{"id":"roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929","name":"Roman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929","slug":"roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":109969,"registerId":"wa-roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Roman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nRoman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929\n\nWestern Australia\n\nRoman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929\n\nContents\n\n1. Short title 1\n\n2. Interpretation 1\n\n3. Certain property vested in Abbot Nullius 1\n\n4. Abbot Nullius to be a corporation sole 2\n\n5. Power to lease 2\n\n6. Power to mortgage 2\n\n7. Power to sell 3\n\n8. Governor’s approval required for certain sales etc. 4\n\n9. Purchasers, etc., protected from certain irregularities 4\n\n10. Land titles, registration and fees 4\n\n11. Power to appoint attorneys 5\n\n12. Power to appoint administrator to act on death of Abbot 5\n\nSchedule — Land vested in Abbot Nullius of New Norcia\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 7\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\nWestern Australia\n\nRoman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929\n\nAn Act to vest in the Abbot Nullius of New Norcia and his successors in office land and other property belonging to the Roman Catholic Church within the “Territory Nullius of New Norcia,” and to make further provision for disposing of such property, and for other relative purposes.\n\n##### 1. Short title\n\nThis Act may be cited as the *Roman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929*, and shall come into operation upon a day to be fixed by proclamation 1.\n\n##### 2. Interpretation\n\nIn this Act the word property includes property of every kind whatsoever, both legal and equitable, real and personal, and choses in action.\n\n##### 3. Certain property vested in Abbot Nullius\n\nThe lands comprised in the instruments of title set out in the schedule hereto, and all other property now or hereafter belonging to the Roman Catholic Church or vested in any person as trustee on account of the said Church and situated within the Territory Nullius of New Norcia, shall by virtue hereof vest absolutely in the Abbot Nullius of New Norcia for the time being and his successors in office, subject to all trusts and dispositions respectively affecting the same.\n\n##### 4. Abbot Nullius to be a corporation sole\n\nFor the purposes of this Act the said Abbot shall be a corporation sole by the name of “The Abbot Nullius of New Norcia” with perpetual succession, and by and in that name may sue and be sued and shall have power to purchase, hold, and take property and (subject to the trusts and dispositions aforesaid and to the provisions of this Act hereinafter contained), to sell, mortgage, lease, and dispose of any property hereby vested.\n\n##### 5. Power to lease\n\nSubject to section 8, the said Abbot and his successors in office may, from time to time, lease any lands vested in him or them as such Abbot as aforesaid for any term with or without a right of renewal, and either by way of building lease or otherwise, and subject to such covenants, conditions and agreements as the lessor may think fit.\n\n##### 6. Power to mortgage\n\n(1) Subject to section 8, the said Abbot and his successors in office may from time to time borrow and take up at interest any sum or sums of money on security of any lands vested in him or them as such Abbot as aforesaid,\n\n(a) for the purpose of building upon any of such lands or otherwise improving the same, and for any other purpose or purposes whatsoever which the said Abbot or his successors in office may deem necessary from time to time;\n\n(b) for the purpose of paying and discharging debts heretofore incurred and which are secured by existing mortgages on church lands within the Territory Nullius of New Norcia, and to mortgage in fee or for a term of years any of such lands so vested as aforesaid as security for the amount of any such loan, and either with or without a power of sale and leasing respectively in case of default being made in payment of the principal and interest moneys at the time or times by such mortgage appointed for the payment thereof respectively, and with or without a power of distress and such other and accompanying powers, clauses, and provisions as he or they shall deem expedient, and to give receipts for the moneys so advanced.\n\n(2) The lands so to be mortgaged shall thenceforth be held by the mortgagee or mortgagees thereof, and his or their executors, administrators and assigns, freed and absolutely discharged from the trusts upon which the same may for the time being be held by the said Abbot.\n\n(3) Unless otherwise therein expressed, no covenant, proviso or other matter or thing contained in any such mortgage shall be deemed or construed to impose on the mortgagor, his executors, administrators, or assigns any personal obligation or responsibility for the repayment of the principal moneys or interest thereby secured.\n\n(4) Any moneys raised by way of mortgage under this section, or any part of such moneys may be expended in building on or otherwise improving the lands comprised in the security or any other lands within the Territory Nullius of New Norcia not therein comprised.\n\n(5) This section shall not authorise a mortgage of any land held upon any express trust or condition against alienation.\n\n##### 7. Power to sell\n\nSubject to section 8, the said Abbot and his successors in office may, from time to time, sell any lands or any part thereof vested in him or them as such Abbot as aforesaid, and transfer or otherwise assure the same to a purchaser, unless such land is held upon any empress trust or condition against alienation.\n\n##### 8. Governor’s approval required for certain sales etc.