The NSW State Archives Collection archives and manages the records of the history of the Government of New South Wales in Australia, and is a part of Museums of History NSW. Prior to 2022, it was a standalone authority known as the State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales (commonly known as State Archives and Records NSW). It can trace its history back to the establishment of the office of Colonial Secretary and Registrar of the Records of New South Wales in 1821.[1] However, in the early years of the Colony's history, little attention was paid to the management and preservation of non-current public records. This was mainly because the government of the day was fully focussed on the administration of the convict system, law and order, immigration and land settlement. Documents which were not required for the day-to-day running of the government were usually neglected or were destroyed.