The Beginning - Our History

Established by an act of parliament in 1968, the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) was first known as the National Archives and Records Centre (NARC). In 1979, with the addition of the Oral History Department, the National Archives was renamed the National Archives and Oral History Department. NAS is an institution under the National Heritage Board, which was instituted in 1993.



During the early years of operation, NAS was housed at several different locations before it found a permanent home at 1 Canning Rise, the former site of the Anglo-Chinese Primary School.

NAS has moved beyond its traditional roles as record keeper of the nation. In 2002, NAS developed Reflections at Bukit Chandu, a World War II interpretative centre, at Pepys Road, where we remember the heroism and sacrifice made by those who defended Singapore in a time of crisis.

In 2006, NAS developed another World War II interpretative centre at Upper Bukit Timah Road, Memories at Old Ford Factory. This National Monument has a permanent gallery, which showcases the memories of personal life experiences of the various ethnic communities during Japanese Occupation. A new repository was also developed to house our growing collection.