As you may know, Tuesday 9th August is Census night in Australia.
One question on the census, question 60, will offer the option of having your records available to historians in future years. Answering ‘yes’ will ensure your census information will be kept by The National Archives and made available once the lockdown of 99 years has expired.
Research carried out by Ancestry.com.au has found that one third of Aussies surveyed are planning to say no to question 60, despite the fact that 80% of Australians feel it is important to preserve family history.
Saying ‘no’ or leaving the box unchecked will mean your census form is destroyed once the statistical data has been collated, therefore deleting your record from existence.
Gen Y Most Likely to Request Records be Destroyed
Surprisingly the age group with the largest percentage of respondents who are planning on saying no is 18-34 year olds, with 68% citing their greatest barrier to saying yes was concerns about having their personal details made public.
Ironically, while expressing concern over privacy, this generation is 30% more likely to regularly share personal information through social networks like Facebook and Twitter than any other age group.
As the census offers a wonderful snapshot of Australian life for future generations, and critical information for researching family history, it’s important that all Aussies get behind this campaign.
So spread the word to your family and friends – post it on your Facebook wall, talk about it over dinner or at work – ensure you become part of history and say “yes” to question 60.