Suburb in Cyberspace The Newtown website project

1
Suburb in CyberspaceThe Newtown website project

• Presentation to the
• National Digital Forum
• 21 November 2005
• Mark Stevens
• City Archivist
• City of Sydney Archives
• http//www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/His
  toryAndArchives/Default.asp
• http//www.sydneyarchives.info

2
The Newtown website About Newtown

• Incorporated as a LGA 1862.
• Rapid growth as a dormitory suburb but with
  significant local industry (eg brickmaking)
  during the C19.
• Population peaked c1912 at 28,000.
• Mid C20 decline, migrant influx after 1945.
• Merged into City of Sydney /Marrickville Council
  from 1949.
• Traditions of radicalism.

3
The Newtown website Key facts and figures

• Project started in 2000 as a text transcription
  task for archival access.
• Morphed into a web site live in 2002.
• Developed and operated by volunteer team
  inputting total of 16 hours/week.
• Traffic in year ending 30 June 2005 30145
  sessions served / 49494 page views for 2006 we
  expect 62K / 200K.

4
The Newtown website The volunteer group

• Volunteer team comprises four people, including
  two retired IT managers who have the key skills.
• Created and maintain the web site using Council
  hardware and software.
• Create most and add all content.
• Significant content supplied by the public, this
  is not necessarily the same group as the local
  community.

5
The Newtown website Statement of policy and
deliverables

• This web site has been created by volunteers
  working in the City of Sydney Archives to bring
  together historical information about the
  Municipality of Newtown. We hope it will be of
  information to researchers, local residents and
  all who have an interest in Newtown.

6
The Newtown website Trust us we know what you
want

• No formal mechanism for community consultation or
  input.
• No contact with/by indigenous community.
• Volunteers are not necessarily locals.
• Content decisions made by group consensus but
  oriented to history and archives of Newtown.
• No allocated funding from grants or budget.

7
The Newtown website Community feedback and
participation

• Mailing list and notice board.
• Positive feedback from site visitors.
• Content suggestions and material including
  photographs and other original records.
• Memories and stories page on the site.
• Main users seem to be family historians with
  Newtown connections, and current / former
  residents.

8
The Newtown website Community feedback and
participation

• I just wanted to say thank you for all the work
  that that has been put into the Newtown Project.
  Having recently begun tracing my family tree I
  have found that my Grand-father's Great
  Grand-father was Stephen Campbell Brown MLC of
  Newtown 1829-1882 and have therefore found this
  site of particular interest. As I periodically
  browse the site I find that more and more
  information comes to light with reference to him,
  thus providing me with a small insight into the
  man - the Council minutes have been of great
  interest. This is a great site ( easy to
  navigate around) - I very much appreciate the
  amount of time and effort that has been put into
  this.
• 9 November 2005

9
The Newtown website Unresolved issues

• Fit with Councils web site not perfect
  incompatible look/feel different design strategy
  sometimes causes friction.
• Highly desirable content may not be available (eg
  Newtown Jets).
• Dependence on key volunteer resources, need for a
  contingency plan.
• City of villages opportunity or risk?