National Archives of Australia Digitisation Dashboard¶
The National Archives of Australia's online database, RecordSearch, includes a list of recently digitised files, but this list only includes files digitised in the last month, so it's not possible to examine long-term changes. Since March 2021, I've captured weekly harvests of this list and saved them to a GitHub repository. This dashboard aggregates the weekly harvests to display digitisation progress in the last week, the current year, and since harvests began in 2021.
A dataset containing annual compilations of the weekly harvests is available from Zenodo.
Changes to RecordSearch in May 2025 have blocked the weekly harvests and made it impossible to update this dashboard. The last data harvest was on 11 May 2025.
There have been 221 weekly harvests since March 2021. The most recent harvest was on 19 July 2026.
Files digitised last week (12 Jul 2026 – 19 Jul 2026)¶
6,901 files were digitised last week. Here are the number of files digitised per day.
| title | item_id | series | control_symbol | date_range | date_digitised | series_title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Incoming passenger list for NIEUW ZEALAND arri... | 9756846 | A907 | 1929/10/69 | 1929 – 1929 | 2026-07-18 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) |
| 1 | Incoming passenger list for ORVIETO arriving M... | 9756845 | A907 | 1929/10/68 | 1929 – 1929 | 2026-07-18 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) |
| 2 | Incoming passenger list for PORT WELLINGTON ar... | 9756844 | A907 | 1929/10/67 | 1929 – 1929 | 2026-07-18 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) |
| 3 | Incoming passenger list for SIRDHANA arriving ... | 9756843 | A907 | 1929/10/66 | 1929 – 1929 | 2026-07-18 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) |
| 4 | Incoming passenger list for MANUKA arriving Me... | 9756842 | A907 | 1929/10/65 | 1929 – 1929 | 2026-07-18 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 6896 | JOVANOVIC Bozidar born 9 January 1923 | 4355030 | A11944 | 467 | 1948 – 1948 | 2026-07-13 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Pers... |
| 6897 | DAMJAN Franz born 6 June 1912 | 4250170 | A11944 | 425 | 1948 – 1948 | 2026-07-13 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Pers... |
| 6898 | HELLAK Eerik DOB 10 May 1924 | 4105277 | A11944 | 454 | 1948 – 1948 | 2026-07-13 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Pers... |
| 6899 | GUREVICIUS Petras DOB 28 October 1921 | 4102798 | A11944 | 447 | 1948 – 1948 | 2026-07-13 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Pers... |
| 6900 | HANSEN Herbert DOB 20 May 1924 | 1994273 | A11944 | 451 | 1948 – 1948 | 2026-07-13 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Pers... |
6901 rows × 7 columns
The files came from 158 different series. Here are the 25 series which contain the most files digitised last week.
| series | series_title | total |
|---|---|---|
| A907 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) | 5,614 |
| A8746 | Photographic colour negatives, chronological series with 'KN' or 'RKN' prefix and a single number suffix | 364 |
| D4881 | Alien registration cards, alphabetical series | 240 |
| A11836 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Sturgis departing Venice 17 April 1948 | 147 |
| A11944 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Black departing Bremerhaven 20 March 1948 | 144 |
| A11519 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per Volendam departing Rotterdam 11 December 1948 | 45 |
| MP551/1 | Ships' drawings and specifications, together with those for two floating docks | 25 |
| A2478 | Non-British European migrant selection documents | 23 |
| P1556 | Files containing Antarctic Station Reports with Station Log Books interspersed, chronological series | 20 |
| F1 | Correspondence files, annual single number series [Main correspondence files series of the agency] | 14 |
| ST84/1 | Certificates of Domicile and Certificates of Exemption from Dictation Test, chronological series | 13 |
| A4624 | Ships' Ledgers, HMAS Ships | 11 |
| A1861 | Applications for Artistic Copyright (with exhibits) | 11 |
| SP908/1 | Application for Registration of Aliens (other than Asiatics) | 10 |
| A12372 | RAAF Personnel files - All Ranks [Main correspondence files series of the agency] | 8 |
| B44 | Immigration case files, annual single number series with 'V' [Victoria] prefix | 6 |
| SP42/1 | Correspondence of the Collector of Customs relating to Immigration Restriction and Passports | 6 |
| A446 | Correspondence files, annual single number series with block allocations [Main correspondence files series of the agency] | 5 |
| A1877 | British migrants - Selection documents for free or assisted passage (Commonwealth nominees) | 5 |
| SP155/1 | Specifications | 5 |
| A13860 | Medical Documents - Army (Department of Defence Medical Documents) | 5 |
| SP1121/1 | Applications for Registration of Aliens | 5 |
| B78 | Alien registration documents | 4 |
| A261 | Application forms (culled from other file series) for admission of Relatives or Friends to Australia (Form 40) | 4 |
| C321 | Case files, annual single number series with 'N' (NSW) prefix | 4 |
Files digitised this year (2026)¶
25,763 files have been digitised this year. Here are the number of files digitised per month.
