Australian Military Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1924L00152 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1924. No. 152.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1918.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1918, to come into operation forthwith unless otherwise specified herein.

Dated this fifteenth day of October, 1924.

FORSTER,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

E. K. BOWDEN,

Minister of State for Defence.

________

Australian Military Regulations 1916

(Statutory Rules 1916, No. 166, as amended to this date.)

Amendments.

A. Regulation 21 (2) is amended by inserting the words “or transfer” next after the words “their dates of appointment”.

B. Regulation 133 is cancelled, and the following substituted therefor:—

“133. Officers will usually continue to serve in the unit to which they are first appointed. On changing their place of residence they may be transferred to another unit. Officers so transferred will not usually supersede the holders of any appointments in their new unit, but will be appointed to the first vacancy for which they are qualified. Until a vacancy occurs, they will be borne on the roll as supernumerary”.

C. Regulation 327 is amended by—

(i) Repealing sub-regulation (2).

(ii) Omitting the words “and subject to paying the unexpired value of the uniform and kit” in sub-regulation (3).

(iii) Re-numbering sub-regulation (3) to be sub-regulation (2).

(iv) Inserting the following sub-regulation next after sub-regulation (2)—

“3. A soldier who is granted his discharge free or on purchase in accordance with the last two preceding sub-regulations shall be required to pay the amount prescribed by the Financial and Allowance Regulations in respect of uniform, clothing and necessaries supplied to him or of any allowance paid to him in lieu thereof”.

and

(v) By omitting the words “unexpired value of uniform and kit” in sub-regulation (4) and substituting “amount mentioned in last preceding sub-regulation”.

C.15477.—Price 3d.


D. Regulation 495 is amended by inserting in paragraph (b) thereof next after—

“(iii) In the case of a warrant or non-commissioned officer forfeiture in the prescribed manner of seniority of rank or reduction to a lower grade, or to the ranks”.

the following:—

“(iiia) In the case of a warrant or non-commissioned officer, reprimand or severe reprimand”.

E. Regulation 765 is amended by inserting in sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (b) thereof next after the words “By a district court martial to” the words “be reprimanded or severely reprimanded or to”.

F. Sub-regulation (2) of regulation 175 is amended by the addition of the words “or Bombardier” after the word “Corporal”.

G. Sub-regulation (2) of regulation 175a is amended by the addition of the words “or Bombardier” after the word “Corporal”.

H. Sub-regulation (1) of regulation 195 is amended by—

(a) inserting in the column headed “Rank” and immediately after “(iii) Corporal” the words “or Bombardier”.

(b) inserting in the column headed “Appointment” opposite

“(iii) Corporal or Bombardier” and immediately below the words “Corporal Signaller” the following—

“*Bombardier Cook,

Bombardier Signaller,

2nd. Band Corporal,”

(c) extending the bracket opposite the words “(iii) Corporal or Bombardier” to include the appointments: —

“*Bombardier Cook,

Bombardier Signaller,

2nd. Band Corporal,”

(d) deleting—

“(iv) Bombardier  *Bombardier Cook,

or 2nd.  2nd. Corporal of the Band,

Corporal.  *Engineer Clerk 2nd. Corporal,

Bombardier Signaller.”

(e) deleting the numeral “v.” in the column headed “Rank” and substituting the numeral “iv.”.

(f) deleting the words “Acting Bombardier” and “*Acting Bombardier Artillery Clerk” and substituting the words “Lance Bombardier” and “*Lance Bombardier Artillery Clerk” respectively.

J. Regulation 196 is amended by—

(a) deleting “iii Corporal” and substituting the words “iii Corporal or Bombardier”,

(b) deleting the words “iv. Bombardier or 2nd Corporal”,

(c) deleting the numeral “v.” last occurring and substituting the numeral “iv.”,

(d) deleting in sub-paragraph (b) last occurring the words “an Acting Bombardier” and substituting the words “a Lance Bombardier”.


