Originally a part of the National Library Of Australia and called the National Film & Sound Archive on 5 April 1984 it was created as a separate entity. On 21 June 1999 the name was changed to ScreenSound Australia and then back to the National Film & Sound Archive in December 2004.
It has offices in Canberra (head office), Sydney, & Melbourne. It is home to Australia's largest collection of recorded sound and moving images with over two million items, including television and sound recordings, thousands of newsreels, a huge variety of scripts, posters and film stills, and a 100 years worth of Australian films. The organisation's staff dedicate themselves to finding and collecting Australia's screen and sound heritage (even known to have been found in rubbish tips or from under beds!), preserving and restoring films and recordings that would otherwise be lost. It acts as a repository for much of Australia's screen and sound productions, and provides a safe and sterile environment to keep masters in top condition and copies are made for general access and viewing where appropriate.
Between 1994 and 2010 the National Film & Sound Archive released CD's and DVD's of material from the National Collection. Most were released under the ScreenSound Australia Label, with some later releases under the NFSA Label.