//
© 2026 Zoe. All rights reserved.
Zoe is a legal information platform. Always consult the Federal Register of Legislation for authoritative text.
Commonwealth legislation
This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
These Regulations prescribe detailed, practical rules to operate the Quarantine Act 1908: signals, standard health reports and pratique certificates, inspection and disinfection methods, quarantine periods, fees, and penalties. They apply to masters of vessels, shipboard medical officers, importers and owners of animals, plants and goods, and to quarantine officers who exercise discretionary powers. Mechanically, the instrument allocates who decides (quarantine officers/Chief Quarantine Officer), who pays (owners/importers/masters via fees, deposits and overtime), and what behaviour (reporting, isolation, disinfection, permits) is required to gain release.
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.
Direct links to the current provisions in Quarantine Regulations 1911 (Provisional).
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
STATUTORY RULES.
1911. No. 121
PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE QUARANTINE ACT 1908.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the following Regulations under the Quarantine Act 1908 should come into operation on the first day of October 1911, and make the Regulations to come into operation accordingly as Provisional Regulations.
Dated this 17th day of August, One thousand nine hundred and eleven.
DENMAN,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
FRANK G. TUDOR,
Minister for Trade and Customs.
————
PART I.—PRELIMINARY.
Citation.
1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Quarantine Regulations 1911.
Repeal.
(2) All Regulations under the Quarantine Act in force at the passing of these Regulations (Statutory Rules Nos. 73, 100, 146 of 1909, and Nos. 25, 42, 56, 78, 93 of 1910) are hereby repealed.
Parts.
2. These Regulations are divided into Parts as follows:—
Part I.—Preliminary.
Part. II.—General Provisions.
Part III.—Relating to Quarantine of Vessels, Persons, and Goods generally.
Part IV.—a. Relating to Special Measures against Plague.
b. Miscellaneous.
Part V.—Relating to Quarantine of Animals.
Part VI.—Relating to Quarantine of Plants.
C.17706.—Price 1s.
PART II.—GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Quarantine Signal—Section 23.
3. The Quarantine Signal* shall be—
(1) From sunrise to sunset:—
(a) For oversea vessels requiring pratique, the flag known as flag Q, being a yellow flag of six breadths of bunting hoisted at the mainmast-head;
(b) For vessels having or suspected of having a quarantinable disease on board or actually performing quarantine; the flag known as the Commercial flag L, being a large flag of yellow and black, borne quarterly, hoisted at the mainmast-head;
(2) From sunset to sunrise, three lights (two red and one white, each being not less than eight inches in diameter) of such a character as to be visible on a clear night all round the horizon for a distance of two miles, and placed as nearly as practicable amidships, at distances of six feet apart, in the form of an equilateral triangle with the apex (the white light) above.
PART III.—RELATING TO QUARANTINE OF VESSELS, PERSONS, AND GOODS GENERALLY.
Hours of Clearance of Vessels subject to Quarantine.
4. The hours of clearance for vessels subject to Quarantine shall be from sunrise to sunset provided that an authorised quarantine officer may, at any hour between five a.m. and midnight during the months from November to March (inclusive), and between six a.m. and ten p.m. during the remaining months of the year, if so directed by the Chief Quarantine Officer, inspect and clear any vessel carrying a medical officer who is a legally qualified medical practitioner.
* The following are the sections of the Act relating to the Quarantine Signal:—
21. The master of every vessel subject to quarantine shall—
(a) hoist the quarantine signal at the mainmast-head of his vessel before she comes within one league of any port, and
(b) keep the quarantine signal hoisted at the mainmast-head of his vessel while entering or being in any port or quarantine station.
Penalty: One hundred pounds.
22. When the master of any vessel becomes aware that—
(a) any eruptive disease; or
(b) any disease attended with fever and glandular swellings; or
(c) any disease which he believes or suspects, or has reason to believe or suspect, to be a quarantinable disease—
has broken out on board his vessel, he shall forthwith (unless the vessel is actually performing quarantine under the supervision of a quarantine officer)—
(a) notify a quarantine officer of the breaking out of the disease, and
(b) hoist the quarantine signal at the mainmast-head of his vessel, and keep it so hoisted until he is authorized by a quarantine officer to take it down or until the vessel is released from quarantine.
