Afrikaans: Sedert Jan van Riebeeck se vestiging van 'n verversingspos
aan die Kaap en die gepaardgaande daarstelling van 'n
regeringstelsel in 1652, tot die aanstelling van die
kommissie van ondersoek na die argiewe van die Kaapkolonie
deur die Kaapse Goewerneur, sir Henry Barkly op 1 7 Julie
1876, was daar in die Kaapkolonie geen formele beheer oor
die argiewe van die Kolonie nie. Tot op daardie stadium was
die begrip "argiewe" nog nie gedefinieer nie en geen
argiewe dus as sodanig ge1dentifiseer nie. Dit was ten
spyte daarvan dat daar reeds die afgeslote amptelike
dokumente van drie voormalige regerings tot 1806 was
waarvan die grootste gedeelte in 'n versameling
byeengebring en tot 1876 hoofsaaklik die
verantwoordelikheid van die Kantoor van die Koloniale
Sekretaris was. Bui te die Kaapkolonie was die si tuasie in
soverre dit argiewe betref, niks beter nie. In Natal, die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat en die Zuid-Afrikaansche
Republiek was elke staatsdepartement verantwoordelik vir
die bewaring en versorging van sy eie dokumente en was die
begrip "argiewe" soos di t sedert 1876 in die Kaapkolonie
gebruik is, onbekend.
Die kommissie van 1876 het die argiewe van die Kaapkolonie,
gedefinieer, ge1dentifiseer, versamel, in 'n inventaris
laat beskryf en reelings vir die bewaring daarvan getref.
Daarna het die Kaapse Regering die inisiatief geneem met
verskeie projekte van bronnenavorsing en -publikasie tot en
met 1905. Daar was John Noble se ondersoek in 1879 en D.
Erskine se bronnenavorsing tussen 1880 en 1885 in Landen,
asook G. M. Theal se bronnenavorsing en -publikasie tussen
1880 en 1905 en A. Wilmot se besoeke aan Europa en OosAfrika
in 1895 en 1904. Die Regering het oak twee
argivarisse aangestel, nl. G.M. Theal (1879-1881) en H.C.V.
Leibbrandt ( 1881-1908). In 1905 en 1908 is Theal wat met
bronnenavorsing en -publikasie in
Leibbrandt, Koloniale Argi var is,
Europa besig
onderskeidelik
was en
a.g.v.
finansiele besparing van owerheidswee, op pensioen geplaas.
Die bronnenavorsing en -publikasies het tot 191 0 nie weer
van regeringswee aandag gekry nie. Wat die argiewe betref,
is die finansiele probleme oorkom deur 'n kommissie van
kundiges gedurende 1909 aan te stel wat sander enige
vergoeding na die argiewe sou omsien. In die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek is daar van 'n "argief"
en "argiewe" gepraat, maar dit was bloat sinonieme vir
bewaarlokale en staatsdokumentasie wat ook as "minuten",
"oude stukken" en "documenten" beskryf is. Hoewel daar
reeds in 1884 daadwerklik begin is om die dokumentasie van
die staatsekretaris van die vroegste datum af te orden en
te indekseer, daarna ook nog aandag aan die indeksering van
huwelikssertifikate gegee is en daar selfs 'n argivaris in
1899 aangestel is, was daar
Afrikaansche Republiek nooit
soos in die Kaapkolonie nie.
tot 1900 in
'n volwaardige
Na die Bri tse
die Zuidargiefdiens
inname van
Pretoria in 1900 moes daar vir doeleindes van raadpleging,
beheer verkry word oor die staatsdokumentasie van die ZuidAfrikaansche
Republiek en is 'n argiefdiens in die proses
ingestel om die diens te lewer. Hierdie funksie het
voortgegaan tot en met Uniewording in 1910.
In die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat was daar geen
argieffunksie nie. Die betrokke staatsdepartemente het self
na hulle dokumente omgesien. Na die Vrede van Vereeniging
in 1902 het die nuwe regering die argiewe van die
voormalige
Bibliotekaris
regering
van
onder
die
beheer gekry deur die
Staatsbiblioteek daarvoor
verantwoordelik te maak. Hierdie reeling is in 1908 gestaak
toe die argiewe na die Klerk van die Wetgewende Vergadering
oorgeplaas is. In die kolonie van Natal was daar tot 1910 geen
argieffunksie nie.
English: Since the establishment of a refreshment station and a
system of government in 1652 at the Cape untill the
appointment of the commission to investigate the archives
of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope by the Governor Sir
Henry Barkly on the 17th July 1876, no official control was
exercised concerning the records of the Colony. At that
time the concept of archives was undefined and no records
were identified as archives. That was the situation, in
spite of the fact that there were terminated official
records which were created by the previous three
governments untill 1806. The greater part of these records
was kept in' a collection and was mainly the responsibility
of the Office of the Colonial Secretary. The situation with
regard to archives outside the boundaries of the Cape
Colony did not differ much. In Natal, the Republic of the
Orange Free State and the South African Republic each government department was responsible for the care and
keeping of its own records while the concept of archives
which applied in the Cape Colony since 1876, was unknown.
The commission of 1876 set itself the task to define
"archives" and to identify and collect the archives of the
Colony. An inventory was then compiled on the archives and
arrangements made for the treasuring thereof. Thereafter
the initiative was taken by the government. Several
projects concerning the research and publication of source
material was undertaken. There was the investigation
conducted by John Noble in 1879, the research done by D.
Erskine between 1880 and 1885 in London, G.M. Theal's
research and publication of source material between 1880
and 1905 and the visits paid by A. Wilmot to Europe and
East Africa in 1895 and 1904. The Government also appointed
two archivists, namely G.M. Theal for the period 1879-1881
and H.C.V. Leibbrandt from 1881-1908. Due to financial
savings Theal was pensioned in 1905 while researching and
publishing,· source material in Europe. Leibbrandt was
retired in 1908 for the same reason. Untill 1910 no further
attempts were made by the Government to research or publish
source material. The financial problems as far as the
archives were concerned were solved by the appointment of a
commission of experts in 1909 to take care of the archives
without any financial reward. In the South African Republic the terms "archive" and
"archives" were used but both were synonyms for record
rooms and records of the government. These records were
also described as "minutes", "old papers" and "documents".
Up to 1900 no archival service had been implemented in the
South African Republic despite the fact that the government
financed projects in 1884 and in the 1890's to arrange and
index the records of the State Secretary of the South
African Republic and of marriage certificates and even
after the appointment of an archivist in 1899. After the
British take-over of Pretoria in 1900 control of the
government records of the South African Republic was
necessary for the purpose of consultation. This need
resulted in the installment of an archival service which
continued untill unification in 1910.
The Republic of the Orange Free State had no archival
service. Each government department was responsible for its
own records. After the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging in 1902
the new government brought the archives under control by
placing them in the custody of the Librarian of the State
Library. This arrangement came to an end in 1908 when the
archives became the responsibility of the Clerk of the
Legislative Assembly.
In the Colony of Natal no archival function was executed
untill 1910.
