of Australia
and kept securely. It will only be made publicly available after 99 years.
The Census Time Capsule is not a "capsule" as
such, but secure storage areas within the NAA's purpose built repositories
where the microfilms will be stored in archival quality containers. These
special areas are accessible only to authorised NAA staff.
For those people having their information placed
in the time capsule, I can assure them that after the transfer to microfilm
has been completed, the ABS will destroy all name-identified census information
it holds, including the computer records and the paper and online forms.
As in the past, the paper forms will be pulped for recycling.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 3rd August 2006
National launch of the 2006 Census Report by June Penny
In the absence of Nick Vine Hall I represented the AFFHO Census working
group at the National launch of the 2006 Census held at the National Press
Club in Canberra on Monday 25 July 2006.
Census night is 8 August and every effort is being made to make sure
that everyone in Australia is aware of their contribution to the success
of this census collection. The ABS is to be congratulated for their contribution
towards this effort and in the promotional material that has been provided
to the general public, Family History Societies and their members, encouraging
everyone to tick the box and be remembered.
Treasurer Peter Costello gave the keynote address which highlighted
the vital role of the Census in national decision making.
Baby tee shirts that were part of the colourful publicity display
and Peter Costello also made reference to these little items saying that
every baby born on Census day will receive a tee shirt which says
“I just made it”.
My idle thoughts immediately exclaimed “and I hope that your
parents “ticked the box!”to let your descendents know that
you had made it!”
And yes the punch line I was waiting for came when Dennis Trewin,
the Australian Statistician said that as in the 2001 Census, there
is also an option for people to have Census information preserved for 99
years in the National Archives of Australia. This option is called the
Census Time Capsule. Last Census over 52 per cent of people chose to take
part in it. Also there was a special mention for this Census for people
who chose to take the opportunity to fill in a Census form online. This
option is called the eCensus and I imagine many folk may opt for this method
of filling in their census details.
With only just over a week to go – please do your awareness bit during
the inaugural National Family History Week to let your family and friends
know the importance to answer Q60 and “tick the box and be remembered”.
Information
courtesy of June Penny Vice chairman AFFHO Working Group
Update 26th July 2006
What about people changing their
minds in the course of the next century? Or children, on reaching adulthood,
wanting their information added or removed from the time capsule?
No information will be added or removed from the
time capsule after the census forms have been collected for the 2006
Census. The decision needs to be made when the census form
is being completed and before it is handed back to the census collector.
It will be possible for a person to withdraw consent
for their information to be made publicly available in 2105 and beyond.
This needs to be done in writing to the NAA. The request will be
kept on file and the census information will not be available to the public
at any time in the future.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 22nd July 2006
What about children too young to
have a view or teenagers expressing strong views which are at odds with
their parents' views?
Parents and guardians complete the census on behalf
of children and they will be asked whether consent is given for children
and young people under the age of 18 to have their census information
kept for 99 years by the National Archives.
It is hoped that older children would be involved
in household discussions on this issue.
People can, if they wish, consult their Census
Guide, which is delivered with the census form, or the census website
at www.abs.gov.au/census, for more information and this may help them
make their decision.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 18th July 2006
How will the ABS deal with situations
were there are differing opinions in a household?
The census form asks the question for each individual
in the household. If an individual wants to be part of the census time
capsule, only their information will be kept. The person completing the
form consults with each person in the household and indicates the view
of each person on the census form.
An individual's information will not be kept if
this question is not answered. ABS has worked closely with the Privacy
Commissioner to develop this consent mechanism.
Names, addresses and census information will only
be retained for those people who explicitly give consent. Parents
or legal guardians can decide for children. For people legally
unable to make a choice, legal guardians can answer on their behalf.
When intentions are unknown, the answer to the
question concerning the Census Time Capsule Project should be left blank
thereby ensuring private information is not kept.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 13th July 2006
Doesn't this time capsule
undermine the privacy provisions of the Census?
No, it doesn't. Firstly, by law, the census
information stored in the National Archives of Australia (NAA) will
not be released during this 99 year period. Secondly, the data will be
protected by the strongest security arrangements the NAA already has
in place to protect the sensitive information it holds. Thirdly
it remains each persons choice, people do not have to participate if
they do not want to.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics and the National
Archives continue to work very closely in regards to information storage
and educating the public about how privacy and confidentiality will
be maintained during the next century.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 7th July 2006
What's the value of 2006
Census Time Capsule Project?
Who'd want to use the information?
The information kept in the time capsule will
make a valuable contribution to preserving Australia's history for
future generations.
The time capsule information when released in
the year 2105 will be of use to those people who want to trace their
family trees. Taking part is completely optional but genealogists
and historians believe that preserving this information will be of
great value to researchers of the future.
