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 |
A7324 |
73 |
Submissions - Television Equalisation - Channel 7 Sydney |
Mar 1987 - Mar 1987 |
A1838 |
816/2/3 PART 3 |
USSR - Reports on Economic Development - Food & Raw Materials |
1964 - 1965 |
A1946 |
1968/851 |
Possible cease fire arrangements Vietnam file no 2 |
1968 - 1968 |
C138 |
HB33987 PART 2 |
BRAND, Ivy beneficiary of BRAND, Leonard - Service Number - 1362 |
1991 - 1992 |
A12987 |
S8 |
Senate Select Committee on Medical and Hospital Costs - Submissions No 1 of 3 Bundles, Part A - Australian Cancer Society |
Jul 1968 - Oct 1968 |
A1838 |
316/2/1/1 PART 14 |
Fiji - External relations - Relations with Australia - General |
1980 - 1980 |
B503 |
N355 |
Bertram, Donald Fletcher NX30345 [Prisoners of War Trust Fund application] |
1977 - 1977 |
A703 |
564/1/166 |
Reconnaissance force requirements. |
1900 - 1990 |
A13147 |
NSR 306 |
National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Reg 54 (FG.1-65) |
02 Nov 1943 - 26 Nov 1943 |
A12812 |
148 |
Inquiry into Construction of new Air Traffic Services Centre & Control Tower at Perth Airport, WA - Briefing papers, supplementary submissions, draft report, tabling details, correspondence |
28 Jul 1982 - 11 Mar 1983 |
C139 |
MX23609 |
Joseph O'Brien (Repatriation medical case file) [Box 1478] |
1943 - 1948 |
A1928 |
1181/47/3/10 |
War. MECC (Medical Equipment Control Committee) & CMCC (Central Medical Coordination Committee) Staff. Dr. C.H. Down (Part Time) |
1943 - 1947 |
F1 |
1956/1348 |
State Childrens Council Account for Payment |
1956 - 1960 |
A13147 |
NSR 137 |
National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Control of Jams, Jellies and Marmalade Order. Regulation 59 |
20 Jan 1943 - 20 Jan 1943 |
A8603 |
89 |
Personnel Files, Single Number Series - Gary FOLEY |
1988 - 1989 |
B4069 |
VB/2/4 PART 1 |
Board rulings - Board meetings - Agenda summaries [1 pp] |
1973 - 1973 |
D1915 |
SA10617 |
PAL Andrew William - application for naturalization |
1943 - 1945 |
A518 |
K800/1/4 |
Norfolk Island - Administration - Defalcation in accounts - Stephenson, E |
1934 - 1945 |
AWM224 |
MSS422 |
No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital: Synopsis of clinical notes, 1 Sep - 30 Nov 1918 |
1918 - 1918 |
A10497 |
2 |
Registers of citizenship by descent - birth registers (Cairo) |
1950 - 1994 |