Staff at the Hobart, Adelaide and Darwin offices were told this week that the offices would be closed and collections absorbed elsewhere over the next two years.

Director-general Ross Gibbs said the archives had been required, under the Government's Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook statement, to find budget savings of $700,000 in the next year, and $1.4million a year thereafter until 2013.

Mr Gibbs said in an announcement yesterday that to meet the savings required, and to reduce service costs in Canberra, the archives had made the decision to close three of its smaller offices once the building leases expired.

He told The Canberra Times that he and senior staff members had informed staff at those offices of the decision this week, before making the official announcement yesterday.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times