National Archives of Australia

Donate $100 or more this EOFY and receive a complimentary 12-month NAA membership 📚

Your tax-deductible donation helps preserve the records that tell Australia’s story—from wartime service files to migration records and more.

Help protect these irreplaceable records for future generations.

Donate now: https://bit.ly/4etGC9M
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Image description: Adult holding child points at a digital mosaic wall of images; bottom reads ‘NAA Donate.’

What happens when key information is missing from archival records?

This International Archives Week, we’re reflecting on how archives shape justice and memory, and how records can be strengthened over time.

Take this photograph from Brewarrina in the late 1950s. It was originally described as Sister Godfrey of the Far West Children’s Health Scheme with an unidentified Aboriginal woman and her baby.

This record has now been updated.

With support from the Brewarrina Historical Society, Memories of Brewarrina 2839, and family and community members, the woman has been identified as Ellen May Warraweena, holding her baby, Derek. The location has also been confirmed as the ‘Big House’.

This is reparative description in action.

It involves revisiting records that are incomplete, inaccurate or missing context, and strengthening them with community knowledge.

The result is a more accurate, complete and respectful historical record.

Image: Sister Godfrey with baby Derek John Warraweena and his mother, Ellen May ‘May’ Warraweena, at the ‘Big House’ at Brewarrina Aboriginal Station, NSW.

NAA: A1200, L24983
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Image description: Black-and-white photograph taken outdoors at the ‘Big House’ at Brewarrina Aboriginal Station. Sister Godfrey stands with Ellen May ‘May’ Warraweena, who is holding baby Derek John Warraweena. They are standing beside a white fence, with trees in the background.

How did a foreign government-in-exile end up in Brisbane?

During the Second World War, the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia) fell under Japanese occupation, forcing Dutch authorities to relocate their administration.

In 1944, a former US Army camp in Wacol, Brisbane, became the headquarters of the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration.

Plans were also made to base and train Dutch military personnel in Australia, but these were later cancelled in 1945.

The arrangement was temporary and remains the only time Australia has hosted a foreign government-in-exile.

Read the full story ➡️ https://bit.ly/4dQufG0

National Reconciliation Week invites us to reflect on reconciliation in practice.

At our Victoria Office, the Lilardia Room provides a culturally safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access records and family history information within the national archival collection.

Named in honour of Aunty Margaret ‘Lilardia’ Tucker, a pioneering Aboriginal rights activist and Stolen Generations survivor, the room was created in consultation with her family and community.

The Lilardia Room represents a commitment to cultural safety and reconciliation and aligns with our focus on centring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ perspectives.

Culturally sensitive spaces help ensure that people engaging with our collection feel seen, heard and respected.

How do archives support justice, accountability and public trust?

As part of International Archives Week, we’re joining Queensland State Archives for a public panel discussion exploring the role of archives in justice, rights and the future of memory.

The discussion will bring together senior leaders from government, law, and public policy to explore how archives support transparency, accountability, and access to information in practice.

📅 Friday 12 June 2026
📍 Queensland State Archives, Brisbane
⏰ 10.30 am to 12 pm AEST

Register here: https://bit.ly/4uGV2KO

International Council on Archives - ICA
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Image description: Blue promotional banner with white text and circular dot graphics. Large headline: 'Archives For Justice'. Top left: '8–12 JUNE, 2026'. Top right: 'International Archives Week'. Small tags: 'IAW 2026' and ' '. Bottom row: logos and labels including ‘International Council on Archives’, ‘National Archives of Australia’, 'Queensland State Archives' and 'Queensland Government'.

59 years ago today, Australians took part in the 1967 Referendum, with an overwhelming 90.77 per cent voting yes for change.

The vote removed discriminatory references in the Constitution relating to Aboriginal people, marking a pivotal moment in Australia’s history.

Records in the national archival collection capture the story behind the referendum—from Cabinet discussions and government decision-making through to the conduct of the vote itself.

Together, they offer insight into how this historic change was shaped and delivered across government.

Explore these records on our website: https://bit.ly/3PJ1f9N

Image: Referendum, 1967: Constitution alteration. NAA: A406, E1967/30 PART B

Today, on National Sorry Day, Australia marks 29 years since the tabling of the Bringing Them Home report in Federal Parliament.

The landmark report documented the lasting trauma experienced by Stolen Generations survivors and called for action, including apologies and support for affected communities, yet only 6% of its recommendations have been fully implemented.

We welcome the release of From Sorry to Action: A Plan to Act on Bringing Them Home (2026–2028) by the Healing Foundation, which reinforces the need for sustained national action to support survivors and their families.

The recommendations in the Action Plan align with the Closing the Gap Agreement and outline practical reforms to deliver meaningful and lasting change for survivors.

We recognise the records we hold as central to truth-telling, healing and reconnection, and remain focused on improving access through transparent, culturally safe practices and initiatives such as the Bringing Them Home name index.

We are committed to working closely with The Healing Foundation, Link-Up services, fellow collecting institutions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to strengthen trauma-informed and survivor-centred approaches to records access.

Learn more and access the Bringing Them Home name index: https://lnkd.in/gdinFgbA

Recently, Spanish-speaking embassies gathered at National Archives in Canberra to celebrate Spanish Language Day, observed on 23 April.

To mark the occasion, we showcased records from Australia’s national archival collection, highlighting our shared history and connections.

In Australia, 22 per cent of people speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish among the many languages spoken across our diverse communities.

International collaboration is central to our work, and our global partnerships reflect Australia’s commitment to cooperation and shared understanding.

Image 1: Ambassadors from Spanish-speaking embassies stand on the steps of National Archives of Australia in Canberra, beneath a row of international flags and the Australian coat of arms above the entrance. The group is arranged in two rows.

Image 2, 3 and 4: Guests view records from the national archival collection at the event.

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Image descriptions:

Image 1: A group of 13 ambassadors stands on the exterior steps of National Archives of Australia building in Canberra, beneath a row of international flags from Spanish-speaking countries and the Australian coat of arms above the entrance. The group is arranged in two rows.

Image 2: Guests in formal attire stand around a long table examining records, documents and photographs from the national archival collection displayed across the table during the event.

Image 3: Guests view historical documents and photographs displayed on a long table in a room with flags from various Spanish-speaking countries in the background.

Image 4: A long table displays archival documents, folders and photographs, including materials marked with the National Archives of Australia logo. Several guests are visible standing in the background of the room.