Research Guides: Government Legislation & Publications: New South Wales: Finding Point-In-Time and Consolidated Legislation

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Finding Point-In-Time and Consolidated Legislation

Finding point-in-time legislation online

NSW Legislation via legislation.nsw.gov.au [external website]
- Find and select the current (or repealed) Act or regulation. Point-in-time versions will appear under the title; select which date you require. Alternatively you can select Legislative History then Table of versions. Most of these historical (or point in time) versions appear to start from the late 1990s, although some earlier ones exist.
NSW Acts (Point-in-time) via AustLII [external website]
Browse alphabetical listings of point-in-time versions of legislation of the State of New South Wales via AustLII. These historical (or point in time) versions appear to start from the late 1990s.

Finding point-in-time and consolidated legislation in print

The State Library holds the following consolidations:

Incorporated acts : being a selection of acts reprinted under Amendments Incorporation Act, 1906, with detailed indexes. [catalogue record]
Call number N346.1/2 (Vol. 1, 1925 - v. 14, 1942). Onsite storage. Fill in a stack request slip to access.
The Public acts of New South Wales : 1824-1937, with annotations / prepared by C. E. Weigall and S. G. O. Martin assisted by W. K. S. Mackenzie ; with a foreword by H. E. Manning. [catalogue record]
Call number 346.1/1 SET. Onsite storage. Fill in a stack request slip to access. Consolidated selected NSW Acts in force as at 1937: Vol. 1. Aborigines protection to common law procedures. Vol. 2. Common regulations to criminal appeal. Vol. 3. Crown lands to fertilizers. Vol. 4. Finance to inclosed lands. Vol. 5. Income tax to liquor. Vol. 6. Local Government to milk. Vol. 7. Mine subsidence to pastures protection. Vol. 8. Pawnbrokers to returned soldiers. Vol. 9. River Murray to surveyors. Vol. 10. Swine to voluntary workers. Vol. 11. Warehousemen's Liens to written memorandum and table cases -- Vols. 1-11. Chronological table of acts. Vol. 12. Index A-K. Vol. 13. Index L-Y.
The public acts of New South Wales 1824-1957 : with a foreword by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice the honourable R.R. Dowling. [catalogue record]
Call number 346.912/1 SET (15 v.). Onsite storage. Fill in a stack request slip to access. Consolidated selected NSW Acts in force as as 1957. Volumes 13-15 are index to volumes 1-12.

Index to Reprinted NSW Acts 1950-2010

This is an index to only those reprinted Acts held by the State Library, and does not include all official reprints published between 1950-2010.

[Reprinted acts]. Call number N348.944022/2 (1943-2010). Onsite storage. Fill in a stack request slip to access.

Index to reprinted NSW Acts held by the State Library 1950-2010

Finding as made and reprinted regulations online

Regulations and EPIs (as made) 1832 - 2001 via Trove Government Gazettes [external website]
Search the NSW Government Gazette via Trove.
Enter name of an Act (in quotation marks" and the keyword 'regulation' in the search box, e.g. "Metropolitan Milk Act" regulation, then click Search.

Index to Reprints NSW Rules and Regulations 1981-2010

This is an index to only those reprinted regulations held by the Library, and does not include all official reprints published between 1981 and 2008.

[Rules, regulations, by-laws, ordinances, etc. : reprints]. Call number N348.944022/3 (1981-2010). Onsite storage. Fill in a stack request slip to access.

Index to reprinted NSW Rules & Regulations held by the State Library 1981-2010

Tip

To reconstruct the act as it applied at the date relevant to your research, try

NSW Legislation website - (1) Find the current (or repealed) Act or regulation. (2) Select the Historical notes tab for the Table of amendments. (3) Go to the section to find when the amendment was made. (5) Select the Historical versions tab to find the required version. For example, locate Section 25A, 25B in Historical notes and find these sections were inserted in 2014 No 2.
the publication NSW statutes annotations (NQ348.94404/1--on Bashir Reading Room Reference shelves) - this will list the amendments to each section of an Act.

These resources will help you trace amendments to an act from the date of the reprint to the date relevant for your research.

Need to know more?

Legislative process explained (Parliament of NSW)
NSW Parliament Glossary (Parliament of NSW)
How law is made (Hot Topics 79 - Australian Legal System)