About Us
The Friends is a group of volunteer advocates working to further the aims of the Archive as set out in the NFSA Act 1984 and to encourage links between the Archive, the film and sound communities and the general community. We are based in Canberra with a chapter in Melbourne. We are an incorporated association that is administratively separate from the NFSA.
In essence, the Friends want to promote excellence in film and sound culture, including: best practice in preservation, public programs and access; promoting high level appreciation of film and sound heritage and contemporary culture; creativity in the use of our Archive; and a broad, outward looking focus that locates Australia in the South East Asia-Pacific region and globally. To achieve our ends, we rely on Friends to contribute energy and enthusiasm, and to participate in events that will provide the resources. You can never have too many friends. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to join us.
The Friends support the NFSA in the following practical ways:
- making financial donations to the NFSA’s work when possible providing volunteers for identified volunteer programs
- holding in-person and online events which highlight the NFSA’s mission, work and collections
The Friends also make occasional donations to related causes, such as, most recently, the campaign to support Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre (the Ukraine Film Archive).
Download our colour brochure here.
To learn more about the history of the FNFSA download Ray Edmonson's PhD thesis here.
Our Canberra committee members are:
RAY EDMONDSON (President) - Former Deputy Director and current Curator Emeritus of NFSA, Ray is principal of the consultancy company Archive Associates. He teaches and consults internationally and his principal writings, which include the UNESCO monograph "Audiovisual Archiving: Philosophy and Principles" (2004), have been translated into nine languages. Among his current roles, Ray is chairman of MOWCAP - the UNESCO "Memory of the World" Committee for Asia Pacific. www.archival.com.au
SUE TERRY (Secretary) Former staff member of the NFSA who managed such areas as the National Film Lending Collection, Documentation and Cataloguing, Sue is now retired. In addition to some casual research and writing work, primarily in the areas of film and librarianship, Sue is enjoying finding time to catch up on her interests in books, films, music and travel.
CHRIS EMERY (Treasurer and Webmaster) Chris is a retired professional engineer who worked for the Department of Civil Aviation in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Port Moresby and Canberra. Since retiring, Chris has been an enthusiastic attendee at Film Festivals, is a life member of the National Parks Association of the ACT, Treasurer of the Forrest Mens Shed and Secretary of the Wesley Music Foundation Board.
JILL MATTHEWS - Jill worked as an historian and gender studies academic at the Australian National University where she is now an Emeritus Professor. She has researched and published on the development of the film industry in Sydney from the 1890s to the 1930s. In other words, she is a silent film nut. She was a member of the first Board of the National Film and Sound Archive from 2008-2011.
CHRIS HARRISON (Life member and observer) - Chris worked in the National Library where at various times he catalogued films from the National Film Archive and worked in the Rare Books Section. He is passionate about historical bibliography and all aspects of printing, book design and publishing. Chris has a continuing interest in films. He was on the committee of the first Canberra Film Festival, in the 1970s to early 1980s. Chris has written scripts for television, radio and the stage.
ALEX GOSMAN
PADDY COSTANZO
MICHAEL ORGAN
Our ABN & Bank details:
ABN 26 270 031 807, Bank Australia Account "FNFSA" 313140 12141910