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 |
J2006 |
G77/10 PART 10 |
Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Service - Sports development grant for K Blackman |
1986 - 1986 |
MT1214/1 |
349/105/710 |
Parsons Eric J.A. O.N. 12535. Steward. Interim Medical Survey |
1943 - 1943 |
MT1340/1 |
1962/427 |
COLLINS, Robert James - Police conviction [4 pages] |
1962 - 1962 |
B4794 |
BARKER, ADA |
[Claim for Special Benefit - Ada Barker] |
1954 - 1956 |
K60 |
MKM38372 |
LYONS, Mervyn Keith - Service Number - 36460 |
1949 - 1986 |
B73 |
M5760 |
MILNE, Hector - Service Number - 953 |
1914 - 1960 |
A13404 |
AR1 |
Reports on Annual Reports - July 1990 - August 1995 |
01 Jul 1990 - 01 Aug 1995 |
A7452 |
A127 PART 2 |
Royal Commission into Intelligence and Security [RCIS] - third report |
1976 - 1977 |
A1928 |
1020/2 |
Staff permanent central & Victoria. H. Morrel. |
1916 - 1947 |
A432 |
1949/90 |
Colin Edward Gates - Edward Lance Thorp - [portion of title exempt] |
1949 - 1950 |
A1200 |
L8171 |
Aboriginal people and torres strait islander peoples - Implements and weapons - Painted skulls of ancestors in Eastern Arnhem Land |
1946 - 1946 |
K26 |
CX11877 |
Malcolm Neate Miller |
1960 - 1987 |
C139 |
RX17802 |
Percy MORTIMER [repatriation case file] [Box 1167] |
1920 - 1964 |
M3212 |
148 |
Electric travelling portal jib [photographic image]: swl 10t at 13m / photographer, David Cumming Colour House. 1 photographic print (148 of 182 images), colour; 10 x 12.5 cm, mounted in photograph album |
1991 - 1991 |
A3092 |
221/11/11/2 PART 5A |
Malaysia - (closer association of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak and British North Borneo) |
15 Jun 1963 - 22 Jul 1963 |
K60 |
M12064 |
John Alexander Pendreigh |
1919 - 1921 |
A1928 |
651/22/9 SECTION 3 |
Medical examinations of employees in C/N Public Service and applications for Pensions. Federal Capital Territory. Section 3 |
1936 - 1938 |
P107 |
H9390 PART 6 |
MILLHOUSE, Leonard Eric Heath - Service Number - 7824 |
1989 - 1991 |
A6119 |
450 |
George Ernest Archer RUSSELL |
1949 - 1960 |
K60 |
HKM33937 |
ROBERTS, Frederick Arthur - Service Number - 5/400199 |
1954 - 1983 |