Overview
Under the Australian Archives Act 1983 most Commonwealth records are opened to public scrutiny after twenty years (this was reduced from thirty years in 2010). But the Act also defines ‘exempt’ records that can be withheld from the public for a variety of reasons, including the defence of national security, and the protection of individual privacy. Access under the Act is not an inevitable destination, but a process that may result in records with the access status of ‘closed’.
Here you can explore these closed files. Why can't we look at them? How old are they? What are we really being protected against?
14370
closed files
on 1 January 2016
28
reasons
why these files have been closed
58
years
is the average age of these files
based on their date of their earliest content
1128
series
contain closed files
BE WARNED! This is a work in progress. It's part of an ongoing research project by Tim Sherratt (@wragge). As a result, this interface is likely to change. That said, pretty much everything should work, so feel free to poke around and see what you can find. Have fun!
Here's some examples…
Series |
Control Symbol |
Title |
Contents dates |
B26 |
MX78894 PART 1 |
GRAY, Basil Kingsley |
1943 - 1975 |
AWM93 |
2/5/19C/2 PART 5 |
[Australian War Memorial registry file:] Buildings and Accommodation - AWM Canberra. Roll of Honour - Lists of names to be inscribed, forwarded by Repatriation Department Sydney |
1950 - 1952 |
A1838 |
762/2 PART 2 |
Hong Kong - Reports on economic developments |
1968 - 1974 |
M3357 |
RJC/400/4 |
Defence Facilities - briefings Navy |
1987 - 1987 |
CP548/1 |
D297 |
C.F. Duncan & Coy. Match Manufacturer |
1948 - 1948 |
A1337 |
33027 |
Application for the registration of design by Darbyshire Pottery Pty Ltd for Small statuette - Aboriginal - Class 4a |
1954 - 1954 |
B26 |
HX201913 PART 1 |
DAVIS, Charles Alfred |
1968 - 1971 |
B73 |
R87116 |
MILLS, George Leslie [1cm] |
1916 - 1941 |
PP645/1 |
MKM39301 |
GEE, William George - Service Number - WX17746, 5/400010 |
1941 - 1983 |
PP946/1 |
MKM39718 |
WHITNELL, Donald William - Service Number - SSX23243, 40934 |
1981 - 1982 |
A1838 |
3107/40/54 |
China - Relations with Czechoslavakia |
1962 - 1988 |
M1825 |
LXIV |
[Sir Harry Gibbs] Judge's notes, Gibbs, Chief Justice [High Court of Australia] |
08 Jun 1983 - 01 Feb 1984 |
A13147 |
NSR 119 |
National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Control of Cycle Tyres and Cycle Tubes Order. Regulation 59 |
08 Aug 1942 - 08 Aug 1942 |
A1838 |
155/7/34 PART 2 |
Africa - Interest of Cuba |
1977 - 1980 |
PP707/1 |
HX10929 |
Charles O'Neil |
1945 - 1945 |
A13147 |
NSR 335 |
National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (Man Power) Regulations. Declarations of Protected Undertakings. Regulation 5 |
01 Aug 1945 - 22 Aug 1945 |
A1838 |
141/2/1 PART 5 |
Spanish Sahara - Political - General |
1978 - 1982 |
A1838 |
3107/38/1 PART 5 |
China - Relations with Australia - Australian representation |
1975 - 1976 |
A1838 |
3016/10/10/2 PART 1 |
Cambodia - Relations with Australia - Visits to Australia by Notables and Officials from Cambodia |
1956 - 1968 |
A2487 |
1919/4473 |
[Departmental responsibility for cost of institutional care - M J Moloney] |
1919 - 1919 |