The History of the State Archives in South Africa, 1876-1910

Before the appointment of the commission to investigate the archives of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope in 1876, there was no archives control in South Africa. The commission collected the Colonial archives. Thereafter the government undertook projects to research and publish source material. The archives were placed in the custody of archivists and since 1908 under the control of an Archives Commission. Although efforts were made before 1910 to control the records of the state secretary of the South African Republic and an archivist was appointed in 1899, a formal archives service was only established in 1902. This service had to control the archives of the previous government. The Orange Free State government of 1902 brought archives for the first time under control by placing them in the custody of the State Librarian. In 1908 it became the responsibility of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.