NFSA Former Institute of Anatomy

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia occupies a distinguished 1930s building on McCoy Circuit in Acton, Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. Designed by the young architect Walter Haywood Morris and opened in 1931, it was built as the Australian Institute of Anatomy, one of the first major public buildings in the new national capital. Its stripped classical form is enriched with Art Deco detailing and carvings of native flora and fauna, while the foyer bears the face masks of noted scientists, and for decades the institute housed anatomical and pathological collections, including, historically, human remains.

Because of that former use, the building has attracted quiet stories of an uncanny atmosphere and occasional unexplained impressions among staff and visitors. These accounts are anecdotal and subjective, and are noted here only as part of the building's lore rather than as anything asserted to be supernatural.

The remains once held by the institute, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Pacific peoples, were later transferred for repatriation, a process the National Museum of Australia continues in consultation with communities. Since 1984 the building has been home to the national audiovisual archive, giving this heritage-listed landmark a dignified new role.

The National Film and Sound Archive is open to the public at its Acton headquarters in Canberra, with free-to-access public spaces alongside a program of screenings, exhibitions, installations and events, plus an on-site cafe. Many areas can be visited during opening hours, while special events and screenings may be ticketed.

The heritage building is also available for venue hire. Given the site's earlier history as the Institute of Anatomy and its connection to the sensitive matter of ancestral remains and repatriation, the archive presents that past thoughtfully; current hours, programs and ticketing are listed on the official website.