Description

The Victorian Archives Centre holds Colonial, State and Commonwealth Government records in the collections of the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) and the Victorian office of National Archives of Australia (NAA).

Let the knowledgeable staff at PROV and NAA take you behind the scenes and into the heart of the Victorian Archives Centre, the archival repository. Beyond the airlocked doors, in a carefully maintained dust-free and climate-controlled environment, there are over 100 kilometres of significant records dating back to 1836. Here you'll learn how records are selected and preserved, and take a peek inside the drawers, boxes and cabinets. Historic records from both collections will be on display, bringing to light the narratives contained within the many maps, plans, images and documents. From love letters used in a criminal trial to snap shots taken by government photographers, delve into the people and places captured in the archives, including the stories of those marginalised by history’s selective memory. 

What's On

You’ll be taken on a guided behind-the-scenes tour of the Victorian Archives Centre, including the archival repository, and have the opportunity to talk to staff from the Public Record Office Victoria and the National Archives of Australia.

In our reading room we’ll have records on display from both collections, giving you a glimpse into the lives captured within the archives. Meanwhile, in the Victorian Archives Centre Gallery is our new photography exhibition Rehearsing the City which explores how public space evolves in creative or unexpected ways, through historic archival images and work by local contemporary photographers.