Welcome to the
Walter Rodney National Archives of Guyana

The National Archives of Guyana was organized in 1958 and holds a vast quantity of historical data valuable to the country’s overall development thrust. The current archival collection dates back to the Dutch occupation of Guyana. The current collection consists of Court of Policy Records, the Official Gazette, Colonial Office Records, Governor’s Dispatches, Immigration records, and Colonial and modern Newspaper collections.

Welcome to the Walter Rodney National Archives of Guyana

The National Archives, was established in 1958. It holds a vast quantity of historical data valuable to the over all national development thrust of the country. This is done in order to assist them in achieving their mission by seeking to acquire and preserve all public records that are of value for historical or official purposes. Under the National Archives Act, records include any manuscript, newspaper, picture,painting, document, register, printed material, book, map, plan, drawing, photograph negative and positive pictures; recorded information of any medium.

In 1982 the National Archives of Guyana Act was passed, thereby establishing the National Archives as a Department, with the Archivist as Officer-in-Charge, reporting to the Minister.This act provides for a National Archives

The Guyana Immigration Records Digitization Project

Guyanese are a vibrant, enterprising openhearted and hospitable people with a deep connection the culture, religion and the values of the countries from which they migrated. Our ancestors came to Guyana with the expectation of creating a better way of life for their families and themselves, than they had in their native countries. They braved the long and dangerous sea journey to get to Guyana. Many of them died in route.

On arrival in Guyana, they were assigned to different sugar plantations based on the selection of the recruiting agency. It did not take them long to realise the conditions of the service that they were exposed to by their employers were deplorable and bore no resemblance to what was promised to them by the recruiting agency.

Key Functions of the National Archives of Guyana

Appraisal

This is an ongoing process that may be done through various stages of the life cycle of a document although it is of particular relevance to evaluate the historical and informative importance of the record before entering it into the national archives fond.

The review of departmental records. The archive also collects private records of relevance

Accession

After a document is identified as valuable it must be transferred to the custody of the national Archives.

50+

Newspaper Records

700+

Immigration Records

1000+

Digitized Records