From 1970, the Department of Defence established an electronic system of recording service information. Known as the Naval Personnel Establishment and Management System (NPEMS), the presentation of this service information is quite different to the service cards used up to 1970.
The NPEMS records are in series A12691.
| Series title | Date range | Series number | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Naval Personnel Establishment and Management System (NPEMS) | 1970–2001 | A12691 | See 'Notes' | Maintained by the Department of Defence, Canberra |
NPEMS documents contain historical information about the service person including date of birth, next of kin, marital status, address on entry, dependent children, awards and decorations, courses undertaken, leave details, postings, and movements.
The National Archives under its legislation may only release to the public, service records which are over 30 years of age. This means that if you request a record of post-1970 war service you may not be able to see the whole file. In some cases the entire file may consist of documents that are less than 30 years of age and therefore not able to be viewed or copied.
Only the Department of Defence can give access to information in service documents that is less than 30 years of age. If you are a former serving member or their next of kin wishing to access information about you or your relative’s Navy service that took place within the last 30 years, you should contact:
Personnel Records (RAN)
Queanbeyan Annex 2
Department of Defence
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6266 5962
Post-1970 Navy service records are still held by the Department of Defence in Canberra. To access these records please use the contact details below. The National Archives will then request the file from Defence. The service record, if located, will be transferred to the National Archives’ Canberra office. This process may take up to three months.
Once the file has been received we will send you a quote for the provision of a photocopy or an online copy. You may also choose to the view the record in the Canberra reading room of the National Archives.
Contact the National Reference Service:
Online: general reference inquiry
Email: ref@naa.gov.au
Phone: 1300 886 881
Fax: 1300 886 882
Mail: National Reference Service, National Archives of Australia, PO Box 7425, Canberra BC ACT 2610, Australia
The cost for an online copy is:
The cost for a photocopy is:
Information about medal entitlements is available from:
Defence Honours and Awards
T-1-49, Department of Defence
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone: 1800 111 321
Email: honoursandawards@defence.gov.au
Website: www.defence.gov.au/medals/
Veterans' Affairs Network
Tel: 1300 551 918
For more information on Navy records see:
You can also browse our other fact sheets on defence, armed services and war.