\n\nNo assurance on sale or mortgage or any lease for a term exceeding 21 years of lands granted by the Crown to or for the use or benefit of the Roman Catholic Church, without pecuniary consideration therefor, shall be valid unless countersigned as approved by the Governor for the time being with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.\n\n##### 9. Purchasers, etc., protected from certain irregularities\n\n(1) Subject to section 8, no purchaser, mortgagee or lessee of any lands vested in the said Abbot as aforesaid shall be bound or concerned to inquire whether any power of sale, mortgage or lease duly or regularly made or exercised, or in anywise to see to the application of any purchase, mortgage or other moneys, or to inquire into the necessity, regularity or propriety of any such sale, mortgage or lease, or be affected by notice that the same is or are unnecessary, irregular or improper.\n\n(2) No purchaser mortgagee or lessee shall be bound to enquire whether the buildings lands or premises to be affected by any dealing or dealings under this Act are within the Territory Nullius of New Norcia nor as to the appointment of the Abbot Nullius of New Norcia effecting or purporting to effect such dealing, nor be affected by notice that the person purporting to effect such dealing has not been duly and properly appointed The Abbot Nullius of New Norcia.\n\n##### 10. Land titles, registration and fees\n\nThe vesting of any land by this Act in “The Abbot Nullius of New Norcia” shall be registered and noted under the *Transfer of Land Act 1893* or the *Registration of Deeds Act 1856*, as the case may require, and on the document of title to such land free of charge.\n\n[Section 10 amended: No. 60 of 2006 s. 156.]\n\n##### 11. Power to appoint attorneys\n\nThe said Abbot and his successors in office may, from time to time by an instrument in writing under his or their hand and seal, appoint the Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Abbey Nullius of New Norcia and a Priest of the same Abbey Nullius, or either of them, his attorney or attorneys to exercise all or any of the powers conferred upon the said Abbot by this Act during the absence of the said Abbot from the State of Western Australia, and it shall be lawful for such attorney or attorneys so appointed, subject to the provisions of this Act, in, the name and on behalf of the said Abbot to exercise such powers accordingly and to execute and sign all documents and writings required to give effect thereto.\n\n##### 12. Power to appoint administrator to act on death of Abbot\n\nThe said Abbot and his successors in office may, by an instrument in writing under his or their hand and seal, appoint an administrator or administrators to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the said Abbot from the date of his death until his successor has been canonically appointed and has taken possession of the Abbey Nullius; and it shall be lawful for any such administrator or administrators so appointed, subject to the provisions of this Act, to exercise such powers and perform such duties accordingly, and to execute and sign all documents and writings required to give effect thereto and such documents and writings shall have the same force and effect as if they had been duly sealed and signed by the said Abbot in his lifetime.\n\nSchedule — Land vested in Abbot Nullius of New Norcia\n\n[s. 3]\n\n[Heading amended: No. 19 of 2010 s. 4.]\n\nGrant Enrolled No. 1402 comprising Melbourne location 29.\n\nCertificates of Title:\n\n| Volume 34 | Folio 40 | Volume 478 | Folio 57 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Volume 34 | Folio 41 | Volume 479 | Folio 85 |\n| Volume 292 | Folio 31 | Volume 498 | Folio 1 |\n| Volume 309 | Folio 33 | Volume 617 | Folio 131 |\n| Volume 401 | Folio 105 | Volume 792 | Folio 101 |\n| Volume 401 | Folio 114 | Volume 792 | Folio 102 |\n| Volume 415 | Folio 175 | Volume 792 | Folio 103 |\n| Volume 424 | Folio 193 | Volume 911 | Folio 180 |\n| Volume 426 | Folio 187 | Volume 914 | Folio 2 |\n| Volume 427 | Folio 2 | Volume 994 | Folio 48 |\n| Volume 427 | Folio 3 | Volume 1004 | Folio 542 |\n| Volume 446 | Folio 150 | Volume 1011 | Folio 626 |\n\n\nCrown Leases: No. 2663/1915; No. 48/22.\n\nConditional Purchase Lease: No. 20464/47.\n\n[The Schedule amended: No. 9 of 1930 s. 2.]\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a compilation of the *Roman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929* and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Short title** | **Number and year** | **Assent** | | **Commencement** | |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| *Roman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act 1929* | 32 of 1929 | 23 Dec 1929 | | 31 Dec 1930 (see s. 1 and *Gazette* 31 Dec 1930 p. 2733‑4) | |\n| *Roman Catholic New Norcia Church Property Act Amendment Act 1930* s. 2 | 9 of 1930 | 19 Nov 1930 | | 31 Dec 1930 (see *Gazette* 31 Dec 1930 p. 2733‑4) | |\n| *Land Information Authority Act 2006* s. 156 | 60 of 2006 | 16 Nov 2006 | | 1 Jan 2007 (see s. 2(1) and *Gazette* 8 Dec 2006 p. 5369) | |\n| *Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010* s. 4 | 19 of 2010 | 28 Jun 2010 | 11 Sep 2010 (see s. 2(b) and *Gazette* 10 Sep 2010 p. 4341) | |\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\nproperty 2\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as the legislative text was not available for review. Only the Act's title and a broken web page were provided."