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
A452 1971/4073 Border surveillance by the Army in Papua New Guinea [2.5cms] 1971 - 1974
C138 HB43595 BARR, Daphne beneficiary of BARR, Thomas James - Service Number - 1072 1991 - 1991
K60 HKM34136 TOWNSEND-CRISP, Gerald Alfred Joseph - Service Number - WX500376 1984 - 1985
A1575 74/231 Offshore boundaries 01 Feb 1974 - 01 Aug 1974
PP619/1 MX2135 William McColl MORTON 1940 - 1975
A432 1989/19096 Timor Gap zone of cooperation - Australian briefs and agreed minutes 1989 - 1989
A1928 1026/9 Staff Temporary Victoria A.F. Simpson 1928 - 1929
A432 1931/1404 Territory for Seat of Govt. - Remedies of C'wealth where Rural Lesees have failed to pay rent. 1931 - 1931
A432 1929/810 Case of F. U'Ren. Superannuation. 1928 - 1929
A13147 NSR 154 National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Control of Manufacture of Gas Producers Order (No 2). Regulation 59 22 Mar 1943 - 26 Mar 1945
B741 V/1185 William Dumont. Repatriation Dept War Pension Enquiry Ballarat Report by Police 1925 - 1926
AWM54 244/3/2 [Demolitions - Preparation:] Schedule of progress - major bridge demolitions 1939 - 1945
B73 C117932 BERRY, William Henry 1961 - 1961
AWM239 MS7 RAN Medical Officers' Journals: Australian Mine Sweepers - DELORAINE (1 January 1942 - 31 December 1947); DOOMBA (13 December 1943 - 6 September 1944); DUBBO (4 August 1942 - 31 March 1946) 1942 - 1947
PP911/1 MX65318 Douglas Walter Buckingham 1942 - 1964
A13147 NSR 392 National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (Camouflage) Regulations. Order Under Regulation 12A 19 Nov 1942 - 19 Nov 1942
A1838 3107/40/147 PART 6 China - Foreign policy - Relations with India 1958 - 1959
C666 24 Commonwealth of Australia v A E Goodwin Limited - No 15153 of 1980 - Various court related documents including; memorandum to counsel, brief to advise on evidence, opinion on rental values, statements, drawings (plans) of St Marys Industrial Estate, memorandum of advice, brief to appear, etc 1983 - 1983
A1838 2387/1 ASPTAP - New Hebrides - Policy & General 1965 - 1974
A1209 1961/411 SEATO - Report of the Logistics Committee 1961 - 1961