In 1981, Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA) Board of Directors approved creation of the Plantation Records to provide a repository for the archival records of the various plantations which decided to donate them. Collecting began in earnest in 1983; an archivist began processing collections in 1984. Archival staff finished processing the last two accessions in 1994. With the decline of the sugar industry in Hawaii, HSPA began extending its focus beyond the sugar industry. The organization changed its name to the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center in 1996. With the change of focus, the Planters' Association began looking for a permanent home for the Archives. In October 1995, the Board of HSPA approved the proposal to donate the Archives to the University of Hawaii.