NT chronicler Beverley Lee recognised for 35 years of service

A Territory Stories chronicler has shared the highlights of her time recording the NT’s history. We reveal why she loves the job.

Territory Stories digital collections coordinator Beverley Lee has chalked up 35 years of public service and spent the past decade curating the development and expansion of the Northern Territory’s largest online collection of NT history. Picture: Supplied

From the age of “dumb computers” to the latest in smart tech, Beverley Lee has been tasked with archiving the Territory’s rich history.

But one memory, of being able to show a young woman her first photo of her father, is a proud moment that stands out from the chronicler’s long tenure as an NT archivist.

“I helped a lady from a remote community track down a photo of her father in our records, it was the first time she’d ever seen what her father looked like,” Ms Lee said.

“Another lady from Broome recently found photos of her family as she was just doing a browse of our website.

“It is being able to see that very human side of what our history means to real people that makes this job so rewarding.”

Territory Stories digital collections coordinator Beverley Lee has chalked up 35 years of public service and spent the past decade curating the development and expansion of the Northern Territory’s largest online collection of NT history. Picture: Supplied

Ms Lee said she had witnessed major changes in how history is collected and shared since she began working to libraries in Darwin in 1986.

“I was on the cusp of the change from the old fashioned library cards to what were called dumb computers,” she said.

“One of the models needed a floppy disk just to start it and then another floppy disk to save any word processing you did.

“It was horrendous.

“It is amazing that today at the click of a button so much of the Northern Territory’s history is now free and accessible for anyone.”

Digital additions to the collection can now be created and uploaded at a rate of 80 records per hour, whereas large photographic collections used to take between six and 12 months to collate.

Ms Lee was recognised as one of 13 Territory Families, Housing, and Communities staff for accumulating 225 years of combined public service.

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