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Commonwealth Board of Censors

Commonwealth Board of Film Censors · Commonwealth Film Censor · Chief Commonwealth Film Censor

1917 – November 1928

The first Commonwealth film censorship body, which viewed films imported into Australia and could ban those judged blasphemous, indecent or obscene, likely to injure morality or incite crime, offensive to an ally of Great Britain or otherwise undesirable in the public interest.

How it came into existence

Created in 1917 by customs regulations made under the Customs Act 1901 (the Customs (Cinematograph Films) Regulations), in response to pressure from the states for stronger film censorship; imported films could not be released unless the board had approved them. It worked within the Department of Trade and Customs, while state censorship boards continued alongside it.

  • Split from Department of Trade and Customs · 1917
    • Control of imported films

    Constituted under customs regulations to censor films before they could be imported.

Legislation: Customs Act 1901 (Customs (Cinematograph Films) Regulations)

Changes during its life

  1. 1919Under revised regulations the board was replaced by a similar arrangement of a Chief Censor and a Deputy Censor.
  2. January 1925Walter Cresswell O'Reilly became senior Commonwealth film censor in Sydney, nominally under the part-time chief censor, Professor R. S. Wallace, in Melbourne.
  3. 1926An amendment extended its powers to the censorship of Australian-made films for export.

How it ended

Replaced in November 1928, on the recommendation of the 1927–28 royal commission on the moving picture industry, by a three-member Commonwealth Film Censorship Board based in Sydney with Walter Cresswell O'Reilly as chief censor. A Senate committee account dates the new board to 1929.

Main functions

  • Censorship of imported films
  • Banning of films judged blasphemous, indecent, obscene or otherwise undesirable
  • Censorship of Australian films for export (from 1926)

Where it sits

Last in the portfolio of Department of Trade and Customs.

Lineage

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Sources

Some dates or links for this organisation are uncertain. Corrections are welcome.