The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is one of the country’s national cultural organisations. It tells the national story by collecting, preserving and sharing audiovisual media, the cultural expression platforms of our time. Beginning in 1935 at the National Historical Film and Speaking Record Library, the collection holds almost 700,000 unique works, from early films and rare audio to games and digital media.

The history of the National Film and Sound Archive’s collection begins in 1935, though some of our individual collection items date back to the 1800s.

Originally known as the National Historical Film and Speaking Record Library and operating under the auspices of the Commonwealth National Library, our original purpose was to collect and preserve film materials that were considered important for the national cultural record.

The need for an official archive grew as audiovisual media became central to Australian life, and there was increasing concern about the loss of culturally significant recordings.

In 1955, a forward-thinking Australian Government took a formal step towards creating the national film archive with the establishment of the Film Division of the Commonwealth National Library (now the National Library of Australia). This milestone marked the beginning of a more structured approach to audiovisual preservation in Australia – which, early on, meant primarily documentaries and educational works.

In 1972, the National Library established the National Film Archive as a dedicated unit within the Library. Over time, the archive expanded its scope to include photographs, sound recordings and other forms of audiovisual material. We also acquired recordings from Australian radio stations to preserve the nation's music and broadcast culture. And so, the transition from a film-only archive to a broader audiovisual repository was underway.

Bob Hawke opening the NFSA1984

In 1984, the NFSA became an independent cultural organisation and moved to its current location on McCoy Circuit in Acton, Canberra – the former home of the Australian Institute of Anatomy. The goal was to give Australia's audiovisual heritage the same recognition and protection as written records, artworks and historical artefacts. This move firmly positioned the NFSA not just as a storage facility, but as a living cultural institution committed to preserving, celebrating and sharing the stories told through Australia’s screen and sound media.

We began digitising our collection in the 1990s, starting with film and sound recordings most at risk of deterioration. As technology advanced, we expanded our efforts, establishing dedicated digital preservation strategies and infrastructure to ensure long-term access to Australia’s audiovisual heritage. This work continues today as part of the NFSA’s core mission.

In 1999, the NFSA was renamed ScreenSound Australia to reflect its growing profile and outreach. We returned to our original name in 2004, highlighting the NFSA's core archival mission. Just four years later, in 2008, the NFSA gained full statutory authority as an independent cultural institution.

Since then, we have continued to evolve – embracing new technologies, expanding our reach and deepening the collection. Today our collection includes almost 700,000 unique works and nearly 7 million physical and digital components, including feature films, documentaries, TikToks, radio broadcasts, home movies, video games, music recordings, TV shows, costumes, equipment, posters and more. And the archiving processes have evolved too – in 2020, for example, we preserved footage of Cathy Freeman wins gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics2000

Cathy Freeman’s iconic 400 m gold medal race from the Sydney 2000 Olympics on synthetic DNA, marking the first use of this technology for long-term archival purposes

Today, the NFSA ensures that the collection is available for enjoyment, learning, research and re-use through a range of public programs and services. These include Sounds of Australia, NFSA Restores, screenings and events and learning programs, delivered online and at our headquarters in Canberra.

The wealth of stories captured in the national audiovisual collection is also available to all Australians across the NFSA's digital channels and platforms.