{"id":"museum-regulations-1973","name":"Museum Regulations 1973","slug":"museum-regulations-1973","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":179096,"registerId":"wa-museum-regulations-1973-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Museum Regulations 1973","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nMuseum Act 1969\n\nMuseum Regulations 1973\n\n- **Reprinted under the *Reprints Act 1984* as**\n- **at 2 April 2004**\n\n\nWestern Australia\n\nMuseum Regulations 1973\n\nContents\n\n1. Citation 1\n\n3. Interpretation 1\n\n4. Common Seal 2\n\n5. Admission to Museum, etc. 3\n\n6. Notice prohibiting access to certain areas 3\n\n7. Behaviour when on Museum property 4\n\n8. Certain equipment, explosives etc. prohibited 5\n\n9. Unclaimed specimens 5\n\n10. Removal of disorderly persons 5\n\n11. Damage, etc. on Museum land or premises 6\n\n12. Minor offences in Museum building 7\n\n13. Cloaking articles 7\n\n14. No photography, etc. without permission 8\n\n15. Wardens 8\n\nSchedule\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 10\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\n- Crest **Reprinted under the *Reprints Act 1984* as**\n- **at 2 April 2004**\n\n\nWestern Australia\n\nMuseum Act 1969\n\nMuseum Regulations 1973\n\n##### 1. Citation\n\nThese Regulations may be cited as the *Museum Regulations 1973* 1.\n\n[**2.** Omitted under the Reprints Act 1984 s. 7(4)(f).]\n\n##### 3. Interpretation\n\n(1) In these regulations —\n\n  the Act means the *Museum Act 1969*;\n\n  the Director means the person appointed under the Act as Director of the Museum and includes the person from time to time acting in the place of the Director;\n\n  the Museum means the body corporate, known as “The Western Australian Museum”, constituted by the Act;\n\n  the Trustees mean the Trustees of the Museum appointed pursuant to the Act;\n\nwarden means a person appointed by the Trustees to be a warden for the purposes of these regulations, whether a member of the staff of the Museum or in an honorary capacity.\n\n(2) These regulations —\n\n(a) apply in relation to any land under the control or management of the Trustees pursuant to any Act, whether vested in the Museum or otherwise, including any reserve, site or protected area administered by or on behalf of the Trustees in relation to which the Trustees have a duty under the Act;\n\n(b) apply in relation to the land and buildings of the Museum at Perth, and to any branch of the Museum;\n\n(c) do not apply to any Trustee, to the Director or any officer of the Museum, or to any person authorised in writing by the Director, whilst lawfully acting in the performance of his duties in relation to any land or buildings to which these regulations apply.\n\n(3) The Trustees may, by notice in the *Gazette* apply these regulations to any municipal museum recognised by the Trustees.\n\n##### 4. Common Seal\n\n(1) The form of the Common Seal of the Museum shall be —\n\n![2GEmp House0002]()\n\n(2) The Common Seal shall be kept in safe custody by the Chairman of the Trustees, or if the Chairman so directs, by the Director.\n\n(3) The Common Seal shall not be affixed to any document unless —\n\n(a) the Trustees have directed by resolution at a regular meeting that the Common Seal be affixed to the document; and\n\n(b) the Common Seal is affixed by the Chairman or the Vice‑Chairman of Trustees in the presence of the Director.\n\n##### 5. Admission to Museum, etc.\n\nThe Trustees —\n\n(a) may determine to what portion of the lands or buildings to which these regulations apply the public, or any person or class of persons specified by the Trustees, shall be admitted and the conditions upon which admittance shall be allowed;\n\n(b) shall cause notice of any determination under this regulation of the days and hours during which any place is open for admission to the public to be exhibited; or\n\n(c) may restrict access to any land or building, or any portion thereof, either generally or in relation to a specified person or class of persons, at any time, whether otherwise open to admission or not.\n\n##### 6. Notice prohibiting access to certain areas\n\n(1) The Trustees may, by notice —\n\n(a) served personally;\n\n(b) erected or displayed in a prominent position on or near that land or building; or\n\n(c) published in the *Gazette*,\n\nprohibit access to any land or building, or any portion thereof, either generally or in relation to any specified person or class of persons, and any such prohibition may vary as to time, circumstance or otherwise as specified in the notice.\n\n(2) A person shall not, without the consent of the Director, enter or remain on any land or in any part of any building to which the public is not admitted or contrary to the conditions upon which the public is admitted, or contrary to the provisions of a notice given under subregulation (1).\n\nPenalty: $100.