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
A518 624/1/98 Fealy, C - School Teacher - Norfolk Island 1954 - 1955
A6135 K24/1/73/1 Aboriginal people and torres strait islander peoples - Tribal - Aboriginals prepare for a corroboree, Yuendumu 1973 - 1973
A10463 801/11/1 PART 3 Jakarta - Political prisoners 1974 - 1975
PP946/1 HKM32083 MCGRATH, Wilfred Valentine - Service Number - 5 9008 1951 - 1978
A1838 766/1 PART 25 China - Economic relations with Australia 1976 - 1977
B73 R88414 Lionel Robert Gleeson - Sergeant 4811, 29th Battalion 1918 - 1925
A703 564/1/169 Defence study - the environment of the 80s 1980 - 1980
A6135 K29/11/72/29 Aboriginal people and torres strait islander peoples - Oenberna burial ground, Arnhemland 1972 - 1972
MP729/8 4/433/4 Ideal Calibre SAA Bandolier Packing 1950 - 1950
A12987 S72 Senate Select Committee on Medical and Hospital Costs - Submissions No 2 of 3 Bundles, PART A - Removal of the Means Test Association 1968 - 1970
B503 V2428 NICOLSON, Ian Donald - VX16497 [6 pages] [Prisoners of War Trust Fund application] 1973 - 1973
A10463 800/34 PART 8 Jakarta - Indonesian relations with China 1977 - 1979
A10071 1953/12 TRANSCRIPT MACE Norman Frederick; MACE Gloria Amy versus MURRAY Joan - Transcript Record of Proceedings - Original 1953 - 1956
A12812 175 Inquiry into Australian Radiation Laboratory, Yallambie Vic - B/w photos - part of unnumbered submission, b/w and coloured photos - part of inspection 07 Aug 1974 - 06 Sep 1974
K60 HKM39042 LARKIN, George Frederick - Service Number - NX466, 2/47 1966 - 1985
A3092 221/11/11/2 PART 15 Malaysia 15 Sep 1964 - 19 Nov 1964
AWM54 179/5/14 PART 11 [Chemical Warfare - Trials:] Dugway Proving Grounds. Mobile Chemical Warfare Section Unit, 1945-1946 1945 - 1946
D363 HB4660 PART 4 BAMBLETT, Florence May beneficiary of BAMBLETT, Reginald Thomas - Service Number - 27548 1989 - 1991
A13883 1460/3/11/1 PART 2 Singapore ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) relations with Indo China 23 Nov 1977 - 07 Mar 1979
A1838 929/32/3/7 PART 2 Human rights - Countries - Africa, Zimbabwe 1983 - 1984