$3m pledge to digitise Australian archives

The federal government has promised $3 million to help digitise thousands of hours of recordings chronicling Australia's history and cultural heritage.

While the National Archives of Australia digitises its most fragile records in-house, the funding will allow about 20,000 hours of magnetic tapes to be outsourced and converted "in the quickest and most efficient way", Attorney-General George Brandis announced on Thursday.

The National Archives, which houses around 374,000 items, is hoping to digitise up to 70 per cent of its collection by 2025.