Postal Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1966L00024 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Select Document

STATUTORY RULES

1966 No. 24

___________

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1961.*

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 Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961.

Dated this third day of February, 1966.

CASEY

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General.

________

Amendments of the Postal Regulations†

Commencement.

1. These Regulations shall come into operation on the fourteenth day of February, 1966.

2. The Postal Regulations are amended by inserting after regulation 117 the following regulation:—

Repurchase of stamps issued in former currency.

“ 118.—(1.) The last two preceding regulations apply in relation to the repurchase by the Commonwealth of postage stamps indicating an amount in the currency provided for by the Coinage Act 1909-1947 during the period from and including the fourteenth day of February, 1966, to and including the thirteenth day of February, 1971, but no longer.

“ (2.) For the purposes of ascertaining the amount in the currency provided for by the Currency Act 1965 that is payable by the Commonwealth in respect of the repurchase of postage stamps indicating an amount in the currency provided for by the Coinage Act 1909-1947, the references in the last two preceding regulations to the face value of those stamps shall, subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, be taken to be references to the equivalent amount in the currency provided for by the Currency Act 1965, calculated on the basis of the equivalents specified in sub-section (4.) of section 8 of the Currency Act 1965.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on , 1966.

† Statutory Rules 1935, No. 3, as amended by Statutory Rules 1935, Nos. 53, 70, 80 and 95; 1936, Nos. 50 and 113; 1937, Nos. 13, 35, 37 and 48; 1938, Nos. 2, 55, 94 and 100; 1939, Nos. 44, 57 and 66; 1940, Nos. 1 and 232; 1942, Nos. 5, 313, 439 and 554; 1943, Nos. 57, 94, 122, 237 and 286; 1944, No. 145; 1945, No. 194; 1946. Nos. 131 and 149; 1947, Nos. 91 and 114; 1948, No. 62; 1949, Nos. 23, 30, 38 and 106; 1950, Nos. 49 and 93; 1951, Nos. 22 and 72; 1952, No. 38; 1953, No. 81; 1954, No. 52; 1955, No. 28; 1953, Nos. 31 and 67; 1957. No. 38; 1959, Nos. 7, 21, 26, 63 and 85; 1960, Nos. 75 and 103; 1962, Nos. 106 and 117; 1963, No. 35; 1964, Nos. 124 and 125; and 1965, No. 100.

13965/55.—Price 9d. (8c) 9/7.1.1966

“ (3.) Where the face value of those stamps is an amount of pounds, shillings and pence, pounds and pence or shillings and pence, the equivalent amount in the currency provided for by the Currency Act 1965 shall be calculated on the basis that an amount of pence specified in the first column in the table set out in sub-section (3.) of section 11 of the Currency Act 1965 corresponds to the amount of cents specified in the second column of that table opposite to that amount of pence.”.

Denominations and poundage.

3. Regulation 247 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting the table and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Denomination	Poundage	Denomination	Poundage
$	Cents	$	Cents
0.10	2	0.50	3
0.15	2	0.55	3
0.20	2	0.60	3
0.25	2	0.75	3
0.30	2	1.00	5
0.35	2	1.50	5
0.40	2	2.00	5
0.45	2

Payment to masters of vessels.

4. Regulation 258 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting the table and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Conveyance of—	Rate of payment
Mails to places within the Commonwealth......	Twenty dollars per ton by weight
Mails to places beyond the Commonwealth—
where the mails are to be conveyed not more than 2,999 miles	Forty-six dollars and seventy-one cents per ton by weight
where the mails are to be conveyed more than 2,999 miles but not more than 6,000 miles	Ninety dollars and seventy-four cents per ton by weight
where the mails are to be conveyed more than 6,000 miles	One hundred and six dollars and twenty cents per ton by weight

General amendments.

5. The Postal Regulations, as amended by the foregoing provisions of these Regulations, are amended as set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

THE SCHEDULE. Regulation 5.

