Today we live in a global community – but this hasn’t always been the case. Over the past century Australia has gone out to meet the world in many ways, such as:

• involvement in significant world events – such as wars, nuclear testing, the Olympics 
• innovation in frontier science and technology
• international relations with near neighbours and across the world
• assisted migration and refugee and humanitarian programs
• work of individual Australians and groups in international movements

Many records about Australia's involvement in the world can be found in the National Archives.

The National Archives of Australia holds records of the Australian Government. Our collection documents the role played by the government since Federation, including in issues and events on the world stage.

Before you begin your challenge, make sure you know about using archival records.

To access records of the National Archives:

• read about what sorts of records we have
• visit our websites:
  • Documenting a Democracy
  • Australia’s Prime Ministers
  • Uncommon Lives
• find out about how to do research in our records
• search our collection database, RecordSearch
• use the links listed by topic, below

As a starting point for your research, use these links. They direct you to information on our websites or to primary sources in our collection.

International relations

• International relations – background to the topic in Vrroom
• International relations – records from our collection in Vrroom

Immigration and citizenship

• Muslims in Australia – records from our collection in Vrroom
• Records on migration, citizenship and travel
• Pacific Islanders Act 1901
• Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948
• Becoming an Australian citizen in the 1950s
• Making Australia Home – help in locating individual migration records
• Muslim Journeys – part of Uncommon Lives website