It was with great sadness yesterday that I received news of the passing of Stephen Clarke. Stephen and I had known each other for several years, first meeting when I was President of ARANZ and he was Chief Archivist at Archives New Zealand. Playing against our strengths of a heady mix of optimism, realism and the need to understand the context of anything we were talking about, we quickly developed a mutual agreement of where our sector was headed, where it needed to go, and how to get there.
Since that time, Stephen and I kept in regular contact, often catching up in person whenever in each others town. I recently finished a contract with Iron Mountain where I worked alongside Stephen. Stephen’s writing via Here to Ontology galvanised me to begin writing a new series to outline my thoughts on the path the IM sector in New Zealand is traveling, and to supply our colleagues with useful templates and links. Stephen agreed to co-author articles for this series, The Future of IM. Instead, to memorialise his dedication to archives and amazing contributions to the standards we use, this series is now dedicated to Stephen.
Others have written better euologies than myself, so I feel it best to paste below the in memoriam from ISO sent out after Stephen’s passing:
Many of us worked with Stephen over a lengthy time on ‘standards’, & the international groups he worked with are also mourning our/their loss. First there’s some background
- I mean, context was ALWAYS rather important to Stephen, right!).
However I think it’s important / I want to share the ISO statement on Stephen’s contribution to their important work please. I think it will shine another light on his contribution to the Archives, Records & Information Management sector. For example:
- “Across RIMPA, ICA, and ISO communities, Stephen was recognised as one of the most articulate advocates for the Australasian records-continuum tradition in international standards. His work bridged theory and implementation, ensuring that the enduring spirit of ISO 15489 — balancing conceptual clarity with practical guidance — remains visible today.”
- The URL to the PDF is visible to ISO Ctte members only I think, so I have taken the liberty of copying and pasting it here, I hope it survives the listserv formatting regs…
Stephen was a member of both New Zealand, as well as Australian Standards Ctte’s:
International Recordkeeping Standards – NZ Group – Record Keeping, Standards Review, and Information Management is a NZ Mirror Committee for International Recordkeeping standards and other documents produced by TC 46/SC 11.
It has a linked In page here: (23) International Recordkeeping Standards – NZ Group: Overview | LinkedIn with over a hundred members.
- The primary purpose of the group is to advise Standards New Zealand on how it should vote on international standards and other documents produced by TC46 SC11. The group also liaises with IT-021, which is the joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee on Records and Document Management Systems.
 ISO Documents ISO/TC 46/SC 11 “Archives/records management” |
| Dear member, ISO TC 46/SC 11 shares with great sadness the news of the passing of Stephen Clarke (CSRIM MRIM) — former Chief Archivist of New Zealand, RIMPA Global Ambassador, and long-time contributor to the subcommittee’s work on records-management standards. This notice honors his leadership, collegial spirit, and enduring influence on the development and application of ISO 15489 and related international frameworks. Best regards, Andrew Potter Committee manager support team of ISO/TC 46/SC 11 |
The text from the document:
In Memoriam: Stephen Clarke (CSRIM MRIM)
The members of ISO Technical Committee 46/Subcommittee 11 (Archives and Records Management) note with deep sadness the passing of Stephen Clarke (CSRIM MRIM) — a respected colleague, mentor, and advocate for records and information management across Australia, New Zealand, and the world.
Professional Service and Leadership
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Stephen Clarke’s lifelong curiosity about systems of knowledge and accountability began early. After completing his studies in Wales, he emigrated to the Southern Hemisphere, where he built a career that would come to define his professional life — connecting the archival traditions of the Northern Hemisphere with the dynamic, continuum-driven practice emerging in the Southern.
Stephen served as Chief Archivist and General Manager of Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga), leading major initiatives to strengthen digital recordkeeping, public-sector information governance, and open-government accountability. His leadership was marked by deep respect for archival principles and an unrelenting focus on the practical realities of digital transformation.
He was a long-standing member of RIMPA Global (Records and Information Management Practitioners Alliance), receiving the organisation’s J. Eddis Linton Award (2012) for outstanding service. In 2025 he was appointed RIMPA Global Ambassador and, at RIMPA Live 2025 in Melbourne, received Life Membership in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the profession.
Stephen Clarke and ISO 15489: A Brief Context
The international standard ISO 15489 Information and Documentation — Records Management remains the foundation of modern records-management practice. It reflects the influence of the records-continuum tradition developed in Australia and New Zealand and continues to guide professional frameworks worldwide.
Over the course of his career, Stephen Clarke played an active role in supporting the ongoing evolution and practical application of ISO 15489 and its related standards. Through his work on the Australian and New Zealand mirror committees (Standards Australia IT-021 / Standards New Zealand PDC 46) and his later service as Convenor of ISO/TC 46/SC 11 Working Group 10 — Implementation Guidelines for Disposition of Records (2014–2017), he helped ensure that the standard’s concepts remained relevant to the realities of digital recordkeeping and information governance.
Stephen also contributed to the review of ISO 16175 (Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments) and participated in discussions shaping the ISO 30300 series (Management Systems for Records). Through these efforts, he reinforced ISO 15489’s core principles of authenticity, integrity, and systematic control within contemporary digital environments.
Across RIMPA, ICA, and ISO communities, Stephen was recognised as one of the most articulate advocates for the Australasian records-continuum tradition in international standards. His work bridged theory and implementation, ensuring that the enduring spirit of ISO 15489 — balancing conceptual clarity with practical guidance — remains visible today.
A Colleague and Advocate for the Profession
Stephen was widely known for his clarity of thought, collegial spirit, and commitment to advancing the profession through evidence-based practice and international collaboration. He viewed standards not as static texts but as living frameworks linking archival theory, information science, and emerging technologies. In his own writing, he described ontology as “the critical translation layer between these two worlds … a model that machines can act upon and humans can trust.” That phrase captures his enduring belief in bridging the human and the technical — a theme that ran throughout his work.
A Lasting Legacy
Stephen Clarke’s influence will continue to shape both the international records-management standards programme and the professional communities he served. Members of ISO TC 46/SC 11 extend their deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues across Australia, New Zealand, and the global archival and records-management community.