National Archives Awareness Week is currently underway from 5 to 9 May. As the Western Cape Archives and Records Service runs workshops to teach members of the public about the repository, we explore what exactly can be found out by digging into history.
National Archives Awareness Week Programme
The Western Cape Archives and Records Service is South Africa’s oldest such service. It contains some of South Africa’s earliest written records, starting from 1651. This week, the institution is running a daily programme, focused on digitalisation, to encourage South Africans to make good use of the documents.
There are various events online and in-person in Cape Town. The week culminates with a free Family History Workshop for beginners in central Cape Town on Friday.
What can you discover inside an archive?
According to Helen Joannides, an archivist in the Public Programmes and Outreach Division of the Western Cape Archives and Records Service, the institution has made important contributions to South African families. She told The South African:
“The archives have been used by many families to delve into their family history so you can imagine the surprises there.”
Indeed, social media platforms like Reddit are full of stories of South Africans discovering secret family members.
Comment
by from discussion
inGenealogy
Joannides adds:
“Archival records are also legal proof so they have been used for successful land claims.”
For example, Joannides describes how renters, who had lived in District Six prior to the Apartheid-era forced removals, used an archival document to prove they had been residents in the area and to successfully institute a compensation claim. The document was a register from a hospital which recorded the addresses of patients.
Archives are also used to research historic earthquakes. This data helps scientists better prepare for future earthquakes.
How to participate
Interested persons can sign up on the Western Cape Archives and Records Service website. The family history workshop will be repeated later in the year.
South Africans can also visit the archives at 72 Roeland Street, Cape Town from 08:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Friday, and from 08:00 to 14:00 on the first and third Saturday of the month.
What would you like to find out about your family this National Archives Awareness Week?
Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
