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
B1535 724/2/114 [Medical Examination of Candidates for the Royal Military College] 1933 - 1933
B1387 1981/655 PART 2 Antarctic Marine Living Resources - Meetings 1982 - 1982
PP847/1 HB26601A BEYER, Bruce Colin beneficiary of BEYER, John Stewart - Service Number - WX17653 1971 - 1971
B300 5334 PART 17 Publicity advertisements - general 1965 - 1969
AWM54 179/5/1 PART 1 [Chemical Warfare - Trials:] Reports from the Chemical Defence Board, Research and Experimental Section, Innisfail, Queensland [Part 1 of 10] 1944 - 1945
A1838 696/8/6/2 PART 1 Civic action undertaken in connection with deployment of Australian troops in Vietnam 1965 - 1968
A11235 57 Senate Journals -57th Session of Parliament - Volume containing Journal No. 1 (17 February 1976) to Journal No.86 (25 February 1977) 1976 - 1977
PP870/1 MKM34922 BRASHAW Harry Arthur - Service Number PM8314, R33364 1945 - 1979
F1 1960/2294 Welfare Branch - Annual Report 1960 - 1964
PP913/1 HX34290 Joe Maitland 1947 - 1947
J25 1958/11103 European Permanent Admissions - Landing Permits - ASIO Lists, Queensland 1958 - 1959
A452 1967/1910 Land Policy - Chirstmas Island 1967 - 1969
A13147 NSR 176 National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Order 2; Bacon and Smallgoods (SA) Order. Regulation 59 11 Jan 1943 - 25 Jan 1946
MP1187/1 V1965/23751 Ivoi, Antonio 1953 - 1966
A1928 1023/65 TO 1024/45 (Staff files) 01 Jan 1800 - 01 Jan 1800
A432 1931/460 Sydney C'wealth Bank: Grant's Contract 1931 - 1931
PP707/1 MX13979 PAULEY William Harrold - DVA File (WWII sern WX695) 1939 - 1979
A12812 118 Inquiry into Redevelopment of Brisbane International Airport - Initial Works of Phase 1 - Statement of evidence, originating papers, submissions, correspondence 30 Oct 1978 - 15 Oct 1979
C5423 1407334 CPE [Central Photographic Establishment, Laverton] Follies 1967 01 Jan 1967 - 01 Jan 1967
A816 19/305/141 Indonesia 1951 - 1952