The Government's decision will mean that the information
from the 2006 and subsequent censuses which people have elected
to have retained will be available to genealogists, social historians
and other researchers in the 22nd Century.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 2nd July 2006
What is the Census Time
Capsule?
The Census Time Capsule will be conducted as part
of the 2006 Census and each person in Australia will have the
opportunity to indicate on the Census form whether or not they
want to be part of it.
People can elect to have their census information
along with their name and address kept securely in a vault by
the National Archives of Australia for 99 years.
In the year 2105, the vault will be opened and
the 2006 Census information for people who agreed to be in the
time capsule will be available. This will help our descendants trace
their family trees and will be available for any other research purpose.
The Time Capsule has the support of the Parliament
and many other bodies, but participation is optional.
Identifiable census information will only be included
in the time capsule for those individuals who specifically elect
to be part of it.
People indicate their intentions regarding the
time capsule at the end of the census form.
If you tick no, leave the question blank or don't
sign the form, your name and address will be destroyed once processing
of your form has been completed.
Information
courtesy of Ann Swain, Secretary of AFFHO
Update 15th June 2006
To Save Your
Name
Mark
"Yes"
on the Census Form
"On Tuesday 6 June 2006 AFFHO Representatives
were present at the launch of the Census Time Capsule Campaign
by The Minister for the Arts, Senator Rod Kemp and the Parliamentary
Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon. Chris Pierce. The national
media launch took place at the National Archives at Chester
Hill in Sydney and was well attended. Guests inspected a security
vault of the type to be used for storage of the census microfilms.
About 5 million dollars will be spent on scanning the census
data onto microfilm, which will occupy about one pallet of storage
space (i.e. up to 10 million census forms). Up to 20 percent are
expected to be completed by email in this next survey.Census forms
and guides weighing about 120 tons are being distributed around the
country for the 2006 survey
Some 18 million dollars has been earmarked
for the pre census public education campaign and both Ministers
made their personal pledges to tick YES to Question 60 to
ensure their census returns were saved in the National Archives
with a 99 year no access embargo.
We urge all Australians to do the same
and will be shortly posting more details on how you can do
this on the AFFHO and AIGS websites. "Vote yes" posters, bumper
stickers and other material will be made available at no charge
for distribution to genealogical and other heritage groups across
the country, as well as to schools, public libraries and other venues.
We achieved a 52 percent "yes" vote in
2001 and we can do much better in 2006. Tell all your friends
that our history matters and should be kept for posterity.
Watch this space.
Nick VINE HALL,
Chairman,
Census Working Party,
Australasian Federation of Family History
Organisations,
Update 20th March 2006
TELL 10 OF YOUR FRIENDS*
TO TELL 10 OF THEIR
FRIENDS
TO TICK "YES" TO
QUESTION 60
ON CENSUS NIGHT,
8 AUGUST 2006.
(* By "FRIENDS", we
are suggesting people actually known to you.
We do not wish to encourage unsolicited
emails to strangers.)
. "The next Australian census will
be conducted on the night of Tuesday 8 August 2006 and
will cost in the order of 300 million dollars. It will contain
61 questions, of which all will be compulsory except the ones on
religion and census retention.
The retention question (Q60) reads:
"Does each person in this household agree to his/her
name and address and other information on this form being
kept by the National Archives of Australia and then made
publicly available after 99 years?"
If this question is ignored, it will
be treated as a NO !!!
The Census Information Legislation
Amendment Bill (2005) was introduced into the House of
Representatives of the Australian Parliament on 3 November
2005 and passed later that month unopposed. It was passed by
the Australian Senate on 27 February 2006.
The Bill amends the Census and
Statistics Act (1905) and the Archives Act (1983) relating
to the retention of identified census information by the National
Archives of Australia. The Bill ensures that name identified
information collected in all future Australian censuses will be
preserved for future genealogical and other research. Retention
only applies to information supplied by those households that
provide explicit consent on the census form. Some 51 percent of
Australian's answered "YES" to the retention of their forms in the
2001 census survey. This was in effect a national referendum
of the Australian people and a majority voted that our history matters.
We can do even better this year.
As with the 2001 survey, during
the 99 year period, the name identified information will
not be released by the National Archives under any circumstances.
The Australasian Federation of
Family History Organizations (AFFHO) is working closely
with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the National
Archives of Australia to assist in the national public education
campaign prior to census night. Please support us by encouraging
as many Australians as possible to answer YES in the census question
concerning the retention of this vital record of the Australian
culture. Unless you answer YES your census form will not be retained
in the archives.
More details of the campaign, and
how you can help, will soon be published on the AIGS webpage.
Nick VINE HALL,
Chairman,
AFFHO Census Working Party
Update 12th December
2005
The wheels of parliament grind on and another
milestone was passed on 1st December 2005 when the
Bill for the Retention of Australian Census data was passed
in the House of Representatives. Noteworthy was the fact
that the Bill was passed, unopposed.