},"complexity_factors":["Insufficient content provided — only a website error page was supplied, making substantive analysis impossible","Historical legislation from 1929 may use archaic legal language and concepts if the text were available","Church property laws can involve trust law, corporate law, and ecclesiastical law intersections — but this cannot be confirmed without the text"],"plain_english_summary":"A 1929 Western Australian Act concerning property of the Roman Catholic community at New Norcia, likely establishing how church land and assets are legally held or managed. It chiefly affects the Benedictine community, the Church’s local administrators, and anyone with property or title interests in New Norcia, shaping legal ownership and transfer of historic church assets."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act's core scope—vesting specified church property in the Abbot Nullius and granting powers to manage and dispose of it—remains intact. Amendments recorded in the compilation table (1930, 2006, 2010) are procedural (e.g. schedule heading, registration/fee treatment under s 10) rather than altering the fundamental vesting or disposal powers (ss 3–8)."},"complexity_factors":["Vesting of legal and equitable property in a corporation sole (ss 3–4).","Governor’s approval requirement for assurances of Crown‑granted land (s 8).","Mortgage provisions that free mortgaged land from pre‑existing trusts (s 6(2)).","Protections for purchasers/mortgagees that limit duties to investigate irregularities (s 9).","Cross‑references to land registration regimes and a fee exemption for title documents (s 10).","Express exceptions for lands held on trust or condition against alienation (ss 6(5), 7).","Schedule identifying specific grants, titles and leases subject to the Act."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act vests land and other property of the Roman Catholic Church within the Territory Nullius of New Norcia in the Abbot Nullius and makes the Abbot a corporation sole, authorising the Abbot and successors to hold, lease, mortgage and sell that property (ss 3–7). The Abbot decides on borrowing, leasing or sale; the Governor must approve certain dealings involving Crown‑granted land (s 8); purchasers are protected from inquiry (s 9); and titles are to be registered free of charge (s 10)."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains focused on its original purpose of vesting New Norcia church property in the Abbot and providing management powers. The amendments shown in the compilation table are minor: one added land to the Schedule (1930), one updated a reference to modern land registration legislation (2006), and one was a formatting standardisation (2010). The core scope has not expanded beyond property management for the New Norcia Abbey."},"complexity_factors":["Only 1 defined term ('property' in section 2)","Straightforward structure with 12 short sections","Minimal cross-referencing (primarily references to section 8 regarding Governor's approval)","Simple conditional logic (mainly 'subject to section 8' qualifiers)","Single purpose legislation with clear scope","No nested exceptions or complex definitional chains","Schedule consists of simple land title references rather than complex technical provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"This Western Australian law from 1929 deals with church land owned by the Roman Catholic Church in a specific area called the 'Territory Nullius of New Norcia' (a religious jurisdiction, not to be confused with the legal concept of 'terra nullius').\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Transfers ownership**: It transfers specific church lands and property in the New Norcia area from various trustees into the name of the 'Abbot Nullius of New Norcia' (the head monk of the local monastery) and his successors.\n- **Creates a legal entity**: It makes the Abbot a 'corporation sole' (a legal entity consisting of one person and their successors in a particular office). This means the Abbot can own property, sue people, and be sued—just like a company, but it's just one person holding the office.\n- **Gives management powers**: It gives the Abbot powers to lease, mortgage (borrow money against the land), and sell the property, subject to some restrictions.\n- **Protects buyers**: It protects people who buy, lease, or lend money against the land from worrying about whether the Abbot had proper authority or whether the money was used correctly.\n\n**Key restrictions:**\n- The Governor of Western Australia must approve any sale, mortgage, or lease longer than 21 years if the land was originally granted by the Crown (government) to the Church for free.\n- The Abbot cannot sell or mortgage land that is held on trust with specific conditions against selling it.\n- The Abbot can appoint attorneys to act while away, and can appoint an administrator to manage things temporarily when he dies and before a new Abbot is appointed.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- The Benedictine monastery at New Norcia (Australia's only 'abbey nullius'—meaning it doesn't belong to a diocese but reports directly to Rome)\n- Anyone buying, leasing, or lending money against church property in that area\n- The Western Australian government (which keeps some oversight through the Governor's approval requirement)\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis law solved a practical problem: church property was previously held by various trustees, making management complicated. By vesting it in the Abbot as a corporation sole, it created a clear, continuous legal owner that doesn't change even when individual Abbots die or retire. It's a good example of how Australian states have passed specific laws to help religious organisations manage their property efficiently."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929","history":"/api/acts/roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929/history","analysis":"/api/acts/roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/roman-catholic-new-norcia-church-property-act-1929/documents"}}