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 213 weekly harvests since March 2021. The most recent harvest was on 17 May 2026.
Files digitised last week (10 May 2026 – 17 May 2026)¶
1,416 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 | Department of Aboriginal Affairs - Tasmania - ... | 33086509 | P1579 | 1977/2-4 | 1977 – 1979 | 2026-05-16 | Correspondence files two number series with ye... |
| 1 | McQuat, John Leonard | 14424609 | B2458 | 5716533 | 1968 – 1999 | 2026-05-16 | Army Personnel Files, multiple number series |
| 2 | IVKOVIC Aleksander - Nationality: Yugoslavian ... | 9187273 | D4881 | IVKOVIC ALEKSANDER | 1952 – 1957 | 2026-05-16 | Alien registration cards, alphabetical series |
| 3 | Department of Aboriginal Affairs - Tasmania - ... | 33086508 | P1579 | 1977/1-1 | 1977 – 1979 | 2026-05-16 | Correspondence files two number series with ye... |
| 4 | TSANG Nelson Fook Yue - [overseas student - de... | 32887367 | D400 | SA1961/9253 | 1961 – 1963 | 2026-05-16 | Correspondence files, annual single number ser... |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1411 | ROZINSKI Henryk - Nationality: Polish - Arrive... | 4803581 | B78 | 1956/ROZINSKI H | 1951 – 1956 | 2026-05-11 | Alien registration documents |
| 1412 | MACHELAK Franciszek - Nationality: Polish - Ar... | 4275918 | B78 | 1957/MACHELAK F | 1949 – 1957 | 2026-05-11 | Alien registration documents |
| 1413 | KROPKOWSKI Natalia - Nationality: Polish - Arr... | 30613554 | B78 | POLISH/KROPKOWSKI NATALIA | 1939 – 1972 | 2026-05-11 | Alien registration documents |
| 1414 | KROPKOWSKI Zygmunt - Nationality: Polish - Arr... | 30613553 | B78 | POLISH/KROPKOWSKI ZYGMUNT | 1939 – 1972 | 2026-05-11 | Alien registration documents |
| 1415 | KALADE Zita - Nationality: Lithuanian - Arrive... | 30126073 | B78 | LITHUANIAN/KALADE ZITA | 1939 – 1972 | 2026-05-11 | Alien registration documents |
1416 rows × 7 columns
The files came from 149 different series. Here are the 25 series which contain the most files digitised last week.
| series | series_title | total |
|---|---|---|
| M5197 | Colour photographic (kodachrome) slides illustrating the life and career of Sir Keith Charles Owen Shann CBE | 387 |
| A705 | Correspondence files, multiple number (Melbourne) series (Primary numbers 1-323) | 257 |
| A11753 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per Fairsea departing Naples 21 September 1949 | 143 |
| MP551/1 | Ships' drawings and specifications, together with those for two floating docks | 109 |
| MT1139/1 | First World War munition workers dossiers | 90 |
| D4881 | Alien registration cards, alphabetical series | 60 |
| B78 | Alien registration documents | 36 |
| D5582 | Agency consignment lists, numerical series with variable alpha prefixes | 27 |
| A2478 | Non-British European migrant selection documents | 15 |
| SP908/1 | Application for Registration of Aliens (other than Asiatics) | 11 |
| P1579 | Correspondence files two number series with year prefix | 10 |
| D400 | Correspondence files, annual single number series with 'SA' and 'S' prefix | 9 |
| C320 | Investigation files (Persons and Organisations), single number with alphabetical prefix | 9 |
| A1337 | Applications for Registration of a Design | 8 |
| B13 | General and classified correspondence, annual single number series | 8 |
| B73 | Personal case files, World War I | 7 |
| A13254 | Original drawings and sketches by Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects relating to the new Parliament House | 7 |
| D1915 | Investigation case files, single number series with 'SA' (South Australia) prefix | 7 |
| MP611/1 | Ships' drawings and some specifications | 7 |
| K1331 | Alien registration documents, alphabetical series | 7 |
| D399 | Correspondence files, annual single number series with 'S' prefix | 6 |
| C321 | Case files, annual single number series with 'N' (NSW) prefix | 6 |
| A432 | Correspondence files, annual single number series [Main correspondence files series of the agency] | 6 |
| A261 | Application forms (culled from other file series) for admission of Relatives or Friends to Australia (Form 40) | 5 |
| SP11/2 | Applications for registration (Aliens Registration files) (Forms A1, B1 and C), alphabetical series by nationality | 5 |
Files digitised this year (2026)¶
3,702 files have been digitised this year. Here are the number of files digitised per month.
The files came from 301 different series. Here are the 25 series which contain the most files digitised so far this year.
| series | series_title | total |
|---|---|---|
| D4878 | Alien registration documents, alphabetical series | 1,000 |
| 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 |
| M5197 | Colour photographic (kodachrome) slides illustrating the life and career of Sir Keith Charles Owen Shann CBE | 387 |
| A705 | Correspondence files, multiple number (Melbourne) series (Primary numbers 1-323) | 337 |
| A11753 | Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per Fairsea departing Naples 21 September 1949 | 297 |
| MP551/1 | Ships' drawings and specifications, together with those for two floating docks | 145 |
| MT1139/1 | First World War munition workers dossiers | 90 |
| D4881 | Alien registration cards, alphabetical series | 87 |
| A1337 | Applications for Registration of a Design | 55 |
| B78 | Alien registration documents | 54 |
| D5582 | Agency consignment lists, numerical series with variable alpha prefixes | 27 |
| A2478 | Non-British European migrant selection documents | 27 |
| A8769 | Aboriginal Affairs colour transparencies reversed date and single number series with 'CT' (Colour Transparencies) prefix | 26 |
| C5528 | Screen Australia Stills Collections, numerical series | 21 |
| A1861 | Applications for Artistic Copyright (with exhibits) | 19 |
| K1331 | Alien registration documents, alphabetical series | 18 |
| SP908/1 | Application for Registration of Aliens (other than Asiatics) | 17 |
| SP11/2 | Applications for registration (Aliens Registration files) (Forms A1, B1 and C), alphabetical series by nationality | 17 |
| B73 | Personal case files, World War I | 17 |
| SP42/1 | Correspondence of the Collector of Customs relating to Immigration Restriction and Passports | 16 |
| P1579 | Correspondence files two number series with year prefix | 16 |
| A12217 | Alien Land Transfer files, single number with L [Land] prefix | 15 |
| C320 | Investigation files (Persons and Organisations), single number with alphabetical prefix | 15 |
| A12508 | Personal Statement and Declaration by alien passengers entering Australia (Forms A42) | 14 |
| D400 | Correspondence files, annual single number series with 'SA' and 'S' prefix | 13 |
Files digitised since 4 February 2021¶
1,406,332 files have been digitised since 4 February 2021. Here are the number of files digitised per year.
The files came from 2,874 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 | 313,089 |
| B884 | Citizen Military Forces Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947 | 284,171 |
| 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 | 33,906 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| A705 | Correspondence files, multiple number (Melbourne) series (Primary numbers 1-323) | 10,369 |
| 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 |
| C610 | Australian Women's Land Army - personnel cards, alphabetical series | 4,330 |
Created by Tim Sherratt for the GLAM Workbench.