Australian Constitution (Public Record Copy) Act 1990
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act to exclude one of the record copies of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 from the public records to which the Public Records Act 1958 applies. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1990 c. 17 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 June 1990 |
| Commencement | 29 June 1990 |
| Other legislation | |
| Relates to | Public Records Act 1958 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Australian Constitution (Public Record Copy) Act 1990 (c. 17) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1990.
Background
[edit]The public record copy of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 was loaned to Australia in 1988 for the bicentenary of British settlement in Australia.[1] The Australian government made a formal request to Queen Elizabeth II for the act to remain in Australia, as part of the nation's history after the original loan was over.[1] However, under the UK's Public Records Act 1958, the original copy of every act of Parliament had to remain in the Public Record Office in London.[2]
Content
[edit]The purpose of the act was to allow the Commonwealth of Australia to retain the original copy of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp).[1] Thus the British Parliament passed a new act to exempt this copy from the requirements of the Public Records Act 1958, so as to allow the copy to remain with Australia as a gift.[2]
The copy is now displayed in the Federation Gallery at the National Archives of Australia, in Canberra.
The 1990 legislation was opposed by the Keeper of Public Records, Michael Roper, who was in charge of the Public Record Office.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Powel, Graeme (1 February 2005). "The quest for the nation's title deeds, 1901–1990". The Australian Library Journal. 54 (1): 55–65. doi:10.1080/00049670.2005.10721713. ISSN 0004-9670.
- ^ a b c Millar, Laura; Healy, Susan; Shepherd, Elizabeth (2 January 2025). "Michael Roper (1932–2024)". Archives and Records. 46 (1): 97–100. doi:10.1080/23257962.2025.2453245. ISSN 2325-7962.
External links
[edit]- National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
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