Twenty-five years ago the Archives Act was passed by the Hawke Labor government. It brought the National Archives into a new era of public access – but can the Act continue to meet the increasing demands of the information age?

On 7 October 2008, the National Archives brought together a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the significance of the Archives Act 1983 and its impact on researchers, public access and the business of government.

Speakers on the panel included:

• Barry Cohen, former Labor MP, who delivered the second reading of the 1983 Bill in the House of Representatives
• Emeritus Professor Dennis Pearce, Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University College of Law
• Dr Michael McKernan, an historian who has researched the collection for more than 25 years
• Dr Stephen Ellis, Assistant Director-General at the National Archives and long-time staff member

Hosted and introduced by Professor John Williams, Associate Dean at the University of Adelaide and National Archives Advisory Council member, the panel provided entertaining and thoughtful insights into the significance of archival records for an informed and open democratic society.