Source: National Archives of Australia, Commonwealth documents, Page URL, as at 13.12.2023.
Images of the documents from the above link (protected by copyright).
Commonwealth documents
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Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK) The original Australian Constitution Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1900, presented to Australia ninety years later |
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 scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 | p20 | p21 | p22 | p23 | p24 | p25 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Royal Commission of Assent 9 July 1900 (UK) Signed by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 9 July 1900, this beautiful document established the Commonwealth of Australia |
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scans : p1 | p2 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General 29 October 1900 (UK) Read out to the crowds at the ceremony on 1 January 1901, this document founded the first office of the new nation, that of Governor-General |
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scans : p1 | p2 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Queen Victoria’s Instructions to the Governor-General 29 October 1900 (UK) Last seen in 1946 … still searching |
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scans : wanted transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 (Cth) A document designed to deport 10 000 people |
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scans : p1 | p2 | p3 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (Cth) Building the walls of a White Australia that never was |
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scans : p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 (Cth) Defining who counts in our democracy – the right to vote |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Commonwealth Electoral Act 1924 (Cth) An Australian first – compulsory voting becomes law |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904 (Cth) A fair go – a win for the workers |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 | p20 | p21 | p22 | p23 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Flags Act 1953 (Cth) Who made our flag official – Queen Elizabeth II, or her great-grandfather? |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Australians gain a High Court, and lose a Prime Minister |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 | p20 | p21 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 (Cth) The fight for the Federal Capital Territory finished at last |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Treaty of Versailles 1919 (including Covenant of the League of Nations) The only international document to shape Australia’s constitutional framework |
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scans : case | cover | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 | signature1 | signature2 | signature3 | signature4 | signature5 | signature6 | signature7 | signature8 | signature9 | signature10 | signature11 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Balfour Declaration 1926 (Imperial Conference) Equal in status … and freely associated – a small step for Britain, but a large leap for the Australian people |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (Cth) Australian law comes of age |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 (Cth) Announcing the birth of the Australian citizen |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Royal Style and Titles Act 1953 (Cth) A new Queen is monarch ‘Of the United Kingdom, Australia and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith’ |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Royal Style and Titles Act 1973 (Cth) A souvenir of the first Royal Tour of the Queen of Australia |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Yirrkala bark petitions 1963 (Cth) Two traditions of law meet for the first time in Canberra |
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scans : p1bark | p2bark transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 (Cth) Setting submarine boundaries |
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scans : cover | provisions | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Coastal Waters (State Powers) Act 1980 (Cth) Adjusting the Federation under the seas |
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scans : cover | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Australia Act 1986 (Cth) Alone at last – old constitutional ties undone |
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scans : cover | provisions | p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 transcripts : PDF | RTF | |
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Mabo v Queensland No. 2 1992 (Cth) A glimpse into the longest document shaping the Commonwealth’s first century |
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scans : title | contents | p122 transcripts : No transcript available at this time. |
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