For important COVID-safety and visitor information please see Visit Us
Access Centres
COVID-19 Update
The access centres at our NFSA offices in Canberra and Sydney are open (all viewing and access services are by prior appointment only). Our Melbourne office is closed until further notice, as we follow the latest advice from the Victorian State Government and the Australian Public Service Commission.
Our access centres in other capital cities are also open. All state libraries have COVID-19 updates available on their websites (see below for links). Bookings are essential and please follow all COVID-safe guidelines when visiting access centres.
Please contact our Access team by emailing access [at] nfsa.gov.au for all your NFSA collection access requirements or requests; our response time may vary depending on the content that is requested. We will do our best to get back to you within 5-10 working days.
Access Centres
What is the Access Centre service?
Lead time for Access Centre requests
Costs
Access Centre locations
Frequently Asked Questions
Submit an access enquiry
What is the Access Centre Service?
The NFSA’s Access Centre service provides research access to items from the collection in your nearest capital city. An advance booking is required and fees apply.
The Access Centre service is available at the NFSA’s premises in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, and through partnerships with other institutions in Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart.
Lead time for Access Centre requests
A minimum lead time of 10 business days is required to enable our staff to:
- check if the items you have requested are held in an accessible format
- provide you with a quote for service
- arrange retrieval of any analogue access copies from our offsite vaults in Canberra and dispatch them to your preferred Access Centre location ahead of your visit
- connect you with our Access Centre partners so that you can make a booking.
Costs
Research and handling fees are charged in accordance with the NFSA Rate Card to facilitate Access Centre requests.
Access Centre Locations
Canberra
McCoy Circuit
Acton ACT 2601
Tel: +61 2 6248 2000
Fax: +61 2 6248 2222
Toll Free: 1800 067 274
(within Australia)
Link: Google maps
Sydney
Level 5, Building B, 33-35 Saunders St, Pyrmont NSW 2009
(by prior appointment)
Tel: +61 2 8202 0100
Fax: +61 2 8202 0101
Toll Free: 1800 067 274 (within Australia)
Link: Google maps
Melbourne
Level 4, 2 Kavanagh St, Southbank VIC 3006
(currently closed)
Tel: +61 3 8638 1500
Fax: +61 3 8638 1501
Toll free: 1800 067 274 (within Australia)
Link: Google maps
Brisbane
State Library of Queensland
Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank
South Brisbane QLD 4101
Tel: +61 7 3840 7810
Link: Google maps
Darwin
Northern Territory Library
4 Bennett St
Parliament House
Darwin City NT 0800
Tel: +61 8 8999 7177
Toll Free: 1800 019 155
(only available within Australia)
Link: Google maps
Perth
State Library of Western Australia
25 Francis St
Perth Cultural Centre
Perth WA 6000
Tel: +61 8 9427 3111
Fax: +61 8 9427 3256
Link: Google maps
Adelaide
State Library of South Australia
Cnr North Terrace and Kintore Ave
Adelaide SA 5000
Tel: +61 8 8207 7231
Fax: +61 8 8207 7247
Link: Google maps
Hobart
State Library of Tasmania
Level 2, 91 Murray Street
Hobart TAS 7000
Tel: +61 3 6165 5538
Fax: +61 3 6233 7902
Link: Google maps
Frequently asked questions
Which collection items can be made available at an Access Centre?
Collection items that have been digitised or that have an analogue format ‘Access Copy’ listed under ‘Holdings’ in the item’s catalogue record can generally be made available at an Access Centre.
While many access copies of materials are digital, others may be held on older formats such as DVD, VHS, CD, vinyl discs, audio cassettes and 16mm or 35mm film prints. Not all analogue formats can be accessed at all Access Centres.
Once our staff have received your enquiry, they will check our holdings and confirm which items can be made available.
Can the NFSA digitise collection material for Access Centre requests?
Our preference is to provide access to the collection in digital format wherever possible. If a collection item is not held digitally, we may be able to digitise it in order to make it available at an Access Centre but our staff will need to assess this on a case-by-case basis.
How long can materials be held at Access Centres?
Collection materials dispatched to your nearest Access Centre are held for a period of up to two weeks from your booking date. If you require access to the materials over a longer timeframe, we can generally accommodate this.
How does the NFSA provide access to original documentation and artefacts?
Access to original documentation and artefacts is only possible at the NFSA’s Canberra premises and requires the prior approval of our curatorial and conservation staff.
In some cases, permission may also be required from an item’s donor. Document and artefact access requests may therefore require a longer lead time than the standard 10 business days.
Clients who want to access original documentation and artefacts should submit an Access Enquiry form as usual and our staff will provide advice on a case-by-case basis.
More to Explore
Explore the beauty of Perth, Western Australia and surrounds in this collection of footage covering 1907 to 1972.
There are many film and sound titles relating to Brisbane in the NFSA collection. See historic footage, sound, newsreels and home movies dating from 1889 to 1994.
From the city to the sea, the hills to the festivals, enjoy the sights of Adelaide!