War Precautions (Passports) Regulations 1916

Legislation au C1916L00206 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1916. No. 206.

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REGULATIONS UNDER THE WAR PRECAUTIONS ACT 1914–1916.

War Precautions (Passports) Regulations 1916.

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 War Precautions Act 1914–1916, to come into operation forthwith.

Such Regulations shall supersede the Provisional Regulations contained in Statutory Rules 1916, No. 126.

Dated this thirtieth day of August, 1916.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

G. F. PEARCE,

Minister of State for Defence.

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War Precautions (Passports) Regulations 1916.

Short title.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the War Precautious (Passports) Regulations 1916.

Interpretation.

2. In these Regulations—

“Passport” means a passport issued or renewed not more than two years previously by, or on behalf of, the Government of the country of which the person to whom it relates is a subject or citizen, and which is still in force, or some other document satisfactorily establishing the nationality and identity of the person to whom it relates, to which passport or document there is attached a photograph of the person to whom it relates.

“Competent naval or military authority” has the same meaning as in the War Precautions Regulations 1915.

Persons entering Commonwealth to have Passports.

3. After the first day of September, 1916, no person whose age exceeds or appears to an officer to exceed fifteen years shall land at any place in the Commonwealth from any place beyond the Commonwealth unless he is in possession of a passport which, in the case of a person coming from a foreign country, has been issued or viséed by the British Ambassador or a British Consul in that country, and in the case of a person coming from another part of the British Dominions has been issued or viséed by the proper authorities in that part of the Dominions.

C.11609.—Price 3d.


Persons leaving Commonwealth to have passports.

4. After the first day of August, 1916, no person whose age exceeds or appears to an officer to exceed fifteen years shall embark at any place in the Commonwealth for any place beyond the Commonwealth unless he is in possession of a passport.

Exemption.

5. (1) Regulations 3 and 4 of these Regulations shall not apply to—

(i) Any member of the Naval or Military Forces of any part of the British Dominions entering or leaving the Commonwealth on duty;

(ii) any member of the crew of any vessel who has signed on in any country outside the Commonwealth and who leaves the Commonwealth in continuation of the same voyage in the same vessel, or any member of the crew of any vessel who signs on in Australia for an oversea voyage who satisfies a competent naval or military authority that he is by occupation a seafaring man;

(iii) any person visiting New Zealand, if he is in possession of a permit to visit New Zealand issued by or under the authority of the Department of External Affairs, and if he travels in a vessel trading solely between the Commonwealth and New Zealand;

(iiia) any person returning from New Zealand, if he is possession of a permit to visit New Zealand issued by or under the authority of the Department of External Affairs in whatever vessel he travels;

(iv) any person visiting the Commonwealth from New Zealand or returning to New Zealand, if he is in possession of a permit to visit the Commonwealth issued by the proper authorities in New Zealand

(v) any person going to or returning from Papua or Norfolk Island who is employed by the Administration of either of these places;

(vi) all bonâ-fide residents or tourists travelling to or from Papua or Norfolk Islands who hold return tickets;

(vii) any person to whom a certificate exempting him from the dictation test under the Immigration Act 1901–1912 has been issued by or under the authority of the Department of External Affairs so long as the certificate remains in force; and

(2) (a) The Minister for Defence, or any officer or other person authorized by him to grant exemptions, may exempt any person from any or all of the provisions of Regulations 3 and 4 of these Regulations.

(b) If such exemption be granted subject to any condition and the person to whom it is granted fails to comply with such condition he shall be guilty of an offence.

Power to detain passports.

6. (1) Any officer of the Naval or Military Forces and any officer of Customs or police, and any person authorized in that behalf by a competent naval or military authority may take possession of any passport in the possession of any person entering the Commonwealth.

(2) Any passport taken under the power conferred by these Regulations may be detained by any person authorized by the Minister in that behalf until the person from whom it was taken embarks from any place in the Commonwealth.


Attempting or aiding or abetting contravention of Regulations.

7. Any person who—

(a) attempts to commit, or procures, aids or abets, or does any act preparatory to, the commission of any act prohibited by these Regulations, or

(b) knowingly harbors any person whom he knows or has reasonable grounds for supposing to have acted in contravention of these Regulations,

shall be guilty of an offence against the Act.

Obstruction officers in performance of duties.

8. If any person obstructs or otherwise interferes with or impedes any officer who is carrying out the orders of the competent naval or military; authority, or who is authorized in that behalf by the Minister, or who is otherwise acting in accordance with his duty under these Regulations, he shall be deemed to have acted in contravention of these Regulations.

Duty of disclosing contravention of Regulations.

