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 |
A432 |
1929/2050 |
Bankruptcy Act, 1925-1928 Audit of Trustees' Accounts. |
1929 - 1929 |
A12391 |
R20 |
Organisation and Methods of the Russian Intelligence Services (RIS), April 1974 |
1974 - 1974 |
A432 |
1932/1844 |
FCT [Federal Capital Territory]. Agistment of Horses on Commonwealth Land: Failure to pay charges: Whether Commonwealth can impound horses |
1932 - 1932 |
A12812 |
110 |
Inquiry into Rehabilitation of Navy Stores Buildings for RAN Research Laboratory, Pyrmont NSW - Statement of evidence, originating papers, correspondence, submissions, briefing papers, tabling details, confidential |
12 Jun 1978 - 11 Jul 1980 |
A1838 |
532/11/4 PART 6 |
East Asia - Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League |
1967 - 1969 |
B73 |
H115879 |
Pearson, Harold Ford |
1969 - 1970 |
PP825/1 |
MX13581 |
Bruce Moncrieff |
1940 - 1979 |
A13147 |
NSR 538 |
National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Reg 4 (AP.1-2); Reg 5 (AP.3); Reg 6 (AP.4); Reg 54 (AP.5-81); Reg 55 (AP.82-107) |
02 Feb 1942 - 27 Mar 1942 |
A3963 |
S6/11 |
Liquid Air Australia Ltd. |
1975 - 1975 |
AWM54 |
179/5/8 PART 14 |
[Chemical Warfare - Trials:] Munitions Supply Laboratories. Abstract reports indexed in records of Chemical Defence Board [Part 14 of 23] |
1945 - 1945 |
A2487 |
1921/4344 |
[Robert Gordon - Illegal disposal of property] |
1921 - 1921 |
A3959 |
A1/27 |
Visit to Moomba (Delhi-Santoo), S.A. Prices Commission and Port Stanvac (PRA), 15th to 18th July 1974. |
1974 - 1974 |
CP71/18 |
WHOLE SERIES |
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Rural Industries. Working Papers, Leaflets and typed matter. |
1941 - 1943 |
A1838 |
528/1 PART 9 |
Hong Kong - General |
1972 - 1975 |
MT99/2 |
1945/10 |
Staff - Captain H D Mitchell Master |
1943 - 1945 |
A1533 |
1956/2921 |
KRPIC, Franz [7 pages] |
1956 - 1956 |
E72 |
D10319/6 |
[Portion of Title Expunged] Allvar Karen Jane |
1961 - 1962 |
K60 |
HKM32847 VOLUME 2 |
HEENAN, James Mcilwrath - Service Number - 5/1026 |
1983 - 1986 |
B73 |
H36873 |
JORDAN, Donald Morrison [1.5 cm] |
1928 - 1955 |
A10028 |
803/7/9 PART 1 |
China : Economic - secondary industry and commodities - industrial performance |
24 Jul 1973 - 14 Nov 1980 |