An Act to provide for the early notification of births.
1 Name of Act and application
This Act may be cited as the Notification of Births Act 1915 and shall apply within every municipality, shire, or part of a shire proclaimed under this Act by the Governor.
2 Definitions
In this Act:Municipality includes the City of Sydney.Proclaimed means proclaimed by notification in the Gazette.Secretary means the Secretary of the Department of Health.s 2: Am 1972 No 63, Sch; 1982 No 138, Sch 1.
3 Early notification of births
(1) In each case of the birth of any child, the father, if actually residing in the house where the birth takes place at the time of its occurrence, or any person in attendance upon the mother at the time of, or within six hours after the birth, shall give notice in writing to the Secretary.(2) Such notice shall be given by delivering the same at an office of the Department of Health, or by posting a prepaid letter, letter card, or postcard addressed to the Secretary. The notice shall be delivered or posted within thirty-six hours after the birth, or some longer period as determined for any district by regulation.(3) The Secretary shall supply, without charge, stamped and addressed letter cards or postcards containing the prescribed form of notice to any medical practitioner or midwife who resides or practises in any proclaimed area, and who applies for the same.(4) Any person who fails to give notice in accordance with this Act of any such birth shall, on conviction, be liable to a penalty not exceeding 0.1 penalty unit:Provided that a person shall not be liable to a penalty under this provision if the person satisfies the court that the person had reasonable grounds to believe that notice had been duly given by some other person.(5) The notification required to be made under this Act shall be in addition to and not in substitution for any notice required by any Act relating to the registration of births.(6) This section shall apply to any child which has issued forth from its mother after the expiration of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, whether alive or dead.s 3: Am 1972 No 63, Sch; 1982 No 138, Sch 1; 1992 No 112, Sch 1.
4 Regulations
The Governor may make regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.s 4: Am 1937 No 35, Second Sch; 1987 No 48, Sch 32.