\n\n##### 7. Behaviour when on Museum property\n\nWhilst on any land or building to which these regulations apply a person —\n\n(a) shall obey any reasonable direction of the Director or any member of the staff of the Museum or a warden;\n\n(b) shall not wilfully obstruct the Director or any member of the staff of the Museum or a warden in the execution of his duty, or fail or refuse to state his name and address when lawfully required to do so, or state a false name or address, or fail or refuse to leave that land or building when required to do so;\n\n(c) shall not behave in a disorderly manner, or use violent or abusive or offensive language, or create or take part in any disturbance, or cause a nuisance, or wilfully disturb or annoy any other person in the proper use of that land or building, or permit any animal belonging to him or under his control to enter any building or cause damage on any land;\n\n(d) shall not, without the consent of the Director, handle, mark, deface, move, disturb, uncover, damage, destroy, or remove any specimen, relic, artefact, inscription, arrangement, or other object or exhibit in the possession or care of the Museum, or wilfully disturb the general surrounding environment.\n\nPenalty: $100.\n\n##### 8. Certain equipment, explosives etc. prohibited\n\nExcept under and in accordance with the prior approval of the Director a person shall not bring on to any land or building to which these regulations apply —\n\n(a) any diving equipment, digging equipment, lifting equipment, or explosive; or\n\n(b) any food, beverage or other article for sale.\n\nPenalty: $100.\n\n##### 9. Unclaimed specimens\n\n(1) Where a specimen or other thing has been received on behalf of the Museum for the purposes of identification or for a similar purpose and at the time it was received no undertaking was given to return it to the person from whom it was received, the Director may, at his discretion, retain that specimen or other thing for Museum use or he may destroy or dispose of it as he thinks fit if it is not reclaimed from the Museum within 30 days of its receipt.\n\n(2) No liability arises in respect of the destruction or disposal of a thing carried out in pursuance of this regulation.\n\n##### 10. Removal of disorderly persons\n\nThe Director, any member of the staff of the Museum, or a warden, with such assistants as he thinks necessary, may remove from any land or building to which these regulations apply —\n\n(a) any person behaving in a disorderly manner;\n\n(b) any person who appears to be intoxicated;\n\n(c) any person who appears to be using the land or premises for any unlawful purpose or for a purpose contrary to the objects of the Act;\n\n(d) any person who has committed a breach of these regulations if it appears that his continued presence may lead to a further breach of the regulations.\n\n##### 11. Damage, etc. on Museum land or premises\n\nOn any land or premises to which these regulations apply, a person shall not, without the written consent of the Director or a person authorised in writing by the Director, —\n\n(a) alter, damage, or destroy any notice, boundary, fence, shelter, grille, cutting, drain, protective work or other thing which the Museum has, or has caused to be, erected, constructed, made or placed thereon or therein;\n\n(b) dig any hole or otherwise disturb the surface of the ground, or remove or disturb any stone, soil, sand, rock or gravel, or any other natural object;\n\n(c) cut, pick, pull, break, remove, take, injure, poison, strip or destroy any tree, shrub, herb, grass or other plant or part thereof whether living or dead;\n\n(d) post, stick, stamp, stencil, paint, draw or otherwise affix or make any mark, symbol, lettering, notice, advertisement, poster, sign or document of any description;\n\n(e) except in a place approved or provided for the purpose —\n\n(i) drive, tow, operate or park any vehicle;\n\n(ii) camp, erect tents or shelters, light fires or make fireplaces;\n\n(iii) deposit or leave any refuse, rubbish or litter; or\n\n(iv) take, ride or drive, graze or agist any horse, cattle, sheep, goat, camel, donkey or pig, or allow any such animal to remain;\n\n(f) unlock, unfasten or leave open any gate unless duly authorised to do so; or\n\n(g) except with the prior written approval of the Director and in accordance with such requirements as he may impose, take any photograph or make any recording for the purpose of commercial reproduction or publication.\n\nPenalty: $50.\n\n##### 12. Minor offences in Museum building\n\n(1) A person shall not, in any building to which these regulations apply —\n\n(a) loiter or sleep, or lie on the chairs, table or floor or elsewhere;\n\n(b) expectorate;\n\n(c) smoke in an area not set aside for that purpose;\n\n(d) partake of refreshment, except with the consent of the Director or in a place provided for the purpose; or\n\n(e) bet or gamble.\n\nPenalty: $20.\n\n##### 13. Cloaking articles\n\n(1) A person entering a building to which these regulations apply may be required to deposit, in the place specified by a notice posted in a prominent position at or near the entrance, any umbrella, bag, overcoat, parcel or other article of a kind described in that notice that he has in his possession.\n\nPenalty: $10.