What is National Archives of Australia?
{{Infobox Government agency |agency_name = National Archives of Australia |logo = National Archives of Australia.jpg |logo_width = 220px |logo_caption = |seal = |seal_width = |seal_caption = |formed = March 1961 |preceding1 = [[National Library of Australia]] |dissolved = |superseding = |jurisdiction = [[Government of Australia]] |employees = 437 (June 2007) |budget = AU$86.98 million (2007-08) |chief1_name = David Fricker |chief1_position = Director-General |parent_agency = Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport |child1_agency = |website = [http://www.naa.gov.au/ www.NAA.gov.au] |footnotes = }} The '''National Archives of Australia''' is an [[government agency|agency]] established by the [[Government of Australia]]. It is an [[archive]], which collects and preserves government records. The national office is in [[Canberra]]. It has smaller offices in each state capital and [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]. The National Archives were established in 1961. Before this, the Federal Parliamentary Library (now the [[National Library of Australia]]) had been responsible for collecting government records since [[World War I]]. The ''Archives Act 1983'' was a [[law]] passed to protect Commonwealth archives. Under this law, the National Archives are responsible for preserving government records. The National Archives' collection is made up of records written about [[Federation of Australia|Federation]], [[Governor-General of Australia|Governors-General]], [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Ministers]], [[Cabinet]] and [[Ministry (government department)|Ministries]] and most of the activities with which the government has been involved. The collection is not open to the public for [[wikt:browse|browsing]]. Items can be requested for viewing in the reading rooms, and copies of records can be made. Most records over 30 years old are available to the public. Some are released with certa