This article seeks to examine public policy in respect of the preservation of the archives and public records of Trinidad and Tobago from the period just prior to independence to the current time. It looks at the importance of the preservation of a nation's collective memory, contained in its archives and other public records, as a critical area of public policy, important to social and cultural well-being of a nation, transparency and accountability in governance as well as preservation of the rights of citizens. It follows the government’s policy on archival preservation through the development of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, the institution charged with preserving the nation's archives and long-term public records. It examines the country’s public policy on archival development not just from formal policy statements and plans, but from the actions or lack thereof in several areas critical to archival development. The author concludes that there have been failures in areas essential to establishing and maintaining a programme of archival management for a country. This has resulted in loss of portions of the nation’s documentary heritage. Such failures will also negatively impact other areas of public policy essential to the continued development of the country such as freedom of information, open government and digital transformation.