National Archives Week 2017

Celebrate National Archives Week with us from 8 to 12 May 2017 at the Western Cape Archives and Records Service in Roeland Street, Cape Town. The theme for this year is Archives: Promoting Youth Education.

National Archives Week offers an opportunity to everyone to learn about the importance of preserving our documented history in order to understand and appreciate its impact in our daily lives.

During this week activities will run every day between 9am - 3pm at 72 Roeland Street, Cape Town. These activities will include guided tours of the historic building, presentations and exhibitions on the hour.  

You can arrange group visits with Amanda Mdawe by emailing her at Amanda.Mdawe@westerncape.gov.za or by calling her on 021 483 0424 /0400.

A free workshop on researching family history will take place on 8 May from 9am - 12pm at 72 Roeland Street, Cape Town. Make sure you book your place in this exciting workshop with Thembile Ndabeni by emailing him at Thembile.Ndabeni@westerncape.gov.za or calling him on 021 483 0405 /0400.

Our provincial archive services

Our Archives Service gives you the opportunity to view historical documents. Whether you need to know more about your family history or access documents for research, our archives is the place to go.

The Western Cape Archives is home to South Africa’s oldest documents, including the earliest of records of Jan van Riebeeck’s journey to the Cape in 1651. Many other aspects of the Western Cape’s history are preserved there; for example, slavery records, wills and estate papers, early maps of the Cape, church records, photographs, immigration records, property and farm records, building plans and marriage records.

Records are available in various forms and classified as follows:

• Printed paper
• Written manuscripts
• Maps and plans
• Photographic images
• Sound and electronic data

Filling in your family tree gaps

Tracing your family history (genealogy) isn’t only an exciting opportunity to know more about the past, it can also help you access estate papers that are issued after death. These papers include wills and death notices. If you’re curious about the past, you can:

• find out about your family and where you come from - slave descendants can also use the slavery era records to learn more,
• gain useful information about your family’s medical history and causes of death, this can help you determine your risk of getting a disease,
• use these records for research and academic purposes, and
• determine the truth about land claims by using estate papers and wills.

The Provincial Archive Services helps to connect people to the history of their communities and family. By using the opportunity to learn about the importance of preserving our documented history, we’ll understand and appreciate its value in our daily lives so that we can protect our heritage Better Together.

Follow #NationalArchivesWeek and The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport Twitter for more updates.