The process is expected to continue
in January 2006 when the legislation is presented to the
Senate.
For some interesting aspects
and information, please
click here
to read part of the speech of
the member for Canning in the course of the Second
Reading debate on 1st December 2005
Update 19th August 2005
Great news for the further retention of Australian
Census data in perpetuity.
On 14th June 2005, the Honourable
Chris Pearce MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal
Treasurer advised:
"A census archiving proposal,
of the same nature as that adopted for the 2001 Census,
was approved by the Government as part of its 2005 Budget
considerations. Under this proposal, Australians will be given
the option of having their name identified census information
stored by the National Archives of Australia for release after 99
years.
This option will be available
for the 2006 and all future censuses
."
This is indeed great news for our descendants!! (Item courtesy of Nick Vine Hall)
Update 8th June 2005
AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION
OF FAMILY
HISTORY ORGANISATIONS INC.
ABN 31 076 496 332
PO Box 3012, Weston Creek,
ACT 2611, Australia
Web site: www.affho.org
26 May 2005
Ref. ME1281
Hon. Peter Costello, MP
Treasurer,
Parliament House,
CANBERRA ACT 2600.
Dear Mr. Costello,
SAVING THE 2006 CENSUS
I write on behalf of AFFHO,
the peak national body for family history studies in
Australia, to thank you very much indeed for the recent Government
decision concerning the above made in your Press Release
of 10 May. Whilst AFFHO would have preferred a decision that
the “informed consent” option was to be on an “opt out” rather
than “opt in” basis, we are nonetheless very pleased that copies
of the returns for the 2006 survey will at least be retained
in the National Archives on the same “opt in” basis as in 2001.
We do hope that the further
step can be taken with the 2011 survey whereby legislation
will be passed ensuring that Australian census records from
all future surveys will be saved for posterity as a matter of
course, as they have been for over 100 years in so many overseas
countries, like the UK, USA and Canada.
You have indicated to us
your personal support on several occasions for Australian
census retention with suitable privacy provisions. Australia’s
estimated 300,000 family historians (and many Australians
yet unborn) owe you and the Government a great debt of gratitude
for this important decision.
We are also most grateful
to the Hon. Chris PEARCE, MP and Senator Mitch FIFIELD
for their roles in helping bring about this outcome. They
have been most helpful in making time to consult with us and listen
to our representations.
AFFHO has been invited by
the Australian Statistician, Denis TREWIN, of the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to participate in consultations
on how we might work together with the ABS in the lead up
to the August 2006 survey. There are some 270 genealogical societies
across the country and we will be pleased to instruct them to
co-operate with the Government in the public education campaign to
ensure a good census compliance outcome, as we did for the 2001
survey.
Yours sincerely,
Nick VINE HALL
Chairman, Census Working
Party, 1996-2005
& Media Spokesman Record
Preservation & Access,
Australasian Federation
of Family History Organizations.
Update 11th May
2005
2006 AUSTRALIAN CENSUS TO BE SAVED
Thanks
to lobbying by the Australasian Federation of Family
History Organisations (AFFHO) the next Australian Census
is to be saved in the National Archives of Australia at a
cost of $19 million approved in last night's budget. This is
the largest government funding allocation to genealogical
studies in Australia's history. There will be a 99 year privacy
embargo. AFFHO is Australia's peak genealogical organisation
and represents an estimated 300,000 genealogical record users
across the country.
An intense
20 year political campaign by AFFHO prior to the 2001
survey, resulted in a complete reversal on a long
standing Federal Government policy to destroy Census
returns and publish numerical statistics only. Before 2001,
no census survey of national coverage in Australia has survived
since 1828. A pivotal role in bringing about this amazing change
in policy was that played by Stephen MUTCH, the former Federal
Member for Cook, who took a strong personal interest in the census
issue and lobbied hard within parliament.
The 2001
decision involved only the census for that year, and
continued lobbying by AFFHO has brought about this latest decision.
The cost of running the Australian Census is in the order of
$300 million dollars.
AFFHO is
especially grateful to the Federal Treasurer, Mr. Peter
COSTELLO, who is responsible for the Australian Bureau of
Statistics, for his strong support on the 2006 Census
retention decision. We express our thanks also to Senator
Mitch FIFIELD (Victoria) and the Hon Chris PEARCE, MHR, Parliamentary
Secretary to the Treasurer, who worked hard to help achieve the
2006 Census retention outcome.
During the
next 15 months until census day on 8 August 2006, AFFHO
will be working with the Australian Bureau of Statistics
to assist in the public education campaign on Census retention,
which is part of Government's budget package.
