About the Archive
Photo: Estonians protesting against Soviet occupation of the Baltics, Canberra 1990
History of the Archive
The Estonian Archives in Australia (EAA) was established by the Council of Estonian Societies in Australia on 5 January 1952. The first archivist was Alexander Peel, a year later Dr Hugo Salasoo was appointed as the archivist, a position he held for nearly 40 years. He was succeeded by his son, Dr Inno Salasoo. In 1994, following the move of the archive from Dr Salasoo’s house, Maie Barrow was appointed as the archivist. In 2024, Maie Barrow stood down and Dr Terry Kass was appointed the archivist. EAA is one of the three big Estonian Archives existing outside Estonia and holds an important collection of material relating to the lives and achievements of Estonians living in Australia.
Since 1994 the Archive has been housed in Estonian House, 141 Campbell St, Surry Hills, not far from the centre of Sydney. EAA is funded for day to day expenses by the Council of Estonian Societies, the parent body for Estonian organisations in Australia and by donations from the public.
The staff consists of an Honorary Archivist, Dr Terry Kass, assisted by a small number of volunteers. The work of the Archive is overseen by the EAA Advisory Council whose members are appointed by the Council of Estonian Societies in Australia, to whom it reports annually.
The aims of EAA include:
- to collect material relating to the lives and activities of Estonians in Australia
- to preserve the Estonian cultural heritage in Australia and to share it with the Estonian and Australian community
- to provide public access to the collections.
Contact Us
The Estonian Archives in Australia (EAA) is located at Estonian House (Eesti Maja) in Sydney, Australia.
The Archive is open on Wednesdays between 10am and 3pm, or via appointment. You can contact us online through our contact page (see below). We will respond to your inquiry as soon as we are able.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Archive.
