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About

Support the PaRC Project

Support the project by contributing material, donating funds or publicising its existence to your colleagues. See the dedicated page. Also see a separate dedicated page for an explanation of copyright.

History

PaRC was created by the AIPR Trust Fund – Education, an educational trust established by the Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (AIPR) in 1974. In 2017 the contemporary Trustees of the fund (Dr Anne Binkley, Mr Peter Nicholls, Mr Ray Steward, Mr Ken Trafford) resolved to expend the Trust moneys on an annotated bibliography of significant documentary materials accompanied by explanatory narratives. Charles Sturt University agreed to manage the project on behalf of the Trust as an element of its mission to present scholarship to the nation. The Trustees express their gratitude to Assoc. Professor Ben Wilson, Manager Andrew Cox and their colleagues at the University for administering the project through to practical completion.

We also acknowledge the late Trevor Arthur, Chairman of the Trustees from his election by the Trustees on 9 May 1996 until his passing away in 2009, for curating the Trust over many years. The history of the Trust Fund and the far-sighted individuals who upheld its vision over more than four decades is summarised briefly in a 2018 article in the Parks and Leisure magazine and in the attached briefing note.

Incorporation

To allow the project to continue after the AIPR Trust Fund – Education expired, PaRC Inc. was incorporated on 19 April 2022 under the Associations Incorporation Act 2005 of Norfolk Island. This vehicle was chosen partly because the Secretary’s office is located there but also to underpin the intended outreach to the western Pacific Islands. PaRC’s ABN is 79 179 901 655.

Objectives of PaRC Inc.

PaRC is formed for educational, research and charitable purposes in the fields of parks and leisure, and specifically for the following key objectives:

  • promote a public interest ethic in the practice of parks and leisure;
  • advance the parks and leisure professions;
  • maintain a dialogue and communication between professionals, practitioners and the community in the parks and leisure sector.

The key objectives will be achieved by the following and related activities:

  • retrieving, securing and distributing historical and other difficult-to-access documentary and audio visual materials;
  • developing and maintaining an online, open access repository of authoritative material for the advancement of the sector;
  • developing educational and training materials;
  • hosting public events and programs;
  • publishing original knowledge;
  • furnishing non-partisan submissions to public authorities; and
  • collaborating with like-minded civic organisations.

The geographic focus of PaRC is Australasia – the Western Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand. “Parks and leisure” includes parks, gardens, open space, leisure, sport and recreation.

Structure

PaRC consists of two limbs. The Document Library was switched live on 28 February 2020 and on the official launch, 23 June 2021, moved from development to maintenance mode under the administration of Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA), successor to AIPR.

This Narratives site supplements the Document Library and has been public since May 2020. PaRC Inc., the organisation, is responsible for developing this Narratives site as well as contributing materials to the Document Library.

Contact us NOTE AS AT 6 SEPTEMBER 2023: THE PARC@ EMAIL ADDRESS HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED AS IT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY SPAMMERS. Enquiries about the PaRC project may be submitted to the Secretary of PaRC Inc. via the general inquiries address, secretary AT parcaustralia.com.au, telephone 02 9136 8019 or failing that, 04 8850 5887. Administration Officer Pam Lauder may be contacted on the same address.

To contribute narrative content, refer to the Support the PaRC project page. To contribute substantive, previously published documents, refer to the Contact form on the Document Library site.