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 |
RX96543 |
Senior, D [file cover only] |
1946 - 1954 |
A4073 |
VOLUME 1 COPIES 1 2 AND 3 |
Submission 76 - 124 |
1973 - 1973 |
AWM239 |
130 |
RAN Medical Officers' Journal: MORESBY (27 April 1933 - 31 December 1937) |
1933 - 1937 |
C162 |
WHOLE SERIES |
[Veteran's Affairs] Personal case files, single number series with 'NG' prefix (New Guinea civilians, 1939-1945 War) |
1945 - 1991 |
E72 |
D3541/4 |
[Portion of title expunged] Thomas Samuel Baird and Evelyn Veronica Baird - Beverley June Carroll and James Carroll |
1955 - 1955 |
A13141 |
FOC18 (3) |
Senate Select Committee on Foreign Ownership and Control of Australian Resources - AIDC Bill 1973-74; NIF Bill 1973-74 - Hansards - Senate and House of Representatives |
Aug 1973 - Mar 1974 |
C155 |
WHOLE SERIES |
[Veteran's Affairs] Personal case files, single number series with 'P' prefix (British pensioners, 1914-1918 War) |
1914 - 1994 |
C139 |
MX30504 |
Alfred Thomas MOFFAT [Repatriation medical case file] [box 54909] |
1942 - 1990 |
D4082 |
SA12C-3 |
Medical - psychiatric - general correspondence 1961 - 1967 |
1961 - 1968 |
A1838 |
3107/40/149 PART 1 |
China - Relations with Ceylon |
1949 - 1961 |
A1928 |
1020/76 |
Staff - Permanent - Victoria G.C. Hughes - Foreman Assistant. |
1910 - 1931 |
AWM54 |
179/5/20 |
[Chemical Warfare - Trials:] 1) Revision of basic sampling and venting periods for Chemical Weapons; 2) A review of information derived from trials in the tropics up to May 1944; 3) Reports on trials held in Townsville, Canungra, Holdsworthy, to determine the effect of wearing respirators A/CAS light |
1943 - 1944 |
A13147 |
NSR 493 |
National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (Emergency Control) Regulations Order Under Regulation 5 |
06 Sep 1942 - 06 Sep 1942 |
D4082 |
AO26 |
John Neale |
1967 - 1971 |
J2937 |
G56/17 PART 3 |
Moorooka - Group 25 - RQ - Development - Defence Service Homes Corporation |
1970 - 1976 |
A659 |
1939/1/8819 |
Lathom, Mrs M - Passport |
1926 - 1939 |
A11356 |
F301 |
Johnstone Vs Commonwealth of Australia - Discovery Documents - Repatriation Department, Clinical Record File, Johnstone, Daryl Richard, Service No. A217183, Rank Lac, Unit RAAF - File HX278124 |
1979 - 1989 |
PP926/1 |
MX63226 |
William Heitland Godby |
1941 - 1974 |
A1838 |
677/3 PART 27 |
Australian defence policy - Strategic basis of Australian defence policy |
1980 - 1983 |
M1268 |
365 |
[Personal Papers of Prime Minister Fraser] Sundry [includes papers relating to superannuation, Australian-Soviet relations, Afghanistan etc] |
26 Feb 1979 - 15 Feb 1983 |