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Our collection connects you with the stories and people that define our past and shape our future.

04/11/2026

💾 Will your digital files stand the test of time?

Floppy disks, CDs, hard drives and even cloud storage have limitations.

Devices fail, software changes and online services close. A file might survive but become impossible to open.

For World Digital Preservation Day, we're sharing a few simple ways to protect your digital files and keep them accessible into the future:

💾 Move files to current storage. Transfer files from ageing devices before they become difficult to access.
📂 Check your files. Make sure they still open and use widely supported formats.
🔄 Keep multiple copies. Store backups in different locations and check them regularly.

Digital preservation is about more than saving a file. It’s about keeping digital records intact and accessible as technology changes.

Explore our guide to caring for your personal digital collection for more practical advice: https://bit.ly/4fNesqZ

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Image description:

A collection of various data storage media, including magnetic tapes, floppy disks, CDs, hard drives, and optical discs. The media are arranged on a plain surface with a colour calibration chart placed in the foreground.

04/11/2026

⚠️ Planned website maintenance

The National Archives of Australia website (naa.gov.au) will experience intermittent disruptions on Saturday 7 November, between 10 am and 2 pm AEDT, due to scheduled maintenance.

We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

04/11/2026

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this post may contain images of deceased persons.

How do you bring healthcare to the most remote parts of Australia? ✈️

In the outback, the nearest hospital could be hours away. Before 1928, getting medical care to remote communities was a major challenge.

Reverend John Flynn had an idea: use aircraft to bring care to people living far from hospitals. After 10 years of campaigning, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) took flight in 1928.

But getting there wasn’t easy.

Early Flying Doctors faced floods, dust storms, extreme heat and rough terrain. With many communities beyond telephone networks, engineer Alfred Traeger developed a pedal-powered radio to help people call for medical assistance.

For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, distance and limited infrastructure also made healthcare difficult to access.

The RFDS brought care closer through emergency transport, fly-in medical and dental clinics, and medicine chests.

Nearly 100 years on, the challenges of distance remain. In 2024/25, RFDS aircraft travelled more than 26 million kilometres and made over 316,000 patient contacts through clinics, aeromedical transports and telehealth

National Archives of Australia holds photographs and records that document the people, places and technology behind the RFDS and its work across Australia.

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Image descriptions:
Image 1: Two people stand beside a small aircraft with ‘Royal Flying Doctor Service’ printed on it, one holding an infant. Another person stands on the aircraft’s wing.

Image 2: A patient lies on a stretcher inside a small aircraft, secured with straps. Another person attends to the patient, while a pilot wearing headphones sits in the cockpit.

Image 3: Three uniformed people stand beside an aircraft with a man wearing civilian clothing and a hat. One uniformed person lifts the bandage wrapped around the man’s head to examine it, while the other two stand nearby.

Image 4: An operator sits at a desk surrounded by communications equipment, including radio equipment, a typewriter and an old-fashioned telephone.

Image 5: A person sits inside a modern-day medical aircraft, with medical equipment and stretchers visible around them.

02/11/2026

Congratulations to the 45 organisations receiving Community Heritage Grants in 2026!

The grants help community organisations care for Australian cultural heritage collections of national significance, preserving them for future generations.

We’re proud to be part of this important program, supporting communities to protect and share their heritage.

Find out more about this year’s recipients: https://www.library.gov.au/news-media/2026-community-heritage-grant-recipients

The Community Heritage Grants program is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts; National Library of Australia; National Archives of Australia; NFSA - National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and National Museum of Australia.

29/10/2026

A job at Holden could teach you more than how to build a car. 🚗

For many migrants, it was also a place to learn English, make friends and find their feet in a new country.

After the Second World War, new waves of migrants joined Holden’s workforce, bringing different languages, backgrounds and experiences.

Workers practised English with colleagues on the factory floor, over smoko and at lunch. Holden also offered English classes at its Woodville and Elizabeth plants.

More than a workplace, Holden was a place to connect, share experiences and build a sense of belonging.

