The South African Archive is made up of records pertaining mostly to Governance and Laws Enacted, but also includes Documents pertaining to Titles Deeds, Wedding, Birth and Death Certificates. The South African National Archive has repositories in Cape Town, Pretoria, The Free State, and Bloemfontein.
The Old Cape Archives, a National Monument and most prominent architectural landmark in Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town, has now been fully refurbished and restored as the culmination of a two-phase programme commissioned by the Department of Public Works. The restoration is part of a long-term programme initiated by the PWD during which attention has been deliberately focussed on preserving and revitalising culturally significant buildings throughout South Africa. The completed restoration of the contemporary Union Buildings and the restoration of the Palace of Justice on Church Square, Pretoria, are examples, particularly with regard to similar fine stonework of period detailing. As in the case of the Old Archives, these buildings have also benefited from the guidance of senior PWD architects Cliff Green and Peet Wolmarans.
Architects for the restoration were Rennie and Goddard of Cape Town, who have been involved in such award winning restorations as the East London City Hall, the historic Vergelegen homestead near Somerset West and the National Monuments Council offices in Cape Town.
Following the moving of the Archives to the former Roeland Street gaol site in recent years, the State-owned "Old Cape Archives" has been occupied by the South African Library. This sandstone building, secluded garden and adjoining privately owned stackroom block are now to be fully used for library purposes and will be a welcome and elegant extension to the library headquarters further down Queen Victoria Street. The intention is also to make full use of the grand central domed hall and fine meeting rooms for special exhibition purposes, public lectures and chamber music.
The recently completed Phase 2 restoration follows on the first phase roof-top contract during which the copper dome, green-glazed tiled towers, pitched roofs and the ornate end pavilions complete with fishscale tiles and coronets were all extensively restored. This work was carried out by Gordon Verhoef & Krause during 1992/1993. The Phase 2 contract, awarded to Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon, involved the complete refurbishment of the interior, the insertion of modern services and further and more extensive replacement of and repair to external stonework.