\n\n(2) Where any article deposited in accordance with this regulation is not reclaimed within 7 days the Museum may forward the article to the Police.\n\n(3) The Museum shall not be liable for any loss of or damage to any article deposited or forwarded to the Police in accordance with this regulation.\n\n##### 14. No photography, etc. without permission\n\nA person shall not, without the consent in writing of the Director, publish any photograph, recording or reproduction of any object, exhibit or other thing in the possession or care of the Museum.\n\nPenalty: $100.\n\n##### 15. Wardens\n\n(1) A person appointed by the Trustees to be a warden for the purposes of these regulations may exercise such powers as the Trustees may by resolution confer upon him, either throughout the State or in a specified area or areas only, according to the terms of his appointment.\n\n(2) A person appointed to be an honorary warden shall be furnished with a certificate in the form set out in the schedule to this regulation evidencing his appointment and shall produce such certificate whenever required to do so by any person in respect of whom he has exercised or is about to exercise any of his powers under these regulations or the Act.\n\nSchedule\n\n*MUSEUM ACT 1969*\n\nName ......................................................................................................................\n\nof (Address) ...........................................................................................................\n\nis hereby certified to have been appointed as an honorary warden by the Trustees in relation to —\n\nArea in which  \nthe warden is  \nauthorised to act ............................................................................................ ............................................................................................\n\nThe validity of this certificate expires on ..............................................................  \n(Date)\n\n.....................................................................\n\n.......................................................................  \nDirector.\n\nSignature of warden ................................................................\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a reprint as at 2 April 2004 of the *Museum Regulations 1973*. The following table contains information about those regulations and any reprint.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Citation** | **Gazettal** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| *Museum Regulations 1973* | 21 Sep 1973 p. 3503‑6 | 21 Sep 1973 |\n| **Reprint 1: The *Museum Regulations 1973* as at 2 Apr 2004** | | |\n\n\nDefined terms\n\n*[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]*\n\n**Defined term Provision(s)**\n\nthe Act 3(1)\n\nthe Director 3(1)\n\nthe Museum 3(1)\n\nthe Trustees 3(1)\n\nwarden 3(1)\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations appear consistent with their original purpose of governing museum operations and visitor conduct. The scope remains focused on administrative procedures (common seal), access control, visitor behaviour, and protection of museum property and specimens. There is no evidence of significant scope creep beyond the original intent of regulating the Western Australian Museum's physical sites and collections."},"complexity_factors":["Short length (15 regulations plus schedule)","Only 5 defined terms in the interpretation section","Minimal cross-referencing (primarily references back to the parent Museum Act 1969)","Straightforward conditional logic (mostly 'shall not' prohibitions with simple exceptions)","Clear penalty structure with specific dollar amounts for each offence","Simple administrative procedures (e.g., seal custody, warden appointments)","No nested exceptions or complex definitional chains"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations set the rules for visiting and using Western Australian Museum sites. They cover everything from opening hours and ticket prices (set by the Trustees) to what visitors can and cannot do on museum property.\n\n**Key rules include:**\n\n*   **Access control:** The Trustees can decide who enters which parts of the museum, restrict access to certain areas, and post notices prohibiting entry. Entering restricted areas without permission carries a $100 fine.\n*   **Visitor behaviour:** Visitors must follow staff directions, cannot be disorderly or abusive, and cannot damage exhibits or the environment. Fines up to $100 apply for bad behaviour or touching exhibits without permission.\n*   **Prohibited items:** You cannot bring diving gear, digging equipment, explosives, or items for sale onto museum land without prior approval ($100 fine).\n*   **Protection of property:** It is illegal to damage fences, dig holes, pick plants, post signs, drive vehicles, camp, or light fires without written permission ($50 fine).\n*   **Indoor conduct:** No sleeping on furniture, spitting, smoking outside designated areas, eating outside designated areas, or gambling ($20 fine).\n*   **Bag checks:** Visitors may be required to check umbrellas, bags, and coats at the entrance ($10 fine for refusal).