The files came from 811 different series. Here are the 25 series which contain the most files digitised so far this year.
| series | series_title | total |
|---|---|---|
| A907 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) | 12,673 |
| MT1139/1 | First World War munition workers dossiers | 2,125 |
| M5197 | Colour photographic (kodachrome) slides illustrating the life and career of Sir Keith Charles Owen Shann CBE | 1,124 |
| D4878 | Alien registration documents, alphabetical series | 1,018 |
| A705 | Correspondence files, multiple number (Melbourne) series (Primary numbers 1-323) | 610 |
| D4881 | Alien registration cards, alphabetical series | 562 |
| MP551/1 | Ships' drawings and specifications, together with those for two floating docks | 445 |
| D1989 | Application forms, medical examination documents and related papers of British and Foreign Immigrants (including Ex Service) in receipt of free and assisted passages, chronological order of ship arrival. | 399 |
| A11753 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per Fairsea departing Naples 21 September 1949 | 396 |
| A11944 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Black departing Bremerhaven 20 March 1948 | 386 |
| A8746 | Photographic colour negatives, chronological series with 'KN' or 'RKN' prefix and a single number suffix | 364 |
| A11938 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stewart departing Bremerhaven 13 January 1948 | 316 |
| A1337 | Applications for Registration of a Design | 208 |
| B78 | Alien registration documents | 194 |
| A11519 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per Volendam departing Rotterdam 11 December 1948 | 190 |
| A11836 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Sturgis departing Venice 17 April 1948 | 149 |
| SP908/1 | Application for Registration of Aliens (other than Asiatics) | 147 |
| A2478 | Non-British European migrant selection documents | 112 |
| A8769 | Aboriginal Affairs colour transparencies reversed date and single number series with 'CT' (Colour Transparencies) prefix | 88 |
| A11701 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per Fairsea departing Naples 17 July 1949 | 82 |
| ST84/1 | Certificates of Domicile and Certificates of Exemption from Dictation Test, chronological series | 76 |
| P1556 | Files containing Antarctic Station Reports with Station Log Books interspersed, chronological series | 72 |
| A13966 | Photograph and photograph negatives taken by AUSPIC, official photographers for the Government. | 69 |
| D5582 | Agency consignment lists, numerical series with variable alpha prefixes | 66 |
| A8096 | Migration case files, multiple number series (Kuala Lumpur) | 61 |
Files digitised since 4 February 2021¶
1,428,393 files have been digitised since 4 February 2021. Here are the number of files digitised per year.
The files came from 2,983 different series. Here are the 25 series which contain the most files digitised since 4 February 2021.
| series | series_title | total |
|---|---|---|
| B883 | Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947 | 313,100 |
| B884 | Citizen Military Forces Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947 | 284,172 |
| A9301 | RAAF Personnel files of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and other ranks, 1921-1948 | 189,820 |
| A2571 | Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla] | 162,204 |
| A2572 | Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla] | 101,983 |
| A9300 | RAAF Officers Personnel files, 1921-1948 | 33,908 |
| A6135 | Photographic colour transparencies positives, daily single number series with 'K' [Colour Transparencies] prefix | 19,624 |
| A13150 | Specifications, examiners reports and correspondence relating to the Registration of Victorian Patents - Second system | 17,472 |
| A714 | Books of duplicate certificates of naturalization A(1)[Individual person] series | 13,603 |
| D3481 | Photographs (black and white, colour) of buildings, installations, sites, etc | 13,389 |
| A907 | Ships' Passenger Lists - Inwards (Form P2) | 12,725 |
| D874 | Still photograph outdoor and studio negatives, annual single number series with N prefix (and progressive alpha infix A-K from 1948-1957) | 12,328 |
| A1500 | Photographic colour transparencies [positives], single number series with 'K' [Colour] prefix | 11,866 |
| A705 | Correspondence files, multiple number (Melbourne) series (Primary numbers 1-323) | 10,642 |
| A7109 | "Dead" card index of Registered Aliens | 10,618 |
| A14435 | Stanley Fowler photographs showing the Australian fishing industry and coastline, numerical series with ‘LA’prefix | 10,512 |
| E607 | Negative film of photographs taken of every lot of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy, two number series | 9,510 |
| J853 | Architectural plans, annual single number series with alpha (denoting Papua New Guinea and discipline) prefix and/or alpha/numeric (denoting size and amendment) suffix | 8,962 |
| A13149 | Applications for Registration of Victorian Patents - Second system | 8,852 |
| MT1486/1 | Applications to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force | 7,999 |
| A1 | Correspondence files, annual single number series [Main correspondence files series of the agency] | 7,621 |
| AP476/1 | Petitions for South Australian Colonial patents with specifications. | 6,484 |
| D1423 | Original plans (negatives), single number series with alpha prefix denoting discipline | 4,722 |
| K1145 | Certificates of Exemption from Dictation Test, annual certificate number order | 4,550 |
| D1051 | Original drawings, plans and prints of National Estate properties | 4,484 |
Created by Tim Sherratt for the GLAM Workbench.