K. Regulation 199 is amended by deleting the words “an Acting Bombardier” and substituting the words “a Lance Bombardier”.

L. Regulation 201 is repealed and the following regulation is substituted—

“201. (1) The establishment of paid lance ranks shall be as authorized by the Military Board and promulgated in the annual establishments.

(2) Unpaid lance appointments may be made in the following proportion—

Lance-Sergeants—50 per cent. of the establishment of sergeants.

Lance-Corporals and Lance-Bombardiers—100 per cent. of the establishment of corporals and bombardiers respectively,

but in cases of necessity a formation, &c., commander may authorize a small additional number of lance appointments.

Paragraphs F. to L. to have effect as from 1st July, 1924.

___________________________

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

Overview

The Australian Military Regulations 1916 (Statutory Rules 1916, No. 166, as amended to this date) were enacted by the Governor-General in Council under the Defence Act 1903-1918. This statutory instrument was introduced to address the need for updating and refining military regulations to ensure effective governance and administration of the Australian military. The policy objective was to provide a comprehensive and clear set of regulations governing the military, including the establishment of ranks, the process for appointments, transfers, and discharges, as well as disciplinary actions and the wearing of uniforms and kit. These regulations were designed to streamline military operations and maintain discipline within the armed forces.

Scope and Application

The Australian Military Regulations 1916, as amended, are statutory rules made under the Defence Act 1903-1918 and apply to members of the Australian Defence Force, including officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers. These regulations govern various aspects of military conduct, appointments, and discharge procedures. The regulations are of national scope, applying throughout the Commonwealth of Australia. The regulations provide for amendments to various provisions concerning the appointment, transfer, and discharge of military personnel, including changes to the seniority and rank of warrant and non-commissioned officers. Some regulations have specific start dates, while others are effective immediately upon the publication of the regulations. The regulations also provide for the establishment of paid lance ranks and the proportion of unpaid lance appointments that may be made within the military. The regulations can be further extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, such as Financial and Allowance Regulations, which govern the payment of allowances and the cost of uniforms and kit for discharged soldiers.

Key Provisions

The Australian Military Regulations 1916, as amended, encompass a range of provisions that primarily relate to the management and administration of military personnel within the Australian Defence Force. One significant aspect of these regulations is the amendment to Regulation 21(2), which now includes the term "transfer" in addition to "their dates of appointment" (A). This amendment likely pertains to the administrative process of moving officers from one unit to another, particularly in relation to their service dates and roles. Another important change is the substitution of Regulation 133, which now states that officers will usually continue to serve in their initial appointed unit and may be transferred to another unit upon changing their place of residence. The regulation clarifies that these transferred officers will not supersede existing appointments but will be appointed to the first vacancy for which they are qualified, with their status as supernumerary until such a vacancy arises (B). These regulations impose several obligations on military personnel and the governing authorities. For instance, officers are required to continue serving in their initial unit and can only be transferred under specific conditions. The new Regulation 133 also mandates that transferred officers must be placed on the roll as supernumerary until a suitable vacancy occurs, ensuring that existing appointments are not bypassed. Additionally, the amendment to Regulation 327 affects discharged soldiers, requiring them to pay a specified amount for their uniform, clothing, and other allowances as prescribed by the Financial and Allowance Regulations (C). This ensures that the financial obligations associated with military service are clearly defined and enforced. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in disciplinary actions and other consequences. For example, the amendment to Regulation 495 introduces new disciplinary measures for warrant or non-commissioned officers, including reprimands or severe reprimands (D). Similarly, Regulation 765 now allows for reprimands or severe reprimands as possible outcomes of a district court martial (F). These amendments highlight the importance of maintaining discipline and order within the military and provide clear pathways for addressing breaches of conduct. The penalties for such breaches, while not explicitly stated in the text, typically include a range of disciplinary actions that can impact an officer's career progression and standing within the force.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.