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 |
K60 |
MKM39042 |
LARKIN, George Frederick - Service Number - NX466, 2/47 |
1934 - 1985 |
PP872/1 |
MKM32059 |
SIMS, M - Service Number - N/A |
1918 - 1962 |
CP548/1 |
D290 |
Milk G.E. Willis - Apsley, N.S.W. |
1947 - 1949 |
PP946/1 |
HKM34644 VOLUME 1 |
HUME, Malcolm Terry - Service Number - 2 4827 |
1954 - 1984 |
A1209 |
1974/6679 |
Visit of the Japanese Prime Minister - October and November 1974 - Briefing material |
1974 - 1974 |
B73 |
M66560 |
Jobson, Christopher Henry |
1915 - 1964 |
C138 |
HB61629 PART 4 |
ALDERTON, Grace Margaret beneficiary of ALDERTON, Alfred James - Service Number - 7193 |
1988 - 1991 |
A11235 |
6 |
Senate Journals - 6th Session of Parliament - Volume containing Journal No. 1 (20 February 1907) and No.2 (21 February 1907) and Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives |
1907 - 1907 |
A12812 |
80 |
Inquiry into Australian government centre, Spring Street Melbourne - Correspondence |
14 May 1975 - 20 May 1975 |
C4076 |
HN6169 |
Matcham Post Office |
1985 - 1985 |
B73 |
M56198 |
MACNEIL, Alexander Rowan - Service Number - VX39150 |
1915 - 1953 |
AWM54 |
179/1/10 |
[Chemical Warfare - General:] Chemical Warfare Notes, SA L of C Area, No 6 (n.d.) |
1939 - 1945 |
SP109/14 |
78/7/20 |
Supply of Films to Japanese Consulate General |
1940 - 1940 |
A432 |
1929/493 |
Income Tax Assessment Act 1922/28: The Young Men's Christian Association. |
1929 - 1929 |
D2952 |
PL56/1980 |
Buckleboo Line - Application for sleeve pipe under track account Messrs Harris and Enright [Licence number 1305] |
1980 - 1981 |
J1331 |
J790/19 |
Checklist - Correspondence files |
1990 - 1992 |
A6135 |
K24/8/72/14 |
Aboriginal people and torres strait islander peoples - Relics - Flood lit burial cave |
1972 - 1972 |
C138 |
HB66303 |
WALKER, Lillian A beneficiary of WALKER, Alfred William - Service Number - 3287 |
1988 - 1988 |
A1928 |
1181/47/3/3 |
War. MECC (Medical Equipment Control Committee) & CMCC (Central Medical Coordination Committee) Staff. D.A. Butler. (Clegg) |
1944 - 1946 |
J849 |
4/1/AIR/4 PART 6 |
Establishments 482 SQN |
1979 - 1980 |