Adelaide is a city that is rich in heritage. Fortunately, much of the documentary heritage of the city is preserved in its Archives.

Managed by the City of Adelaide, the City Archives exist in a wide variety of physical formats: volumes, files, documents, photographs, maps, plans, microfilms, computer printouts, tapes and CDs. Much of it is searchable and accessible to the public.

The City Archives can be grouped into three main categories: The Archives collection, including source sheets and the photo library, the Civic collection, and the Oral History collection.

The City of Adelaide Archives holds the archival records of the City of Adelaide, and the many individuals and organisations closely associated with it.

The records date from 1840 when the Council, which is Australia’s oldest, was formed.

The records and documents relate mainly to matters connected with the Council’s municipal governance of the city, North Adelaide and the surrounding Park Lands. They include files, volumes, maps, plans and other documents as well as a large collection of photographs.

The following groups are available for you to view digitally:

• Historic maps and plans
• Earliest corporation records
• City of Adelaide Assessment books
• Council Minutes
• Smith Survey – maps and field books
• Public Streets Register
• City building plans
• Citizens’ Rolls
• Town Clerk’s Department Special Files register

In addition, you can view the following collections, not yet digitised, by searching the archives:

• Municipal Year Books
• Town Clerk’s Records
• City Engineer’s Records
• Licensing Records
• Health Records
• Parks and Gardens Records
• Annual Reports

Postal Address:
City of Adelaide Archives, GPO Box 2252, Adelaide SA 5001

Open for counter/telephone enquiries 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday and the search room is open for public research 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Tuesday to Thursday.