[http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/31195/20030808-0000/www.dotars.gov.au/transinfra/pdf/navactfinatlreport.PDF]
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Shipping was considered a priority for regulation by the nascent Australian nation.
Drafting of the Navigation Act 1912 commenced in 1902 and the first Bill was introduced in 1904, but was withdrawn and a Royal Commission was appointed to examine the legislation. The report of the Royal Commission was delivered in 1906, but the matter of Australian legislation was again delayed pending the outcome of an Imperial Shipping Conference of Australia, New Zealand and the UK in London. The conference discussed the substance of the proposed Act. The conference resulted in agreement that Australia should have the right to regulate its own coastal trade, and relevant provisions were included in the draft legislation. Also included were provisions extending limited port state control functions over
foreign ships to include load lines, life saving equipment, carriage of grain and defective equipment. A redrafted Bill was again introduced in 1907 but lapsed. Further attempts were made in 1908, 1910 and 1911 and the Bill was ultimately passed in 1912. It was then referred to the King for Royal Assent, but by the time this had been granted war had broken out and, at the request of the British Government, the commencement of the Act was postponed. Accordingly, none of the Act came into force until after the First World War. The first group of sections, including those dealing with coastal trade, welfare and employment matters, came into effect in 1921. At the time of its introduction, there were two main purposes of the legislation. The first was to provide seamen with protection from unscrupulous employers who might seek to take advantage of seamen who were illiterate and incapable of protecting themselves. The second was to implement safety measures to halt the steep rise in the rate of shipping casualties.
Review of the Navigation Act 1912 [electronic resource]
Book Bib ID 1038090
Format Book, Online, Online - Google Books
Online Access Publisher site
Online Versions Archived at ANL
Description Canberra : Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services, [2000?].
Series PANDORA electronic collection.
Technical Details Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web. Available at: http://www.dotars.gov.au/transinfra/review_navact.htm System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader for pdf files.
Notes Title from title screen (viewed on 3 Sept. 2003).
Text.
Also available in print.
Selected for archiving
Subjects Australia. - Navigation Act 1912. | Maritime law - Australia. | Australia - Commercial policy.
Other authors/contributors Australia. Dept. of Transport and Regional Services
