Explore
Discover the National Archives
Search the collection
Our services
The National Archives of Australia strives for service excellence as we make the collection available to the public.
Visit the National Archives
What's on
Exhibition
Waterhouse
Canberra
Experience the collision of science and art in profound works that highlight major issues facing the planet. Opening 16 September.
Exhibition
Lasting impressions
Perth
An exhibition revealing the stories of individuals and families who lived through the White Australia Policy in the early 20th century.
Exhibition
Patents, trademarks and designs
Brisbane
A small exhibition of the history of Australian patent submissions, trademarks and designs at the Queensland State Office, Brisbane.
Touring Exhibition
Spy: Espionage in Australia
Toowoomba
Spy: Espionage in Australia reveals the personal experiences of secret agents and the curious history of espionage and counter-espionage in Australia.
Exhibition
Chilled
Hobart
Antarctica, it’s no place for a flat tyre, and the grocery run is a nightmare! Yet companionship, games, festivities, recipes and homebrew find their way there.
Touring Exhibition
Out of this world
Bundaberg
See how the space age captured the imagination of a nation and its people, from mid-century fashion to early satellites and rocket playgrounds.
Event
Black Diasporas
Melbourne
Black Diasporas display featuring short films about people of African heritage living in Naarm Melbourne.
Event
Curator floor talk – Chilled
Hobart
Join National Archives curators for a more in depth look at our exhibition 'Chilled: Antarctic life, inside and out.'
Event
Art at the Archives
Canberra
An art workshop and tour of the Waterhouse exhibition.
Guided Tour
Guided tours: Waterhouse
Canberra
Join an Archives team member to delve into the stunning artworks on display this year for the 'Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize'.
Event
Migrant hostel registers
Adelaide
Find out how to access newly digitised records of registers for Commonwealth run migrant hostels in South Australia.
Event
Holiday program: art workshop
Canberra
Join us in the Term 3 school holidays for an interactive art workshop.
Event
Holiday program: storytime
Canberra
Are you looking for something to do with your pre-schooler in the Term 3 school holidays? Come and enjoy our interactive program.
Event
Holiday program: teen sketch night
Canberra
An evening for teenagers to draw and have an exclusive tour of the Waterhouse exhibition, guided by an experienced artist educator.
Event
Members tour: Waterhouse
Canberra
Come and enjoy an exclusive members tour of our spring exhibition: 2022 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize.
Event
Pioneers and pearlers
Online
An online seminar presented by the National Archives Western Australia Office. Stories of Japanese men and women who migrated to the northern towns of Western Australia from the late nineteenth century.
Event
Off the drawing board
Online
Did you know that National Archives’ Victoria office holds over 5,000 architectural drawings of public buildings across Victoria?
Event
Colonial to couture
Brisbane
Come and explore Australia’s fashionable past through a celebration of style and creativity.
Workshop
Watercolour and wine
Canberra
Enjoy an evening of wine, canapes and art at the National Archives!
Event
Velocipedes, toilets and harvesters
Adelaide
Hear about 19th century South Australian patent applications and the stories they tell.
Event
Blind and vision impaired tour
Canberra
Join us for a unique, multi-sensory experience of the upcoming 2022 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize exhibition.
Guided Tour
Preservation Facility members tour
Canberra
A behind the scenes tour of our purpose-built preservation facility.
Event
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Canberra
National Archives is offering a special screening of the 1954 cult classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!
Exhibition
Reception this way
Launceston
Travel around Australia revisiting your memories of the classic Aussie motel.
Event
Auslan guided tour
Canberra
Join an archives team member and Auslan interpreter to delve into the artworks on display in the 2022 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize.
Event
Boom to bust
Perth
A seminar about the history of ghost towns in Western Australia.
Event
Ships ahoy
Adelaide
Ships ahoy! Get expert advice on how to access and search maritime records documenting the registration of ships and crew in South Australia.
Event
From the Baltic to the Pacific
Melbourne
Presented in collaboration with the Immigration Museum. The 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first post WW2 displaced persons in Melbourne.
Plan your visit
Visit the National Archives near you