Penalty: Fifty pounds.
23. The quarantine signal shall be as prescribed.
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:114.7%; margin-bottom:0pt; border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr style="height:1pt"><td rowspan="17" style="width:9.36%; height:1pt; margin-left:auto; writing-mode:tb-rl; border-right:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:2pt; vertical-align:top; -moz-transform:rotate(180deg); -ms-transform:rotate(180deg); overflow:hidden; transform:rotate(180deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(180deg)"><div style="height:1pt; margin-left:auto; writing-mode:tb-rl; overflow:hidden"><p style="margin:6pt 5.65pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Under the </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif; font-style:italic">Quarantine Act</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"> 1908, the Master and the Medical Officer are liable to a penalty of £100 for refusal or omission to give a true account and a true reply to any question, and for wilfully making a false statement in answer or for wilfully misleading a quarantine officer they are liable to two year’s imprisonment.</span></p></div></td><td colspan="9" style="border-left:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:2pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-bottom:3pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif; font-style:italic">Health Report—Section </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">27.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.4pt; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">5. (1) The Primary Health Report relating to any vessel at its first port of entry to the Commonwealth shall be in accordance with the following form:—</span></p><p style="margin-top:2pt; margin-bottom:2pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Commonwealth of Australia.</span></p><p style="margin-top:2pt; margin-bottom:2pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">The </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif; font-style:italic">Quarantine Act </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">1908.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.4pt; text-align:justify; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Health report and answers to questions as to the present and recent state of the health of all persons on board, and as to the history and sanitary circumstances of the undermentioned vessel during the current voyage, by</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Master* of the said vessel,</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">and by</span><span style="width:348.37pt; display:inline-block"> </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Medical Officer</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">of the said vessel.</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:1pt"><td rowspan="3" style="width:12.04%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Name, Description, Tonnage, and Nationality of Vessel.</span></p></td><td rowspan="3" style="width:12.68%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Port from which Vessel started, and Date of sailing therefrom.</span></p></td><td colspan="3" style="border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Ports at which Vessel has called, and Dates of arrival and departure.</span></p></td><td colspan="4" style="border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Number of Persons now on Board.</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:24.7pt"><td rowspan="2" style="width:4.82%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Port.</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Date.</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Passengers.</span></p></td><td colspan="2" style="border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Crew.</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:1pt"><td style="width:7.38%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Arri-val.</span></p></td><td style="width:11.18%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Departure.</span></p></td><td style="width:10.4%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Class.</span></p></td><td style="width:6.88%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Num-ber.</span></p></td><td style="width:17.52%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Rating.</span></p></td><td style="width:7.74%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:middle"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:6pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Num-ber.</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:27.15pt"><td style="width:12.04%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Name.</span></p></td><td rowspan="3" style="width:12.68%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td><td rowspan="12" style="width:4.82%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td><td rowspan="12" style="width:7.38%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td><td rowspan="12" style="width:11.18%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:10.4%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">First</span><span style="width:32.86pt; font-family:'Lucida Console', monospace; display:inline-block">.....</span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:6.88%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:17.52%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-left:7.2pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-7.2pt; text-align:justify; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Officers, including master, medical officer, and pursers</span><span style="width:30.7pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block"></span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:7.74%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:35.15pt"><td rowspan="2" style="width:12.04%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-right:0.75pt solid #000000; border-left:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td></tr><tr style="height:26.05pt"><td rowspan="2" style="width:10.4%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Second</span><span style="width:21.76pt; font-family:'Lucida Console', monospace; display:inline-block">...</span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:6.88%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif"></span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:17.52%; border:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:1.62pt; padding-left:1.62pt; vertical-align:top"><p style="margin-top:6pt; margin-left:7.2pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-7.2pt; text-align:justify; line-height:normal; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif">Engineers</span><span style="width:29.11pt; text-indent:0pt; font-family:'Lucida Console', monospace; display:inline-block">....</span></p></td><td rowspan="2" style="width:7.74%; border:0.75pt solid #0
This is an opening excerpt, not the complete document.