Archiving of Records

The University Archives is responsible for the care and preservation of University records of enduring value and significance - records that are considered to be worthy of permanent retention.

The Archives form a central component of the University's "institutional memory", dating back to 1874 and capturing information about the University, its governance, students, staff, buildings, events, clubs and societies.

The majority of the records contained in the University Archives are publicly available, you can view a guide of the holdings online.

Some types of records must be retained permanently by virtue of legal requirements under the State Records Act whereas some records are kept permanently because they have an enduring historical value to the University. For instance:

  • Records with administrative value, such as minutes and agendas of senior committees, policies and procedures, annual reports, campus maps and other records retained to meet the continuing administrative needs of the University.
  • Records with legal value, such as agreements, certificates of title, delegations of authority and other documents that must be preserved in order to protect the legal rights of the University, its staff and its students.
  • Records with financial value, including high level financial statements, returns and audit reports that demonstrate the conduct of the University's financial affairs in a transparent and honest manner.
  • Records with informational value (or community value), such as records that add context and texture to the history of the University, or demonstrate social, political and recreational aspects of the University community and its position within South Australia and beyond. Photographs, media releases and promotional material may fall under this category, as well as records related to any events or controversies in the University community that are historically interesting.

In addition, Rare Books & Manuscripts houses personal papers of members of the academic staff, graduates, benefactors and other individuals and organisations associated with the University of Adelaide. If you are not sure how and where your material should be archived, Records Services can help you determine where your different records will be most appropriately preserved in perpetuity.