Nathan is always hunting for vintage gold – particularly Canberra audiovisual treasures in need of delicate digitisation. Photo: @numbskull_nate Instagram.

Professional archivist by day, fanatical hoarder by night.

It may sound like a superhero story, but it’s reality for Canberra resident Nathan Daley.

Nathan has been working as an archivist at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) for almost 2 years. As part of the Collection Digitisation team, he works to preserve Australia’s audiovisual history and to digitise endangered magnetic-tape material.

It’s meticulous and innovative work, with surprisingly high stakes and time pressures.

“As a field, digitising magnetic tape is still in its infancy, compared to something like paper or textiles conservation, and the techniques are changing daily with breakthroughs,” said Nathan.

“Also, with the continuing degradation in tape stock, what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.”

With the production of traditional tape machines largely coming to a halt around the late 1980s, a skilled engineering team work carefully to maintain those on hand at the NFSA.

But Nathan says it’s still not as simple as pressing record.

“The majority of tapes used now need baking in a low-humidity oven before they can be played, or the tape will shed its oxide layer.

“This means a minimum of 48 hours in the oven at 48 degrees before I can even see what audio is contained on the tape.”

Once playable and optimised for capture, files are uploaded and the physical tape housed in archival packaging for long-term storage in “the vault”.

After a long day of digitising, Nathan heads home to his after-hours work and alter ego.

Crazed collector, junk junkie and careful curator, Nathan’s personal “home museum” is packed with pop culture paraphernalia and long-lost Canberra history.

Photo: @numbskull_nate Instagram.

“Working at the NFSA, this is the kind of thing that just seems normal.” said Nathan of meeting 90s Aussie children’s programming icon, Johnson the humanoid pink elephant. Photo: Supplied.

“My long-suffering wife Tegan is a good sport about it, and my mum put up with the toy collection in her hallway before that”

It was around 10 years ago when Tegan suggested a purpose-built backyard studio to house the collection.

“It’s constantly changing as new things come in, and I don’t think it will ever be finished. Like any proper museum, I guess.”

His personal highlight?

“I like to show people my Agro collection. So many people have fond memories of him and are surprised at the level of merchandising that was made. Agro bubblegum, anyone?”

Occasionally, Nathan’s work and home interests overlap and collide perfectly, like when Agro recently arrived in the nation’s Capital.

“I figured there was a possibility that NFSA would become his forever home,” said Nathan.

“Our curatorial team were generous enough to invite me to help lay him out for accessioning, and it felt really full circle to be holding him, and weird to see him without a screen between us.”

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you’ll never forget Agro. Photo: Supplied.

Nathan’s current hyperfocus is immortalising Canberra-specific ephemera.

“These days I’m drawn to items that are one-off or tell a story of Canberra subculture.”

Treasure-hunting at second-hand troves like Revolve to the Green Shed, markets and swap meets, he keeps an eye on eBay and Marketplace “every waking moment in between”.

He is also a self-confessed “tip-rat”.

“I’ve jumped in more skips and bins than I would like to admit, but it usually pays off.”

Nathan says the fascination with fodder comes from a longing for what felt like simpler times.

“The world wasn’t really different back then, but rose-coloured glasses help us think it was.”

“I’d do almost anything to go watch something strange at Electric Shadows or catch a Cannons game,” he said

“I really miss days spent wandering Impact Records, but Landspeed and Impact Comics are keeping that legacy alive.

“If I had a DeLorean, though, the first thing I’d do would be eat 1998 Kingsley’s and go watch a Smeg or Mighty Few or Henry’s Anger show at Woden Youth Centre.”

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So, what’s the origin story of this fascination with preserving the past?

Fittingly for someone who now preserves Australia’s audiovisual history, it all started with a sound.

“I heard Nirvana when I was 10, and I just remember needing to hear every record, read every interview, etc, and that just became what I did with my time.

“This level of fanaticism eventually became the norm for every interest in my life, and eventually the personal collection turned into my Canberra archive and YouTube channel.”

Digitising ‘Canberra and Queanbeyan’s subculture history’ from grassroots music gigs to locally produced ads, Numbskull Public Access Television is the place to relive original TV adverts for Big Splash, The Canberra Centre or Arnold’s Ribs & Pizza, or a 1998 Pod People performance at The Gypsy Bar.

Nathan is always searching for old Canberra recordings in need of delicate digitisation.

“We stand to lose a lot, and we will, if we aren’t digitising using proper methods and storing correctly,” he said.

“It keeps me up at night thinking of all the magnetic tape deteriorating in people’s garages.”

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