National Archives of Australia

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The National Archives of Australia is a body established by the Government of Australia under the Archives Act 1983 for the purpose of preserving Commonwealth Government records.

The National Archives’ collection is diverse, large and rich. It covers Cabinet, Federation, Prime Ministers and Ministers and other leaders of the nation, and most of the activities with which the government has been involved. Several collections are particularly popular with researchers. The service records of Australians who have served in wars, notably World Wars I and II, are invaluable for family historians.

The migrant selection documents and naturalisation papers of millions of people who have come to live in this country are also of major interest for historians and genealogists. Recent work has made the records of displaced people – refugees displaced by World War II – more accessible as they can now be searched by name.

The copyright collection dates back to colonial times, a rich source of Australian creative endeavour and social history.

In addition to caring for its collection, the National Archives develops and tour exhibitions, publishes books and guides to our collection and deliver educational programs.

William James (Jack) Mildenhall photographed in 1927

1 Notable Collections
2 History
- 2.1 National directors
3 Structure
4 External links

[edit] Notable Collections

There are several notable collections held by the National Archives of Australia. These include:

the Griffin drawings - Walter and Marion Griffin's winning entry for Australia's Federal Captial

the Mildenhall photographs - taken by government photographer Jack Mildenhall, these pictures document the building of Canberra during the 1920s and 1930s

[edit] History

The foundation stone for a National Archives was laid by the Prince of Wales in Canberra in 1920 but no building followed this ceremony. The National Library began collecting records after World War I, but it was not until the early 1950s that the National Archives received its own identity and had its own buildings. In 1998 the National Archives received what the initial foundation stone promised, an elegant building at the national capital, in the Parliamentary triangle.