The Australian Government uses many forms of media to document its activities including paper files, digital files, maps and plans, as well as audiovisual material. The National Archives Sydney Office is the custodian of a large amount of sound material, such as gramophone records, audio tapes and cassettes, most of which have been produced by government agencies based in New South Wales. Some material created by agencies in other states is also held.
Scope of the collection
The collection includes a considerable quantity of material produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and it predecessor the Australian Broadcasting Commission in support of its activities in providing innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services. In addition the sound collections include material produced by a range of Commonwealth agencies involved in national defence, media and advertising, commissions of inquiry (including Royal Commissions), national celebrations and commemorative events, copyright registration and censorship.
Sound material may also be found in the personal records collections held by the National Archives. These include the personal records of past prime ministers, governors-general, ministers and judges.
The tables below provides examples of the range of sound collections held in Sydney, and indicates the agencies responsible for their creation.
Access to records
In general records of the Australian Government are available for public access once they enter the open access period.
With permission from the relevant agency, records not in the open access period that have been previously published or publicly broadcast, including publicly broadcast audio material, may be made available for public access.
Examples of record series containing sound material
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Radio archives original sound recordings | 1933–71 | C1827 |
| Stereo tape of 'The Loving Work (Alfred Hill) Marie Bremner (Guard Copy)' | 1943–56 | SP1325/10 |
| Process master audio tapes | 1961– | C1135 |
| Special project process master tapes | 1967–70 | C5043 |
| Radio archives master audio tapes | 1970–71 | C102 |
| Programme master tapes of the radio serial 'Chuck Chunder' | 1975 | SP1382/1 |
| Library tape recordings of 'The Showman' program 1933–1971 | 1983– | C915 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Audio visual records (films, videocassettes, sound recordings and cassettes) relating to advertising campaigns | 1960–77 | SP1574/3 |
| Radio tapes | 1969–82 | C832 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Notes and tapes collected and compiled by Mr Ivan Southall relating to operations of the Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD) | 1951–75 | A10851 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Long-playing gramophone records relating to the Royal Commission on Espionage | 1952–55 | A6281 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| General audio cassette tapes | 1980–88 | C2897 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Tape recordings of press conferences and interviews on radio and television given by Mr Whitlam (and other political figures) as recorded by Mr Whitlam's staff | 1965–75 | M162 |
Further information
See also the research guide Sound Recordings in the National Archives, by Helen Cross and Margaret Chambers (2001).
Please note: the National Archives does not provide copies for sale of ABC, SBS or Screen Australia items. To purchase copies, these organisations should be contacted directly. Copies of ABC, SBS and Screen Australia items can be made available for viewing in the National Archives Sydney research centre.