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 |
A1838 |
3127/2/1 PART 15A |
Korea - Political - General |
1965 - 1967 |
A7936 |
B/4/8 |
Relates to ASIS [imposed title, original item title exempt] |
1955 - 1960 |
A1209 |
1978/1410 PART 1 |
Australia's involvement in the United Nations |
1978 - 1982 |
AWM54 |
179/1/12 |
[Chemical Warfare - General:] Notes on Chemical Warfare for General Staff Officers, No 11 |
1943 - 1943 |
A4531 |
201/2/1 PART 19 |
Saigon - Vietnam - political general [re Republic of Vietnam also known as South Vietnam] |
04 Nov 1974 - 07 Mar 1975 |
A9913 |
173 |
Quantitative Restrictions |
1953 - 1955 |
A3963 |
S4/15/2 |
Govt. of New South Wales |
1975 - 1975 |
B26 |
HX37179 PART 1 |
THOMPSON, Eric John Bernard |
1953 - 1987 |
E72 |
D7029/6 |
[Portion of Title Expunged] P K Pearson - Mr and Mrs Coonan |
1958 - 1958 |
A12812 |
58 |
Inquiry into administrative, laboratory and workshop complex for water resources branch, Berrimah, NT - Statement of evidence, originating papers, correspondence, rescission of resolution |
06 Feb 1974 - 09 Oct 1975 |
A1209 |
1976/1768 |
Antarctic - Resources and Environment Policy |
1975 - 1983 |
M438 |
47 |
Photographs of the Northern Territory, 1930's - 1941 - Initiation ceremony. Elcho Island. 1937 - ready for initiation |
1937 - 1937 |
A1838 |
277/5 PART 2 |
South Pacific - French Pacific Interests - General |
1967 - 1970 |
A5799 |
13/1958 |
The strategic basis of Australian Defence Policy |
1958 - 1958 |
A518 |
852/1/750 |
New Guinea Staff - Hendrick, C [0.5cm] |
1938 - 1954 |
C138 |
H66557 PART 3 |
GEOGHEGAN, Cyrus William - Service Number - 15550 |
1991 - 1991 |
PP530/1 |
1970/2847 |
Jandakot Airport [Department of Transport, Air; Civil Aviation] |
1968 - 1972 |
AWM237 |
54 |
AMF Nominal Roll of Deaths 1939-47, Roll 6: South Australian enlistees (duplicate) |
1969 - 1970 |
AWM255 |
18 PART 1 |
[Pathology and bacteriology] - Card index to collection of surgical and pathological specimens illustrating the effects of modern warfare collected by Australian War Records Section - Index to specimens alphabetical by surname a-y |
1918 - 1920 |
K60 |
HKM38106 VOLUME 2 |
WIGLEY, Thomas Arthur - Service Number - A51056 |
1971 - 1978 |