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HISTORY
During the post-war years, a comprehensive system of protection for wages, rest days, statutory holidays, paid annual leave, maternity leave, sick pay, severance payment, end-of-year payment and long-service payment has been built up, and the benefits provided have steadily improved. The minimum age for employment in both the industrial and non-industrial sectors is 15 years.
Public Records Office
Set up in 1972, the Public Records Office is now one of the largest local sources of information for historical and other studies relating to Hong Kong. The office currently manages 10 000 linear metres of official records, approximately 2 000 photographs and an extensive collection of maps, local newspapers and official publications.
The Public Records Office provides a records management service to government departments and makes material available for reference and research to both local and overseas scholars, journalists, students, members of the public and staff of other govern- ment departments.
Records which are to be retained permanently are held at the head office in Central District and at one of the two sub-offices at Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen. Semi- active records, many of which will eventually be destroyed, are stored in the second sub-office.
The increasing awareness of Hong Kong internationally has resulted in a growth over the past year in the number of reference enquiries received by the Public Records Office, and in the numbers of individuals conducting research on source materials held. In addition to the publication of several books based on these materials, records have been used in the production of television documentaries, films, exhibitions and articles for various news- papers and periodicals.
The Public Records Office has come to an agreement in 1986 with the Hong Kong University Library to microfilm its holdings of Chinese language local newspapers and, in years to come, substantial additions to the library collection of the office are expected.
Owing to extensive loss and destruction of official records during the Japanese occupa- tion, the bulk of the office's holdings dates from the resumption of British administration in 1945. The loss occasioned by the war has, however, been redeemed to some extent by the acquisition of microfilm copies of certain pre-war British government records relating to Hong Kong. The most significant of these comprises despatches exchanged by the Governors of Hong Kong with London from 1842 to the end of 1952.
The Document Repair Section continued its restoration work and numerous maps and early documents relating to Hong Kong, which could not be handled due to their fragile state, have now been made available for public inspection.
The Microfilm Section continued to film records selected for retention and storage in microfilm form.
Public access to the library, including the newspaper, map and photograph collections, is unrestricted, but formal approval is required for access to official records. Photocopying, microfilming and reading room facilities are available.
Archaeological Background
Archaeological studies in Hong Kong, which began in the 1920s, have uncovered ancient artefacts and other evidence of human activity at numerous sites along the winding shoreline, testifying to events which span more than 6 000 years. The interpretation of these events is still a matter of controversy. Archaeologically, Hong Kong is but a tiny part of the
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