National Registration Regulations

Legislation au C1939L00055 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1939. No. 55.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL REGISTRATION ACT 1939.*

I, THE DEPUTY OF 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 National Registration Act 1939.

Dated this sixth day of July, 1939.

Deputy of the Governor-General.

by his Excellency’s command.

Minister of State for Defence.

 

National Registration Regulations.

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the National Registration Regulations.

Definition.

2. In these Regulations, “the Act” means the National Registration Act 1939.

Declaration by officers.

3. The declaration to be made by officers in pursuance of section 11 of the Act shall be in accordance with the form of declaration contained in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Perscribed value of property.

4. For the purposes of sub-section (2.) of section 17 of the Act, the prescribed value of property shall be Five hundred pounds.

Method of filling in and furnishing property census forms.

5.—(1.) For the purpose of the census of property directed to be taken under the Act, every person who is required to fill in and furnish to the Commonwealth Statistician a form or forms in pursuance of sub-section (2.) of section 17 of the Act shall—

(a) obtain, or cause to be obtained, the form or forms which he is so required to fill in and furnish;

(b) fill in and supply in the form or forms, in accordance with the instructions contained in or accompanying it or them, all the particulars specified therein;

(c) except in the case of a company or other corporate body, sign his name to the form; and

(d) within the time specified in the Proclamation by which the census is directed to be taken, transmit the form or forms to the Commonwealth Statistician in accordance with the instructions contained in or accompanying it or them.

(2.) The form to be filled in and furnished by a company or other corporate body in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2.) of section 17 of the Act shall be signed by the legal representative of the company or corporate body. For the purposes of this sub-regulation, the expression “legal representative” means, in relation to any company or corporate body, the secretary or manager, or a director or other principal executive officer of the company or corporate body.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on  July, 1939.

3523.—8/3.7.1939.—Price 3d.

(3.) Where a person—

(a) holds property on behalf of some other person; or

(b) is the agent of a person absent from Australia,

he shall fill in and furnish a separate form in respect of the property of each of those persons.

(4.) Where the secretary or other prescribed officer of a company is required to fill in and furnish a form in respect of shares in or debentures of that company owned by persons outside Australia, he shall fill in and furnish a form separate from the form filled in and furnished in respect of the property of the company.

(5.) Where a company has no secretary, the manager, or where a company has neither a secretary, or a manager, a director, of the company shall be the prescribed officer of the company for the purposes of sub-section (4.) of section 17 of the Act.

Notification of change of address.

6. A person required by section 22 of the Act to notify his change of address shall notify that change by obtaining from a post office or postal receiving office a card provided for the purpose and filling in and transmitting the card to the Commonwealth Statistician.

Posters.

7. For the purposes of any census directed to be taken under the Act, the Commonwealth Statistician may prepare posters in relation to the census for display at post offices and postal receiving offices throughout the Commonwealth, and at such other place or places as the Minister directs.

Envelopes.

8. The Commonwealth Statistician may prepare and make available at post offices and postal receiving offices envelopes for the transmission of papers or forms required by the Act or these Regulations to be filled in and transmitted to the Commonwealth Statistician.

Circular letters to Postmasters.

9. The Commonwealth Statistician may prepare and furnish to Postmasters or persons in charge of postal receiving offices circular letters of instruction in relation to any census directed to be taken under the Act or matters arising therefrom.

Acknowledgment cards.

10. All acknowledgments by Postmasters, or persons in charge of postal receiving offices, of papers or forms supplied by the Commonwealth Statistician for the purposes of the Act shall be on cards designed and made available by the Commonwealth Statistician.

Circular letters regarding forms incorrectly filled in.

11. Where it appears to the Commonwealth Statistician that forms required by the Act to be filled in have been incorrectly filled in, he may send circular letters of instruction in relation thereto to the persons who have filled in the forms.

 

THE SCHEDULE.

Reg. 3.

National Registration Act 1939.

Declaration by Officer under Section 11.

I,      of

being an officer executing powers and duties conferred and imposed upon me under the National Registration Act 1939, do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will faithfully and to the best of my ability execute the powers

and duties so conferred and imposed upon me, and that I will not desert from my duty, or refuse or wilfully neglect, without just cause, to perform the duties of my office, or wilfully or without lawful authority alter any document or form under the said Act, or wilfully sign any untrue document or form, or, except as allowed by the said Act, divulge the contents of any form filled in in pursuance of the said Act, or any information furnished in pursuance of the said Act.

Declared at this

day of , 19 .

.................................................................................

(Signature of officer.)

Before me—

.................................................................................

(Signature of Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Declarations or Commissioner for Affidavits.)

 

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The National Registration Regulations 1939 were introduced under the National Registration Act 1939, enacted to address the need for a comprehensive and systematic registration system in Australia. This legislative instrument was made by the Deputy of the Governor-General, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, to facilitate the effective administration of national registration. The policy objective was to ensure that all Australian residents, including those absent from the country, were accurately and comprehensively registered. This was crucial for the efficient management of resources and information during times of national emergency. The regulations outline procedures for property declarations, the filling in and submission of property census forms, and the notification of changes in address, establishing a structured approach to national registration and census activities.

Scope and Application

The National Registration Regulations 1939, made under the National Registration Act 1939, apply to individuals, companies, and other corporate bodies within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations mandate the completion and submission of property census forms to the Commonwealth Statistician, with specific requirements for individuals and entities on the filling in and furnishing of these forms, including the need for signatures by legal representatives for corporate bodies. The prescribed value of property for census purposes is set at Five hundred pounds. The regulations also detail the process for notifying changes of address and allow the Commonwealth Statistician to prepare posters, envelopes, and circular letters for the purposes of the census, along with the use of acknowledgment cards for received forms. Any forms filled out incorrectly may result in circular letters of instruction being sent to the relevant parties. The geographic reach of these regulations is nationwide, encompassing all states and territories within the Commonwealth. The regulations do not explicitly state exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, but the application and enforcement of the Act and its regulations may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments as necessary.

Key Provisions

The National Registration Regulations 1939, made under the National Registration Act 1939, outline specific procedures and requirements for the implementation of the Act. Regulation 3 mandates that officers executing powers and duties under the Act must make a solemn declaration, as specified in the Schedule, attesting to their commitment to faithfully execute their duties without neglect, alteration, or unauthorised disclosure of information. Regulation 4 establishes a prescribed value of property at £500 for the purposes of the Act. Regulation 5 details the method for filling in and furnishing property census forms, requiring individuals or companies to obtain, fill out, and submit the forms according to instructions, with corporate bodies signing the forms through their legal representatives. Regulation 6 requires individuals to notify changes of address by filling out and submitting a card obtained from a post office to the Commonwealth Statistician. These Regulations impose several obligations on the parties they govern. Individuals and companies are required to fill in and submit property census forms accurately and on time. Corporate bodies must ensure that the forms are signed by a legal representative. Furthermore, individuals must notify the Commonwealth Statistician of any change of address using the prescribed card. The Commonwealth Statistician is empowered to provide instructions and materials such as posters, envelopes, and acknowledgment cards to facilitate compliance with the Act. Breaches of the requirements set out in the Regulations may result in civil or criminal penalties. The Act itself may outline specific offences and penalties, though the Regulations themselves do not explicitly state the maximum penalties. Generally, failure to comply with the Act and Regulations could result in fines, imprisonment, or other legal consequences as prescribed by the relevant laws in force at the time.

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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.