Following a number of AusHeritage missions to Vietnam and the involvement of Guy Petherbridge in chairing the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme Workshop on the Preservation of and Access to South East Asia Documentary Heritage, hosted by the Vietnam National Centre for Scientific and Technological Information and Documentation (NACESTID) in cooperation with UNESCO‘s Bangkok Office, in Hanoi on 4-8 February 2002, AusHeritage was requested to facilitate an official visit of the State Archives Department of Vietnam to study the preservation technology, design and construction of archival facilities in Australia.

This visit, which took place on 19-31 October, is in connection with the current project to expand, reconstruct and purchase equipment for the repository and storage facilities of the National Archives Centre No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City of the State Archives of Vietnam and to enhance conservation and preservation capabilities at that Centre. The Centre is responsible for acquiring, preserving and facilitating effective use of archival materials of national significance created by agencies and institutions under French domination in Annam and Indochina (1802-1954), Saigon Administrations in South Vietnam (1954-1975), the Revolutionary Provisional Government of Southern Vietnam, Southern Liberation Front (1954-1975) and central agencies and institutions located in Quang Tri southward from April 1975 to the present day.

The 8 person Vietnamese delegation, led by Vu Chu Tha, Deputy Director-General, State Archives Department of Vietnam, visited the National Archives of Australia, the National Library of Australia and ScreenSound Australia (National Film and Sound Archive – AusHeritage Member) in Canberra, the State Records Authority of New South Wales the State Library of New South Wales and the National Archives of Australia (AusHeritage Member) in Sydney and the Quuensland State Archives in Brisbane. AusHeritage will host a tour of sites of heritage interest in Sydney.