HISTORIC MEETING
AFFHO Census Working
Party members meeting with Federal Members of Parliament
to lobby for the retention of the August 2006 Australian
Census - Melbourne 29 April 2005
L-R: Senator Mitch
FIFIELD; Chris PEARCE, MP, Parliamentary Secretary
to the Treasurer; Nick VINE HALL and Don JEWELL, AFFHO.
Nick VINE HALL
Chairman, Census
Working Party,
Australasian Federation
of Family History Organisations,
PO Box 3012,
Weston Creek,
ACT 2611
Australia
Email:
For an extract from the
Federal Budget papers and the Treasurer's Press Release
please
Click Here
Update
21st August
2004
The statement of the
Australasian Federation of Family History
Organizations' (AFFHO) Policy on this important
matter is as follows:-
2006
AUSTRALIAN CENSUS The first national census in Australia
for which identified data has been retained since 1828
is the 2001 survey, of which more than 50 percent survives
because of lobbying by AFFHO.
It is AFFHO's policy
that microfilm copies of all original returns for
the above census and future surveys should be retained
in the National Archives in Australia because they are
an invaluable record of Australian family history. The
census is the only public record that comes close to recording
the name, address and occupation of every Australian. No other
sources, such as electoral rolls and birth certificates achieve
this. Millions of Australians are not on the rolls and millions
more were not born here.
The Australian
Bureau of Statistics (ABS) advised AFFHO on 12 February
2003 that it intended to seek the views of stakeholders
and the community at large on this forthcoming survey.
AFFHO responded to this invitation. In particular the
ABS sought views on the aspects of collection operations,
processing, and output of results, privacy and confidentiality.
On 2 July 2003 the ABS published (online and in hard copy)
a paper called 2006 Census of Population and Housing ABS Views
on Content and Procedures (cat. no. 2007.0). This publication
outlined ABS plans in the above areas.
Update 1st August 2004
We have been advised by the Government that:
The Government recognises that the retention
of census data will be of potential
benefit for, amongst other things, genealogical
and medical research purposes. It also recognises
that the option to retain name identified data was chosen
by a majority of respondents in the 2001 Census.
With
this in mind, the Government is currently considering
whether the 2006 and future censuses should give
respondents the option of having their information
retained.
The
Government will communicate its decision on this in
due course.
Update 30th. October 2003
Electronic Returns for the 2006 Census
As reported in the Age newspaper of October 28th.,
four companies are left in the race for the contract
to manage the electronic collection of returns
for the 2006 Census. The four companies are IBM Global
Services, CSC Australia, Sun Microsystems and Telstra.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has been acquiring
information from other countries which have used,
or are contemplating using the Internet to conduct population
surveys. New Zealand and Canada are investigating the
use for their 2006 census, while Britain and the US will
offer that option in 2010.
A trial of 6,000 households in Brisbane was conducted
in August of this year with 4.5% of households
completing the electronic form. This compares with 4.2%
of the Swiss population choosing this medium to respond to
the 2000 Census in that country.
Update 20th. August 2003
For the collation of the 2006 Census, the Australian
Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has leased a property
in the heart of the Melbourne City Business
District at 271 Collins Street.
In addition, the ABS is aiming to provide the
Australian Public with the opportunity of lodging
their returns via the Internet. It is anticipated
that up to one million housholds may complete their
census forms by that means on census night, August 8th.
2006. Important considerations will obviously be security
of the data and whether the system will be able to cope with
the expected work load on that night.
Update 1st. August 2003
Thank you to all those genies out there
who have sent letters and emails
supporting our campaign.
We have had a great response!
We have already received copies of hundreds
of emails and letters sent to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and
federal politicians in recent weeks in favour of retention
of microfilm copies of name-identified data from
Australia's next census still three years away.
Not one single
email against retention has been
received.
On 2 July 2003 the ABS announced on its webpage: "At this
stage there is no known requirement for retention of responses
to occur for the 2006 census."
This statement was also made in the ABS hard copy
Information paper 2007.0 - Census
of Population and Housing - ABS Views on Content and
Procedures , released on the same date.
This Information Paper
, stated its purpose as "to initiate
public consultation regarding the nature and content
of the 2006 Census."
The response time given by the ABS for the expression
of these views was very restrictive - i.e. 30 July
2003 (only a little over three weeks),
with responses to be sent by email or hard copy to Ms. Roslyn
Harvie, Population Census Development, Australian Bureau
of Statistics, Locked Bag 10, Belconnen, ACT, 2616. Email:
roslyn.harvie@abs.gov.au
Watch this space for further action updates
post the 30 July deadline.
Our campaign is just beginning!!
Sincerely,
NICK VINE
HALL
Chairman, Census Working Party
Australasian Federation of Family History
Organizations.
For an account of how the 2001 Census was "partly"
saved,
Click Here
.