Discover the people and stories behind General Motors-Holden in ‘Rear vision: the Holden collection’, now on display at National Archives in Canberra.

‘Rear vision: the Holden collection’ is an exhibition developed by the State Library of South Australia in partnership with Adelaide University.
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Image descriptions:

Image 1: A group of people stand facing each other in a classroom during an English language lesson. A whiteboard behind them is titled ‘English in the Workplace’ and displays words grouped by vowel sounds. Educational posters hang on the walls.

Image 2: A group of people stand in a queue inside the Woodville pay office, with some holding cards or papers. A sign displaying names and code numbers is attached to a windowed partition.

29/10/2026

What if an AI assistant gave you advice based on fake documents or outdated information? Could you tell?

That’s the problem teams tackled this month at the RIMPA Global Hackathon, proudly sponsored by National Archives of Australia.

The challenge was to explore how information management know-how could be built into AI to help users recognise and manage bias, misinformation and disinformation.

The winning team, , proposed , an AI data risk register that helps information managers identify and flag unreliable records before they’re used by AI assistants.

Their concept would flag potential issues such as outdated information, conflicting claims and forged documents, helping information managers assess which records are trustworthy enough for AI to use.

Because better AI starts with better information.

Congratulations to Dev Hunters, and a big thank you to our National Archives experts who shared their knowledge as mentors and judges.

Image 1: The winning team behind Sherlock, announced at the 2026 RIMPA Live Convention Diamond Ball. Pictured: Joseph K. Saji, Gaurav Myana and Parth Sanjaykumar Vaghela with judge Josephine Secis.

Images 2 and 3: RIMPA Hackathon participants during the 2026 RIMPA Live Convention.

Image 4: Members of Dev Hunters, the winning RIMPA Hackathon team: Joseph K. Saji, Gaurav Myana, Parth Sanjaykumar Vaghela and Ayush Indapure.

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Image descriptions:

Image 1: RIMPA Hackathon judge Josephine Secis and three members of the winning team, Dev Hunters, stand together on stage in formal attire, smiling at the camera.

Image 2: RIMPA Hackathon participants wearing matching purple T-shirts pose together in a room with the OpenText logo on the wall. Some have their hands raised, and tables with laptops and water bottles are visible.

Image 3: RIMPA Hackathon participants wearing purple T-shirts sit and stand around tables with laptops and notebooks in a room with large windows overlooking a city and body of water.

Image 4: The four members of the winning RIMPA Hackathon team, Dev Hunters, stand together wearing matching purple T-shirts and lanyards, smiling at the camera.

26/10/2026

What can government films and recordings reveal about Australia? 🎞️

From the Snowy Mountains Scheme and the introduction of decimal currency to scientific television programs and landmark speeches, these records let us see and hear moments in Australia’s history.

Created by Australian Government agencies and preserved in the national archival collection, they capture the people, ideas and events that have shaped Australia.

They help us understand the past, make sense of the present and inspire the future.

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Video description: A montage of historical Australian Government footage showing the Snowy Mountains Scheme, decimal currency, military training, political speeches and scientific television programs, interspersed with behind-the-scenes clips of audiovisual preservation and staff handling archival materials.

14/10/2026

How do you get a 1949 Holden FX into National Archives? 🚗

Let’s just say it took a little more than driving him through the front door.

Hear from Exhibitions Manager Phill Quartly as he shares the story behind how this classic Holden made its way into historic East Block as part of 'Rear vision: the Holden collection', now on display at National Archives in Canberra.

‘Rear vision: the Holden collection’ is an exhibition developed by the State Library of South Australia in partnership with Adelaide University

🔗 Learn more and plan your visit: https://bit.ly/4eobnNE

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Video description: Exhibitions Manager Phill Quartly explains how Ben, a 1949 Holden FX, was brought into East Block at National Archives in Canberra. The video shows Ben being pushed through the foyer doors, people removing and reattaching parts of the car, and views of the 'Rear vision: the Holden collection' exhibition. Phill discusses Ben’s place in Australia’s automotive history and invites visitors to see the exhibition.

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