NAURU ISLAND AGREEMENT.

No. 54 of 1932.

An Act to approve an Agreement made between His Majesty’s Government in London, His Majesty’s Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and His Majesty’s Government of the Dominion of New Zealand, in relation to the Island of Nauru.

[Assented to 28th November, 1932.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Nauru Island Agreement Act 1932.

Approval of Agreement.

2. The Agreement made between His Majesty’s Government in London, His Majesty’s Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and His Majesty’s Government of the Dominion of New Zealand, in relation to the Island of Nauru (a copy of which agreement is set forth in the Schedule to this Act) is approved.

THE SCHEDULE.

Agreement between His Majesty’s Government in London, His Majesty’s Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and His Majesty’s Government of the Dominion of New Zealand.

Whereas a Mandate for the administration of the Island of Nauru has been conferred upon His Majesty: And Whereas by an Agreement dated the Second day of July 1919 between His Majesty’s Government in London the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand (hereinafter called the “Contracting Governments”) it is among other things provided that—

“Article 1.

The Administration of the Island shall be vested in an Administrator.

The first Administrator shall be appointed for a term of five years by the Australian Government and thereafter the Administrator shall be appointed in such a manner as the three Governments decide.

The Schedule—continued.

The Administrator shall have power to make ordinances for the peace order and good government of the island subject to the terms of this Agreement and particularly (but so as not to limit the generality of the foregoing provisions of this Article) to provide for the education of children on the island to establish and maintain the necessary police force and to establish and appoint courts and magistrates with civil and criminal jurisdiction”:

And Whereas the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia have appointed Brigadier-General Thomas Griffiths, C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., to be the first Administrator.

And Whereas it is expedient to make further provision for the good government of the Island under the terms of the Mandate and of the Treaty of Peace with Germany subject to the terms of the Agreement aforesaid:

It is Hereby Further Agreed between the three Governments as follows:—

1. All ordinances made by the Administrator shall be subject to confirmation or disallowance in the name of His Majesty, whose pleasure in respect of such confirmation or disallowance shall be signified by one of His Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State, or by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council of the Commonwealth, or by the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand acting on the advice of the Executive Council of the Dominion, according as the Administrator shall have been appointed by His Majesty’s Government in London, or by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, or by the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand, as the case may be.

2. The Administrator shall conform to such instructions as he shall from time to time receive from the Contracting Government by which he has been appointed.

3. Copies of all ordinances, proclamations and regulations made by the Administrator shall be forwarded by him to the Contracting Government by which he has been appointed, for confirmation or disallowance, and to the two other Contracting Governments for their information; and the Administrator shall supply through the Contracting Government by which he has been appointed such other information regarding the administration of the Island as either of the other Contracting Governments shall require.

4. All such reports as are required to be rendered to the Council of the League of Nations in virtue of Article 22 of the aforesaid Treaty of Peace or otherwise shall be transmitted by the Administrator through the Contracting Government by which he has been appointed to His Majesty’s Government in London for presentation to the Council on behalf of the British Empire as Mandatory.

Dated this 30th day of May in the year of Our Lord One thousand nine hundred and twenty-three.