National Archives of Australia

National Archives of Australia
Agency overview

Formed	March 1961
Jurisdiction	Government of Australia
Headquarters	Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT
Employees	441^[1]
Annual budget	A$86.98 million (2007-08)
Agency executive	David Fricker, Director-General
Parent agency	Attorney-General's Department (Australia)
Website	www.NAA.gov.au

The National Archives of Australia is a government agency that collects, preserves and encourages access to important Australian Government records. It describes itself as the memory of the nation.

The Archives’ collection of 40 million items traces events and decisions that have shaped the nation and the lives of Australians. Visitors are welcome to explore the collection, online or in person.

Established under the Archives Act 1983, the National Archives reports to its Minister, the Attorney-General. Like all government agencies, it is accountable to the Australian people. The National Archives of Australia Advisory Council provides advice to the Minister responsible for the Archives and the Director-General.

Under the Act, the National Archives has two main roles:

to collect and preserve Australia’s most valuable government records and encourage their use by the public
to promote good information management by Commonwealth government agencies, especially in meeting the challenges of the digital age.

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

History

The National Archives of Australia national office on Queen Victoria Terrace in Canberra.

After World War I the Commonwealth National Library (later National Library of Australia) was responsible for collecting Australian Government records. The library appointed its first archives officer in 1944.

In March 1961 the Commonwealth Archives Office formally separated from the National Library of Australia and was renamed as the Australian Archives in 1975.

The Archives Act 1983 gave legislative protection to Commonwealth government records for the first time, with the Australian Archives responsible for their preservation.

The agency was renamed the National Archives of Australia in February 1998.

Eastern facade of the current home of the National Archives of Australia, 2009.

Collections

The National Archives of Australia’s collection of 40 million items covers records pertaining to the government of Australia, including Federation, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Cabinet and Ministers.

Among the most popular with the public are defence service and immigration records which often contain valuable family history.

The Archives' repositories are not open to the public but items can be requested for digitisation or for viewing in reading rooms. Most records over 26 years old (gradually reducing to 20 years) are released for public access on request. However some have certain information exempted from access. These exemptions may include documents relating to defence and security and sensitive personal information.

Cabinet notebooks have a longer closed period, gradually decreasing from 50 years to 30 years by 2021. Access to items of cultural sensitivity to Indigenous Australians may also be restricted.

Notable collections

William James (Jack) Mildenhall photographed in 1927

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

founding documents, including the Royal Commission of Assent, the Constitution Act and other records created when the six colonies federated to create the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901
World War I and World War II service records. Some 376,000 service records for men and women who served in World War I have been digitised and are available online at the Discovering Anzacs website.
the Griffin drawings – Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin's winning entry for the design of Australia's Federal Capital
Mildenhall glass plate photographs taken by government photographer Jack Mildenhall – the 7700 images record Canberra during the 1920s and 1930s
more than 34,000 immigration photographs
copyright, patent and trademark registration records documenting Australian creativity and ingenuity.

Facilities

The Archives’ National Office is in Canberra. In 1998 the Canberra reading room, galleries and public areas of National Archives moved into a heritage listed building East Block in the Parliamentary Triangle. The building, one of the national capital's original offices, was built in 1926 beside the Provisional Parliament House. Over the years East Block housed various government departments and served as Canberra's first post office and telephone exchange.

National Archives reading rooms, repositories and offices are also located in each state capital and in Darwin.

Commonwealth Record Series (CRS) System

The Australian Series System (also known as the Commonwealth Record Series (CRS)) is the system used to organise and describe records held in the National Archives of Australia. It was developed in the 1960s, based on an idea of Peter Scott, a National Archives staff member. Under the CRS system, agencies (government departments and statutory authorities) create series (groups of related records created by the agency) which are made up of items (records of any sort).

National directors

· 1944–68 – Ian MacLean, Chief Archivist
· 1968–70 – Keith Penny, Chief Archivist
· 1970–71 – Keith Pearson, Director, Commonwealth Archives Office
· 1971–75 – John Dunner, Director, Commonwealth Archives Office
· 1975–84 – Robert Neale, Director-General, Australian Archives
· 1984–89 – Brian Cox, Director-General, Australian Archives
· 1990–2000 – George Nichols, Director-General, Australian Archives/National Archives of Australia
· 2000–03 – Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, acting Director-General, National Archives of Australia
· 2003–11 – Ross Gibbs, Director-General, National Archives of Australia
· 2011–Jan 2012 – Stephen Ellis, acting Director-General, National Archives of Australia
· 2012–present – David Fricker, Director-General, National Archives of Australia

References

↑ APS Statistical Bulletin 2015-2016 (Report). Australian Public Service Commission. September 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Archives of Australia.

Oceanian national archives
Sovereign states	Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states of New Zealand	Cook Islands Niue
Dependencies and other territories	American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna

Canberra landmarks
Buildings and structures	ACT Heritage Library ACT Memorial All Saints Church Australian Army Memorial Australia Forum Australian Merchant Navy Memorial Australian War Memorial Australian–American Memorial Basser Library Black Mountain Tower Captain James Cook Memorial Centenary House Edmund Barton Building Gus's High Court of Australia Hotel Canberra Hotel Kurrajong Korean War Memorial Legislative Assembly Building The Lodge Lovett Tower Mercure Hotel Mount Stromlo Observatory National Carillon National Gallery of Australia Research Library Old Parliament House Parliament House Royal Australian Mint St John the Baptist Church Scrivener Dam Supreme Court Tilley's Yarralumla Yarralumla brickworks
Precincts	City Walk Belconnen Town Centre Garema Place Parliamentary Triangle Tuggeranong Town Centre Woden Town Centre
Parks and open spaces	Australian National Botanic Gardens Black Mountain Peninsula Canberra Nature Park Canberra Peace Park City Hill Cockington Green Gardens Commonwealth Park Commonwealth Place Constitution Place Corroboree Park Glebe Park Kings Park Lennox Gardens including Canberra-Nara Peace Park Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum Magna Carta Place Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve National Arboretum Canberra National Rose Garden Telopea Park Weston Park Yarramundi Reach
Cultural institutions	Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Australian Institute of Anatomy Australian National University Classics Museum Blundells Cottage Cameron Offices, Belconnen Canberra Glassworks Canberra Museum and Gallery Canberra Railway Museum National Archives of Australia National Film and Sound Archive National Gallery of Australia National Library of Australia National Museum of Australia National Portrait Gallery Questacon
Sport	AIS Arena Australian Institute of Sport Canberra International Sports & Aquatic Centre Canberra Stadium Canberra Yacht Club Deakin Stadium Gungahlin Enclosed Oval Manuka Oval McKellar Park Narrabundah Ballpark Phillip Ice Skating Centre Royal Canberra Golf Club Southern Cross Stadium Viking Park Woden Park
Transportation	Canberra Airport Anzac Parade Canberra railway station
Entertainment	Albert Hall Big Splash Canberra Theatre Casino Canberra National Convention Centre National Zoo & Aquarium
Beaches and islands	Lake Burley Griffin Aspen Island Spinnaker Island Springbank Island

Coordinates: 35°18′18″S 149°07′50″E / 35.304877°S 149.130574°E / -35.304877; 149.130574

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