Amendments

Provision amended	Amendment
Regulation 4.......	Omit “ Threepence ”, insert “ Three cents ”.
Regulation 22......	Omit from sub-regulation (2.) “ penny ”, insert “ cent ”.
Regulation 60......	Omit from paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (2.) “ penny ”, insert “ cent ”.
Regulation 91a.....	Omit from paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (2.) “ One shilling and threepence ”, insert “ Twelve cents ”.
	Omit from paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (2.) “ One shilling and threepence ” and “ Ninepence ”, insert “ Twelve cents ” and “ Eight cents ”, respectively.
	Omit from paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (2.) “ One shilling and threepence ”, “ Ninepence ” and “Sixpence ”, insert “ Twelve cents ”, “ Eight cents ” and “ Five cents ”, respectively.
	Omit from sub-regulation (3.) “ One shilling and threepence ”, insert “ Twelve cents ”.
Regulation 91b.....	Omit “ One shilling and threepence ”, insert “ Twelve cents ”.
Regulation 115.....	Omit from sub-regulation (2.) “ One pound ”, “ 1/2d. to 5s.” and “ 5s.”, insert “ Two dollars ”, “ One cent to Fifty cents ”and “ Fifty cents ”, respectively.
Regulation 123b....	Omit from paragraphs (a) and (b) of sub-regulation (4.) “ Threepence ”, insert “ Two cents ”.
	Omit from paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (4.) “ Threepence ” and “ Sixpence ”, insert “ Two cents ” and “ Five cents ”, respectively.
Regulation 174.....	Omit from sub-regulation (1.) “ Ninepence ”, insert “ Eight cents ”.
Regulation 176e.....	Omit from paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (1) “ Ninepence ”, insert “ Eight cents ”.
Regulation 196.....	Omit “ Ninepence ”, insert “ Eight cents ”.
Regulation 203.....	Omit “ One shilling and threepence ”, insert “ Twelve cents ”.
Regulation 205.....	Omit from paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (I.) “ Sixpence ”, insert “ Five cents ”.
	Omit from paragraph (d) of sub-regulation (1.) “ Sixpence ” and “ Ninepence ”, insert “ Five cents ” and “ Eight cents ”, respectively.
Regulation 213a.....	Omit from sub-regulation (3.) “ penny ”, insert “ cent ”.
Regulation 226.....	Omit sub-regulation (1.), insert the following sub-regulation:—
	“ (1.) The rates of commission chargeable for the issue of money orders are—
	(a) in respect of a money order payable in the Commonwealth —Twelve cents for the first Ten dollars or part of Ten dollars and Eight cents for each additional Ten dollars or part of Ten dollars; and
	(b) in respect of a money order payable otherwise than in the Commonwealth—
	(i) if the amount for which the money order is issued docs not exceed Four dollars—Twelve cents; or
	(ii) if the amount for which the money order is issued exceeds Four dollars—Five cents for each Two dollars or part of Two dollars.”.
Regulation 227.....	Omit “ penny ”, insert “ cent ”.

________________

By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1966 No. 24, titled "Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961," was enacted to amend the existing Postal Regulations to reflect the decimal currency reform that transitioned Australia from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the need for updating the monetary values and denominations on postal stamps and rates to align with the new currency system established by the Currency Act 1965. The enactment was made by the Governor-General in accordance with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, and the primary policy objective was to ensure a smooth transition to the new decimal currency by updating relevant postal services and fees. The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961 specify the conversion rates for repurchasing stamps issued in the old currency, update the denominations and poundage rates, and revise various fees and charges associated with postal services to reflect the new currency values. These amendments were designed to facilitate the transition and maintain the efficiency and functionality of postal services during the changeover period from February 1966 to February 1971.

Scope and Application

The Regulations Under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961 apply to the Commonwealth of Australia, with a specific focus on postal services managed by the Commonwealth. These regulations govern the operational aspects of the postal service, including the repurchase of postage stamps issued in the former currency from the fourteenth day of February 1966 until the thirteenth day of February 1971. The conversion of currency values from the old system to the new decimal currency is detailed within the regulations, ensuring that the face value of the stamps is correctly calculated according to the Currency Act 1965. Additionally, the regulations address various aspects of postal services such as the denominations and poundage of stamps, and the rates of payment to masters of vessels for the conveyance of mails. The scope of the regulations extends to modifying existing regulations under the Postal Regulations to align with the new currency system, impacting the general public, postal service providers, and anyone involved in the issuance or use of postage stamps and money orders within the Commonwealth. The regulations do not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions but are comprehensive in their amendments to reflect the currency change.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of these Regulations (sections 1 to 5) amend the Postal Regulations, which are governed by the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961. Section 1 introduces a new regulation (118) concerning the repurchase of postage stamps issued in the former currency, effective from 14 February 1966 until 13 February 1971. This new regulation provides for the conversion of the face value of these stamps into the currency specified by the Currency Act 1965. Section 2 amends regulation 247 to update the denominations and corresponding poundage of postage stamps, while section 3 revises regulation 258 to update the rates of payment to masters of vessels for the conveyance of mails within and beyond the Commonwealth. Section 4 makes general amendments to various regulations to reflect the decimal currency transition by replacing references to pre-decimal currency terms (e.g., pounds, shillings, pence, and penny) with their decimal equivalents (e.g., dollars and cents). These Regulations impose specific obligations and requirements on various parties, including the Commonwealth, postal service providers, and postal service users. The Commonwealth is required to repurchase postage stamps indicating amounts in the former currency within the specified period and to convert these amounts into the decimal currency as per the Currency Act 1965. Postal service providers must update their pricing structures for stamps and money orders to reflect the new denominations and rates as outlined in the amended regulations. Postal service users are expected to use the updated postage rates and follow the new procedures for purchasing and using postage stamps and money orders. Any breaches of these Regulations may result in civil or criminal consequences, although specific offences, penalties, or consequences are not explicitly detailed within the text of these Regulations. However, given the context of the underlying Act and common regulatory practices, breaches could potentially lead to fines, legal action, or other administrative penalties as deemed appropriate by the relevant authorities. The maximum penalties would depend on the specific nature of the breach and the provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961.

Area of Law: Commercial Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Commencement Provisions; Regulatory Standards; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations

Interactions

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.

Legislation content

Overview

Scope and Application

Key Provisions

Legal classification tags

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions