Our earliest record dates from 1651 and the holdings stretch over a time period of about 400 years.

The Western Cape Archives is predominantly an archive of state, keeping records of the various governments of the Cape. This includes the Dutch East India Company, British Cape Colony, Cape Provincial Government and the Western Cape Provincial Government. It also holds a small but significant collection of private materials donated by individuals or organisations.

As an archive consisting mainly of government documents, the records inevitably reflect the injustices and inequalities of Colonialism, and then Apartheid. Today, in democratic South Africa, these same documents are being used by a diverse body of researchers to acknowledge and reckon with our country’s history.

The documents used most often relate to people researching their family history. These include births, marriage and death registers, estate papers, death notices, naturalisation and immigration papers, as well as the records of the British Slave Office.

The Western Cape Archives and Records Service is the official repository of oral history material collected by various components of the Western Cape Government. This collection aims to broaden the government holdings to include the memories of ordinary citizens of the Western Cape.

A resource centre in the building holds reference books, journals, almanacs, dictionaries and atlases, mostly to do with historical and genealogical subjects. It is also the repository for those books and theses published as a result of research done at the Archives.

Iindawo zokugcina zineemephu, iiplani neziketshi ezili-19 000 ezisukela kwinkulungwane ye-17. Zineenkcukacha zeesistimu zolawulo ezazisetyenziswa eKoloni, zikwabonisa nemida yemimandla, oomasipala neefama. Zikho neeplani zezakhiwo nezeendawo zokuhlala zaseKapa.

Ingqokelela yamafoto ibandakanya iinegetivu ezingama-85 000, izilayidi zamafoto nezinemibala, ezinye zazo ezizezoqobo ezazenziwe ngenkulungwane ye-19 nasebutsheni beyama-20. Ezi zinto zonke zisusela kwiminyaka yoo-1850 ukuqala kokufika kwento ekuthiwa kukuthatha ifoto eKoloni yaye yimifanekiso yabantu, imicimbi, izakhiwo neendawo eKoloni namaZatshi eAfrika.

Die argiefbewaarplek het sowat 19 000 kaarte, planne en sketse wat vanaf die 17de eeu dateer. Hulle dokumenteer verskillende grondadministrasiestelsels wat in die Kaap gebruik is en dui die streeks-, munisipale en plaasgrense aan. Daar is ook baie argitektoniese planne van geboue en nedersettings in die Kaap.

Die fotografiese versameling sluit in ongeveer 85 000 negatiewes, foto’s en kleurskyfies, waarvan sommige oorspronklike glasplaat-negatiewe is wat in die 19de en vroeë 20ste eeu gemaak is. Hierdie negatiewe dateer uit die 1850’s toe die Kaap die eerste keer aan fotografie blootgestel is en bevat uitbeeldings van mense, gebeurtenisse, geboue en plekke van die Kaap en Suidelike Afrika.