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
K60 MKM39735 CHAPPELL, Francis James - Service Number - WX14719 1941 - 1985
A2618 DOCUMENT 3606/1 Upper Tumut Development General Information for Tenderers 1953 - 1953
K403 W59/524 PART 2 [Immigration Department] Nationality - naturalization ceremonies - Roebourne 1970 - 1974
A13147 NSR 95 National Security Act Regulations & Ordinances - National Security (General) Regulations. Radio Broadcast Receivers Order (No 2). Regulation 59 18 Oct 1943 - 05 Apr 1946
C138 R21486 Edwin Willis JOHNSON [Repatriation case file] [box 1905] 1916 - 1937
A1200 L8602A Aboriginal people and torres strait islander peoples - Implements and weapons - Stone Tjuringa explanation 1947 - 1947
A1838 222/11/87 Congo - Brazzaville - Relations with China 1964 - 1972
MP16/1 1918/339 Sparks, Ross St, Sth Melbourne 1918 - 1918
D454 WHOLE SERIES Woomera Hospital outpatient cards 1950 - 1990
MP5/21 7 State Returns 1947 - 1948
A1200 L8604A Aboriginal people and torres strait islander peoples - Implements and weapons - Wooden Tjuringa explanation 1947 - 1947
A1533 1967/1296 List of criminals wanted for murder by Italian authorities 1967 - 1977
C1748 ABORIGINES/L8605 TITLE: A bull roarer CATEGORY: photograph PRINCIPAL CREDIT: photographer G Crib FORMAT: b&w print TYPE: silver gelatin STATUS: preservation material 01 Jan 1947 - 31 Dec 1947
AWM239 163 RAN Medical Officers' Journal: NORMAN (15 September 1941 - 30 September 1945) 1941 - 1945
AWM254 371/36 [MAETU - Medical Air Evacuation Transport Unit: Records of Flt Lt Francis Winston Kiel] Form C No. 1 MAETU [Lists of patients evacuated and diagnosis] 1942 - 1945
A432 1931/00306 Treaty of Peace Regs. Sale of plantation statement in catalogue that property surveyed & entered in the groundbook: resurvey required whether purchaser slid bear cost of survey 1931 - 1931
A8307 REGISTER 30 Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1948 - Register of Births, London - No 30 1949 - 1960
C138 R96024 Andrew Edward DRUMMOND [Repatriation medical case file][3 pages; box 7030] 1920 - 1947
A703 564/2/27 PART 4 Search and rescue - operational 1973 - 1973
MP1049/1 1920/0415 Rev F P Dwyer Chaplain Resignation compelled by ecclesiastical authorities 1920 - 1921