A new specially designed building to house the provincial archives was constructed between 1986 and 1989 and the first consignment of archives was moved to the new building in December 1989. The building incorporates 46 strong rooms containing more than 43km of shelving space, a delivery area, bindery, offices and a Reading Room.

The archives of the Cape had previously been housed in a building in Queen Victoria Street since the 1930s. Before that, records were kept at various times in the Fort, the Castle, the Slave Lodge, the basement of the Houses of Parliament and the record room of the High Court.

In 1876 the Cape Government appointed an Archives Commission tasked to collect, examine, classify and index the archives of the Colony. In 1879 Dr George McCall Theal was appointed as custodian of the Archives and in 1881 was replaced by the Rev. HCV Leibbrandt, who was appointed Librarian of the House of Assembly and Keeper of the Colonial Archives. Western Cape Archives and Records Service is the oldest archive in South Africa.

When Leibbrandt retired, Dr Colin Graham Botha was appointed Keeper of the Archives in 1912 and Chief Archivist of the Union of South Africa in 1919.

He is credited with professionalising and standardising archival practices in South Africa. He travelled widely to learn best practices. He was instrumental in drafting the first Public Archives Act 9 of 1922, a crucial mechanism to ensure records were kept and transferred to the Archives.

Phakathi kowe-1986 nowe-1989 kwakhiwa isakhiwo esidizayinwe ngohlobo olulodwa sokugcina iinkcukacha ezibalulekileyo zephondo. Iinkcukacha zokuqala ezaziza kugcinwa apha zafika ngeyoMnga 1989. Isakhiwo esi sinamagumbi angama-46 alungiselelweyo aneeshelfu ezithatha umhlaba ongaphezu kwama-43km, indawo ekothulelwa kuyo, igumbi ekuthungwa kulo iincwadi, iiofisi kunye negumbi lokufundela.

Ukususela ngowe-1930 iziko lolondolozo lweenkcukacha ezibalulekileyo laseKapa ngaphambili lalikwisakhiwo esithile kwiSitalato iQueen Victoria. Ukanti phambi koko, iirekhodi zazigcinwa ngamaxesha ahlukileyo eFort, eCastle, eSlave Lodge, ngaphantsi kweZindlu zePalamente nasegumbini leerekhodi kwisakhiwo seNkundla ePhakamileyo.

Ngowe-1876 uRhulumente waseKapa wamisela iKomishini  yeZiko leeNkcukacha eziBalulekileyo wayinika umsebenzi wokuqokelela, ukuhlola, ukwahlula-hlula nokwenza i-indeksi yeenkcukacha zezinto ezigciniweyo apho ezikweni laseKoloni. Ngowe-1879 uGqr George McCall Theal wabekwa esihlalweni sokuba ngumgcini osesikweni weZiko leeNkcukacha ezibalulekileyo waza ngowe-1881 uMfundisi HCV Leibbrandt wathatha indawo yakhe njengononcwadi weNdlu yoWisomthetho  nomgcini weZiko leeNkcukacha eziBalulekileyo laseKoloni. UVimba weNtshona Koloni weeNkcukacha eziBalulekileyo neNkonzo yeeRekhodi ngowona mdala eMzantsi Afrika.

’n Nuwe doelontwerpte gebou om die provinsiale argief te huisves is tussen 1986 en 1989 opgerig en die eerste besending argiewe is in Desember 1989 na die nuwe gebou oorgeplaas. Die gebou het 46 brandkamers, met meer as 43 km rakruimte, ’n afleweringsarea, boekbindery, kantore en ’n leeskamer.

Die Kaap se argiewe is sedert die 1930’s in ’n gebou in Koningin Victoria-straat gehuisves. Voor dit is rekords gedurende verskillende historiese tydperke in die Fort, die Kasteel, die Slawelosie, die kelder van die Parlementsgebou en die rekordkamer van die Hooggeregshof bewaar.

Die Kaapse Regering het in 1876 ’n Argiefkommissie aangestel om die argiewe van die Kolonie te versamel, ondersoek, klassifiseer en indekseer. Dr George McCall Theal is in 1879 as Kurator van die Argief aangestel en hy is in 1881 deur Dominee HCV Leibbrandt opgevolg wat aangestel is as die Bibliotekaris van die Parlementsbiblioteek en Koloniale Argivaris. Die Wes-Kaapse Argief- en Rekorddiens is die oudste argief in Suid Afrika.