Closed access

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