National Archives of Australia

Great rotating exhibitions, always something new to see. Cafe is pretty good also usually has a 'on the go' jigsaw that you can sit and do some while you let lunch settle.

The National Archives of Australia in Canberra is an excellent place to visit if you want to learn about Australia’s history. NAA always has a couple of live exhibitions that showcase some important items on their archives. The team at the National Archives of Australia does an excellent job of bringing alive their documents for their regular exhibitions. Admission is free, and there is no need to prebook. There’s an excellent cafe at the National Archives of Australia. There is paid parking out the front of the NAA - lots more parking at the rear of the National Archives of Australia. There a regular bus service to the area too. The cycling parking is located out of the front of the main entry. On the day I visited, the exhibition ‘Disrupt, persist, invent: Australians in an ever-changing world’ was on display. The exhibition had some ASIO reports and photos. Inspiring stories of Aussies wanting a ‘fair go’. Letters to prime ministers and ministers. Petitions. A selection of royal commission outcomes. And a couple of prime ministerial apologies. My three favourites displays on the exhibition: The NSW Country Women’s Association lobbying the government for cheaper rail fares so that rural families could enjoy holidays along the coast; A tribute to Australia discovering WIFI technology; and Merle Thornton and Rosalie Bogner’s protest that highlighted an unjust law whereby women weren’t allowed to buy alcohol at public bars. The NAA is located near Old Parliament House.

Fantastic displays and well worth a visit
Open every day!

all round wonderful experience. the space exhibition was informative and interesting and the cafe was perfectly delightful - though i arrived in the midst of a hectic lunch rush, i was thoroughly taken care of by the fantastic staff. to top it off, i’m hard pressed to remember the last time i had such a good coffee.
i wish i could give this fine establishment an infinite amount of stars!

Interesting exhibition about Marion Griffin. Lovely old building - former Canberra Post Office apparently. Excellent cafe, both in terms of food and situation.

A newly refurbished exhibition space did not disappoint with the diverse and free Waterhouse exhibition from South Australia. Beautiful, clean and well lit, it is an enjoyable experience. I even obtained a copy of the Constitution on my way out. Brilliant.

Worth a visit just to see the range of interesting material they have. Some of the most affecting things are the letters from ordinary people to politicians.

The National Archives of Australia can best be described as the memory of our nation – collecting and preserving Australian Government records that reflect our history and identity.

The collection traces events and decisions that have shaped the nation and the lives of Australians. Visitors are welcome to explore our collection, online or in person, to learn more.

As well as preserving history, the National Archives plays a key role in helping to ensure the Australian Government and its departments are effective and accountable to the people.

Under the Archives Act 1983, the National Archives has two main roles:

To preserve Australia’s most valuable government records and encourage their use by the public; and to promote good records management by Australian Government agencies.
In fulfilling these responsibilities, it ensures that Australians have access to a national archival collection so they may better understand their heritage and democracy.

Through individuals’ interaction with various government departments, aspects of their lives are preserved for future generations. Family historians find a wealth of information in our records, as do academics and other researchers.

Easy to get totally absorbed in the exhibits. I wish I had more time to see everything!

The National Archives of Australia is an Australian Government agency that collects, preserves and encourages access to important Australian Government records. It describes itself as the memory of the nation.

The Archives' collection of 40 million items traces events and decisions that have shaped the nation and the lives of Australians. Visitors are welcome to explore the collection, online or in person.

Established under the Archives Act 1983, the National Archives reports to its Minister, the Attorney-General. Like all government agencies, it is accountable to the Australian Parliament. The National Archives of Australia Advisory Council provides advice to the Minister responsible for the Archives and the Director-General.

Under the Act, the National Archives has two main roles:

to collect and preserve Australia's most valuable government records and encourage their use by the public
to promote good information management by Commonwealth government agencies, especially in meeting the challenges of the digital age.

In addition to caring for its collection, the National Archives develops exhibitions, publishes books and guides to the collection and delivers educational programs.

After World War I the Commonwealth National Library (later National Library of Australia) was responsible for collecting Australian Government records. The library appointed its first archives officer in 1944.

In March 1961 the Commonwealth Archives Office formally separated from the National Library of Australia and was renamed as the Australian Archives in 1975.

The Archives Act 1983 gave legislative protection to Commonwealth government records for the first time, with the Australian Archives responsible for their preservation.

The agency was renamed the National Archives of Australia in February 1998.

In 2014, the National Archives of Australia announced its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to foster better relations with its indigenous population, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The RAP is a multifaceted approach to drawing attention to the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, engaging and illustrating their culture respectfully, and providing improved access to their historical records. A main feature of this initiative is the Bringing Them Home name index which leverages the National Archives' collection of records to facilitate genealogical research for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The National Archives also seeks to have 3% of their workforce be those who identify themselves as indigenous to foster diversity and increase representation in the archival profession.

In 1966, Peter Scott of the Commonwealth Archives Office (predecessor to the National Archives of Australia) developed the Australian Series System (in practice, referred to as the Commonwealth Records Series System by the National Archives) in his paper "The Record Group Concept: A Case for Abandonment". This system represented a change in traditional archival theories of provenance that groups records by the more flexible record series rather than the record group which required all records to be filed under only one creating agency (business, government agency, individual, etc.). The new system recognizes that creating agencies change names, split and dissolve over time and provides a flexible framework to arrange their records across the different agencies which all share the same organizational content. These record series are relational in that they are linked to their historical creating agencies in their various forms to reflect changes in organizational structure over time.

Beautiful preserved building. Staff very friendly. Special mention to Meredith. Public transport close by from town centre

Inspiring art, beautiful surrounds, excellent gift shop , very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable staff.

What a great exhibition Reception this way .Bought back lots of memories finishes in a couple of days.

Great exhibitions with such interesting info.

Enjoyed the new exhibition

Don't miss the Waterhouse exhibition - free and follow up with delicious coffee at the cafe on site

Always eye opening.

Amazing to see some of the key documents that made Australia.

Really good. Staff very helpful.

Awesome visit. Really friendly staff.