\n*   **Photography:** You need written permission from the Director to take photos for commercial purposes or to publish photos of museum objects ($100 fine).\n*   **Unclaimed items:** If you leave something with the museum for identification and don't claim it within 30 days, the museum can keep it or destroy it.\n*   **Enforcement:** Museum staff and appointed \"wardens\" (volunteer or staff with official certificates) can remove disorderly, intoxicated, or rule-breaking visitors.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\nAnyone visiting Western Australian Museum sites, including the main Perth building and any branches or protected sites managed by the Trustees. It does not apply to museum staff or Trustees acting in their official duties.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThese regulations protect cultural and natural heritage collections, ensure visitor safety, and maintain order at public institutions. They give the museum legal authority to remove troublemakers, prevent damage to sensitive sites (including archaeological and environmental areas), and control how museum images are used commercially."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These regulations implement and operationalise powers granted by the Museum Act 1969 rather than altering the Act's fundamental scope. They set practical rules for access, behaviour, penalties, property handling and administration, while expressly allowing Trustees to extend the regulations to municipal museums (s 3(3)). The result is administrative delegation and clarified operational boundaries, not a material change to the statutory objects or primary legal authority."},"complexity_factors":["Broad delegation of discretion to Trustees and the Director (ss 5, 6, 9, 11, 15) — administrative decisions determine access, handling, disposal and permissions.","Multiple low-value penalties for varied breaches (ss 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14) — enforcement requires monitoring and records of incidents.","Wide geographic/application scope (s 3(2)) and power to extend to municipal museums (s 3(3)) — potential coordination across sites and jurisdictions.","Overlap with public-order and criminal enforcement (ss 7, 10) — interactions with police or security may be required.","Operational/formal requirements for corporate acts (common seal) and appointment evidence for wardens (s 4; s 15 & Schedule) — procedural compliance burden for administration.","Restrictions on commercial activity (ss 8, 11(g), 14) introduce licensing/approval processes for photography, sales and recordings."],"plain_english_summary":"**What it does.** The Museum Regulations 1973 set enforceable rules for public access, conduct, handling and publication of museum objects, the Museum’s common seal, appointment of wardens, and disposal of unclaimed specimens. They give the Trustees and the Director discretion to admit or exclude people and to permit activities, and impose modest fines for breaches. Visitors and commercial users bear compliance costs; Trustees/Director exercise decision-making power that changes on-site behaviour and controls commercial reproduction."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed. The legislation content was not returned — only a website error page and an Acknowledgement of Country were present in the provided text. No legislative provisions, definitions, or amendments were available for review."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative content was retrievable — the source URL returned a 'page not found' error rather than actual legislation text","Impossible to assess true legal complexity without access to the document","Score of 1 reflects the absence of content to analyse, not any assessment of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"## Museum Regulations 1973 (WA) — Content Unavailable\n\nThe actual text of these Western Australian regulations could not be retrieved. The webpage hosting the **Museum Regulations 1973** is no longer available at its previous address due to system and security upgrades on the Western Australian legislation website.\n\n**What this means for you:** No meaningful analysis of this legislation can be provided because the document content is inaccessible. To find the current text of these regulations, you should:\n- Visit the [Western Australian Legislation website](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au) and search directly for \"Museum Regulations 1973\"\n- Contact the Parliamentary Counsel's Office Helpdesk as suggested on the error page\n- Check if these regulations have been repealed, replaced, or consolidated into newer legislation"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/museum-regulations-1973","history":"/api/acts/museum-regulations-1973/history","analysis":"/api/acts/museum-regulations-1973/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/museum-regulations-1973/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/museum-regulations-1973/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/museum-regulations-1973/documents"}}