National Archives of Australia, South Australia State Office, Adelaide

Identity area

Identifier

daa/259

Authorized form of name

National Archives of Australia, South Australia State Office, Adelaide

Parallel form(s) of name

Other form(s) of name

Type

  • National

Contact area

 

Regional Manager South, Access and Public Engagement, South Australia State Office

Type

Address

Street address

Somerville reading room, State Library of South Australia, Corner North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, Adelaide
Postal address: PO Box 3563, Rundle Mall SA 5000

Locality

Adelaide

Region

South Australia

Country name

Postal code

5000

Telephone

08 8204 8787

Fax

Email

Note

Description area

Geographical and cultural context

Mandates/Sources of authority

Archives Act 1983 (Cth)

Administrative structure

Officer-in-charge: Regional Manager South, Access and Public Engagement, South Australia State Office, Adelaide

Records management and collecting policies

Buildings

Holdings

The National Archives, South Australia State Office, Adelaide office holds a small but diverse collection ranging from nineteenth century colonial records inherited by the Commonwealth to substantial holdings on immigration and defence in the twentieth century.

Of particular interest are the Defence Science and Technology Organisation records and material relating to railways and internment in South Australia.

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation records include files, slides and plans of the Woomera testing site. This collection also includes the human side of the missile testing in South Australia with the Gibber Gabber newsletter, and Bulldust news sheet produced by staff involved in atomic bomb testing.

The railway collection contains files, plans, and photographs, captures the broad history of mainland rail – Australian National as well as Central Australian Railways, Northern Australian Railway and the Trans Australian Railway – reflecting South Australia’s central role in the rail industry.

The records of the Loveday internment camp document security service aspects of individuals’ internment. They include personal particulars, arrangements for appeal and release, security service, tribunal notes and mail censorship material.

Finding aids, guides and publications

The National Archives’ collection database, RecordSearch, gives online access to the National Archives’ holdings Australia-wide.
For access to RecordSearch, see the link from www.naa.gov.au.

The following guide provides information about records held by the National Archives about South Australia. Many of these records are held in the South Australia State Office, but others are held in National Office or other National Archives State Offices.
Commonwealth Government Records about South Australia, by Sara King, 2013 (see https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/research-guides/commonwealth-government-records-about-south-australia)

For a list of research guides to the National Archives’ collection, see: https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/research-guides

Access area

Opening times

The National Archives research centre within the Somerville reading room at the State Library of South Australia is open Tuesday to Friday 10am–5pm.
Closed on public holidays.
Note: For up-to-date information on opening times, see https://www.naa.gov.au/visit-us/south-australia
The Somerville reading room at the State Library of South Australia is shared between the National Archives and the State Library.

Access conditions and requirements

Accessibility

Maps and information about parking, public transport and onsite wheelchair access to the reading room are available. at: https://www.naa.gov.au/visit-us/south-australia

Services area

Reproduction services

Information about ordering copies of records and associated fees is available at https://www.naa.gov.au/about-us/our-services/supplying-digital-copies-records

Public areas

Control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Revised 31 January 2022

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Maintenance notes

Access points

Access Points

  • Clipboard

Primary contact

Somerville reading room, State Library of South Australia, Corner North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, Adelaide Postal address: PO Box 3563, Rundle Mall SA 5000
Adelaide, South Australia 5000