Records of the Commonwealth agencies

Selection of records
Paper files from the National Archives collection

The majority of records in the National Archives collection have been created by the Australian Government and its agencies. The holdings document the full range of federal government activities since Federation in 1901.

The collection includes records of:

  • departments
  • statutory authorities 
  • royal commissions 
  • military units
  • security and intelligence agencies
  • diplomatic posts
  • law enforcement agencies
  • the Cabinet

We also hold some 19th-century records dealing with activities which were transferred from the colonies to the Australian Government in 1901 or later, such as:

  • customs
  • patents
  • defence
  • lighthouses
  • naturalisation
  • shipping
  • postal and telegraphic services