THE archivist and oral historian who paved the way for Australia’s first and largest collection of recorded music and sound has been posthumously awarded an OAM in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Peter Burgis died in March in Port Macquarie Base Hospital at the age of 88.
He leaves a legacy that is now preserved at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) in Canberra.
In addition to inaugurating Australia’s sound recording collection at the National Library and then at the NFSA, Mr Burgis was Vice-President of the International Association of Sound Archives (1981-1987), the Founder and Chairman of the Australasian Sound Recordings Association (1979–1984), and Director of the Sound Recordings, Sound and Radio Branch at the NFSA (1984-1992).
His citation for service to music through sound archiving is a phenomenal testament to his work, which continued long after he and his wife Carolyn retired to Port Macquarie.
