Act No. 2, 1900.
A n Act to suppress indecent and obscene publi­
cations. [23rd July, 1900.]
B
E
it e n a c t e d b y t h e Q u e e n ' s M o s t E x c e l l e n t M a j e s t y , b y a n d
w i t h t h e a d v i c e a n d c o n s e n t of t h e L e g i s l a t i v e C o u n c i l a n d
L e g i s l a t i v e A s s e m b l y of N e w S o u t h W a l e s i n P a r l i a m e n t a s s e m b l e d ,
a n d b y t h e a u t h o r i t y of t h e s a m e a s f o l l o w s : —
1. A n y person w h o —
(1) p u b l i s h e s a n e w s p a p e r c o n t a i n i n g a n y a d v e r t i s e m e n t or r e p o r t
w h i c h is of a n i n d e c e n t o r o b s c e n e n a t u r e ; o r
(2) g i v e s or d e l i v e r s t o a n y o t h e r p e r s o n a n y p i c t u r e or p r i n t e d or
w r i t t e n m a t t e r w h i c h is of a n i n d e c e n t o r o b s c e n e n a t u r e ,
w i t h t h e i n t e n t t h a t t h e s a m e or a copy thereof, or a n y p a r t
of s u c h m a t t e r o r a c o p y t h e r e o f , s h o u l d b e p u b l i s h e d a s a n
advertisement in any n e w s p a p e r ; or
( 3 ) affixes t o o r i n s c r i b e s o n a n y h o u s e , b u i l d i n g , w a l l , h o a r d i n g ,
gate, fence, pillar, board, tree, or a n y o t h e r t h i n g w h a t s o e v e r ,
so as t o b e visible to a p e r s o n b e i n g in or p a s s i n g a l o n g a n y
s t r e e t , p u b l i c h i g h w a y , o r f o o t p a t h , o r affixes t o o r i n s c r i b e s
on a n y public u r i n a l , or delivers or a t t e m p t s to deliver, or
e x h i b i t s t o a n y p e r s o n , o r t h r o w s d o w n t h e a r e a of a n y h o u s e
o r i n t o t h e g a r d e n o r c u r t i l a g e of a n y h o u s e , o r e x h i b i t s t o
p u b l i c v i e w i n t h e w i n d o w of a n y h o u s e o r s h o p , o r o t h e r w i s e
p u b l i s h e s a n y p i c t u r e o r p r i n t e d o r w r i t t e n m a t t e r w h i c h is
of a n i n d e c e n t o r o b s c e n e n a t u r e ; o r
(4) g i v e s or d e l i v e r s t o a n y o t h e r p e r s o n a n y s u c h p i c t u r e s or
p r i n t e d or w r i t t e n m a t t e r , w i t h t h e i n t e n t t h a t t h e s a m e , o r :
s o m e o n e o r m o r e t h e r e o f , o r a c o p y of a n y s u c h p i c t u r e o r
p r i n t e d o r w r i t t e n m a t t e r s h o u l d b e affixed, i n s c r i b e d ,
delivered, e x h i b i t e d , or o t h e r w i s e p u b l i s h e d i n c o n t r a v e n t i o n
of t h e p r o v i s i o n s of t h i s s e c t i o n ; o r
(5) p o s t s or c a u s e s t o b e p o s t e d for t r a n s m i s s i o n b y p o s t a n y
p i c t u r e , o r p r i n t e d o r w r i t t e n m a t t e r , w h i c h i s of a n i n d e c e n t
or o b s c e n e n a t u r e ; or
(6) p r i n t s a n y p i c t u r e or p r i n t e d m a t t e r p u b l i s h e d or p o s t e d i n :
c o n t r a v e n t i o n of t h i s A c t ,
shall be liable to a p e n a l t y n o t exceeding t w e n t y p o u n d s , or, in t h e
d i s c r e t i o n of t h e C o u r t , t o i m p r i s o n m e n t f o r a t e r m n o t e x c e e d i n g s i x
months, with or without h a r d labour.
2. I n f o r m a t i o n s f o r o f f e n c e s a g a i n s t t h i s A c t m a y b e h e a r d a n d :
d e t e r m i n e d i n a c o u r t of p e t t y s e s s i o n s .
3.
3. W h e r e a n y p o s t m a s t e r h a s r e a s o n t o b e l i e v e t h a t a n y n e w s ­
paper, packet, or parcel posted as aforesaid contains a n y picture or
p r i n t e d m a t t e r w h i c h i s of a n i n d e c e n t o r o b s c e n e n a t u r e , h e m a y c a u s e
the newspaper, packet, or parcel to be f o r w a r d e d to the P o s t m a s t e r General ; and the Postmaster-General m a y cause the newspaper, packet,
o r p a r c e l t o b e o p e n e d , a n d if i t i s f o u n d t o c o n t a i n a n y s u c h p i c t u r e o r
p r i n t e d matter, m a y cause such newspaper, packet, or parcel, and the
c o n t e n t s t h e r e o f , t o b e d e s t r o y e d , o r m a y o t h e r w i s e d i s p o s e of t h e s a m e .
4. A n y a d v e r t i s e m e n t , p i c t u r e , o r p r i n t e d o r w r i t t e n m a t t e r
r e l a t i n g t o a n y c o m p l a i n t or, i n f i r m i t y a r i s i n g f r o m o r r e l a t i n g t o s e x u a l
intercourse, or to n e r v o u s debility, or female irregularities, which might
r e a s o n a b l y be construed as relating to a n y illegal medical t r e a t m e n t or
illegal o p e r a t i o n shall be d e e m e d to be a n a d v e r t i s e m e n t , picture, o r
p r i n t e d o r w r i t t e n m a t t e r w h i c h i s of a n i n d e c e n t n a t u r e w i t h i n t h e
m e a n i n g of t h i s A c t .
5. N o t h i n g i n t h i s A c t r e l a t e s t o t h e d e l i v e r y o r e x h i b i t i n g i n
t h e w i n d o w of a n y s h o p , o r t h e p o s t i n g o r c a u s i n g t o b e p o s t e d f o r
t r a n s m i s s i o n b y p o s t f o r a n y l a w f u l p u r p o s e , of a n y b o n a - f i d e m e d i c a l
w o r k o r t r e a t i s e . B u t i n a n y p r o s e c u t i o n f o r a n offence a g a i n s t t h i s
A c t t h e b u r d e n of p r o o f t h a t a p u b l i c a t i o n i s a b o n a - f i d e m e d i c a l w o r k
o r t r e a t i s e shall lie on t h e d e f e n d a n t .
6.
1900."
T h i s A c t m a y be cited as the " I n d e c e n t P u b l i c a t i o n s
Act,