Activity: Lecture
Host: Moray House Trust
Date: Friday 14 March 2014
Hugh ‘Tommy’ Payne, Guyanese archivist and historian delivered a lecture on ‘Archival sources in Guyana and their significance’ to a large audience at Moray House Trust. Mr.
Payne is a well-known archivist who headed the National Archives from 1970 to 1988, was Vice-President of the Caribbean Archives Association (CARBICA) from 1979 to 1992, and President from 1982 to 1985.
Mr. Payne served as National Archivist during the Burnham administration. He spoke about the institutional strengthening, during his period, the collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG) Library and History departments, the acquisition of microforms and the migration of documents hitherto stored in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Payne informed the audience that in his attempt to establish an oral history department in the National Archives, he had met with resistance from the Ministry of Information. He also said that the institution is still attempting to forge a connection with the underutilized archives such as the ecclesiastical archives, companies, banks, Fogarty’s, Guyana Stores, the various sugar estates, the bauxite companies and the personal archives of prominent Guyanese.
A lively discussion session followed the talk in which Mr. Payne emphasized that the subvention for the National Archives should be increased. He also supported the suggestion that, in accordance with the Archival Act, a copy of all publications and documents on Guyana should be lodged in the National Archives.
The organizational structure, which was recommended by Mr. Payne has been implemented in the Walter Rodney Archives, with the appointment of two Cuban trained Archivists and a graduate of the History department as National Archivist. The Archives is now in a position to install a catalogue to support the digitization of the records.