9. It shall be the duty of every person who knows that some other person is acting in contravention of these Regulations to inform a competent naval or military authority of the fact, and if he fails to do so he shall be deemed to have acted in contravention of these Regulations,

Arrest.

10. Any person who acts in contravention of these Regulations or who is reasonably suspected of having so acted or being about so to act, may be taken into custody without warrant by any officer of Customs or police or by any person authorized in that behalf by a competent naval or military authority.

Penalty for making false statements.

11. (1) Any person who for the purpose of obtaining a passport makes any false or misleading statement whether in writing or verbally shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Any person who in recommending any other person for or submitting any document in support of an application for a passport for such person makes any false or misleading statements therein either in regard to such person or to himself shall be guilty of an offence.

Repeal

12 (1) Regulation 17c of the War Precautions Regulations 1915 (Statutory Rules 1915, No. 130, as amended by Statutory Rules 1916, No. 67) is repealed as from the date of the making of these Regulations.

(2) Regulation 56a of the War Precautions Regulations 1915 (Statutory Rules 1915, No. 130. as amended by Statutory Rules 1916, No. 47) is repealed, as from the date specified in Regulation 4 of these Regulations.

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

Overview

The War Precautions (Passports) Regulations 1916 were enacted to address the need for stricter control over passport requirements during a period of heightened security concerns. This legislative instrument was introduced under the War Precautions Act 1914–1916 by the Governor-General in Council, with the aim of enhancing the safety and security of Australia during wartime. These regulations superseded the Provisional Regulations and established stringent requirements for individuals entering or leaving the Commonwealth, with exemptions for certain categories of people such as military personnel and bona fide residents. The overarching policy objective was to prevent unauthorised individuals from entering or leaving the country, thereby maintaining national security during the war.

Scope and Application

The War Precautions (Passports) Regulations 1916 apply to all persons entering or leaving the Commonwealth of Australia who are over the age of fifteen. These Regulations were established under the War Precautions Act 1914–1916 and aim to control the movement of individuals in and out of Australia during a period of war. The Regulations require that all individuals over fifteen years of age must possess a passport when entering or leaving the Commonwealth, except for those exempted under the Regulations. Exemptions include members of the Naval or Military Forces of any part of the British Dominions, members of the crew of vessels, individuals travelling to or from New Zealand under specific conditions, individuals employed by the Administration of Papua or Norfolk Island, bona fide residents or tourists travelling to or from Papua or Norfolk Islands, and individuals holding a certificate exempting them from the dictation test under the Immigration Act 1901–1912. Additionally, the Minister for Defence or authorised officers may grant further exemptions subject to conditions. The Regulations also provide for the detention of passports, penalties for making false statements, and the detention of individuals suspected of contravening the Regulations. The Regulations have a national reach and supersede previous provisional regulations, with specific repeals of certain provisions from earlier regulations.

Key Provisions

The War Precautions (Passports) Regulations 1916 (Regulations) outline specific requirements for passports and travel documentation for individuals entering and leaving the Commonwealth. Section 3 mandates that after 1 September 1916, no person over the age of fifteen can land in the Commonwealth from abroad without a passport that has been issued or viséed by a British Ambassador or Consul, or the appropriate authorities in the British Dominions. Section 4 similarly stipulates that no one over the age of fifteen can leave the Commonwealth for a location abroad without a passport. These sections establish the primary conditions under which passports are required for travel. The Regulations impose various obligations on individuals to ensure compliance with passport requirements. For instance, Section 3 and Section 4 apply to all persons over the age of fifteen entering or leaving the Commonwealth, but Section 5 provides specific exemptions. These include members of the Naval or Military Forces on duty, bona fide crew members continuing their voyage, and individuals with certain permits or certificates. Furthermore, Section 6 grants officers of the Naval or Military Forces, Customs, and police, as well as authorized individuals, the authority to seize passports from travellers. This authority underscores the stringent measures in place to enforce compliance with passport regulations. Failure to comply with the Regulations can result in various civil and criminal penalties. Section 7 outlines that attempting, aiding, or abetting a contravention of the Regulations is an offence. Additionally, knowingly harbouring someone who has contravened the Regulations constitutes an offence. Section 8 penalizes any person who obstructs or interferes with officers performing their duties under the Regulations. Section 9 imposes a duty on individuals to report any knowledge of others contravening the Regulations to a competent naval or military authority, with failure to report deemed a contravention of the Regulations. Section 10 allows for the arrest without a warrant of individuals suspected of contravening the Regulations. Furthermore, Section 11 penalizes the making of false or misleading statements for the purpose of obtaining a passport or in documents supporting such an application. These provisions collectively outline the potential consequences for non-compliance with passport regulations.

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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.