Commonwealth legislation

Naturalization Regulations 1915

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

227 of 1915

Collection

legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

What it is: These regulations set the fees for accessing citizenship records held by the Department of External Affairs.

What it does:

Record searches: Charges 2 shillings and 6 pence (roughly half a day's wages at the time) to search the official citizenship files
Certified copies: Charges 2 shillings and 6 pence for an official stamped copy of a citizenship certificate

Who it affects: People needing to prove they (or their ancestors) became Australian citizens, as well as legal representatives and family historians.

Why it matters: These certificates were the legal proof of citizenship. Before digital records, you had to physically visit the government office and pay these fees to get proof of citizenship status—a barrier that could affect voting rights, employment, or travel.

JSON API

Deep dive

Want the full deep dive?

Zoe can write the in-depth analysis on top of the summary above: how it works, who it affects and what each part actually does.

Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in Naturalization Regulations 1915.

Naturalization Regulations 1915

STATUTORY RULES.

1915. No. 227.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NATURALIZATION ACT 1903.

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 Naturalization Act 1903 to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this twenty-fourth day of November, One thousand nine hundred and fifteen.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

H. MAHON,

Minister of State for External Affairs

Short Title.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the “Naturalization Regulations 1915.”

Fee for Search.

2. Any person may, an application at the office of the Naturalization Branch of the Department of External Affairs, have a search made in the records of memorials of certificates of naturalization upon payment of a fee of Two shillings and sixpence for each search.

Fee for Certified Copy.

3. Certified copies of any certificate of naturalization may be obtained by any person from the office of the Naturalization Branch of the Department of External Affairs on payment of a fee of Two shillings and sixpence for each certified copy.

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

C.16031.—Price 3d.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Naturalization Regulations 1915