National Archives of Australia
Access to records held by the National Archives
Some of your agency's records may have been transferred to the Archives. At the time of their transfer, these records were no longer required for day-to-day business. However, you may find that some of these records still need to be accessed occasionally.
If you want to access a record in custody of the National Archives, you will need to contact us. The method of access will depend on the age and condition of the record.
- If the record is not in the open access period and is not in a fragile condition, you will be able to organise retrieval of the record and access it on your agency's premises. For more information on how to do this, see Retrieving records from the National Archives.
- If the record is in the open access period, it is available for public access and cannot be removed from the Archives. We will make these records available to you in one of our reading rooms. For information on how your agency can access its own records at the Archives, see official access.
You may also request a printed or digital copy of the record. Standards copying charges apply.
If your agency is required to provide access to its records because of a legal proceeding or discovery order, see Access to records for court discovery orders.
If your agency receives a request for access to records that are not publicly available, see special access.
