Australian laws?

C

clone7

Joined
Feb 14, 2005
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Hey everyone I have read different things about knife laws in Australia. I am traveling to auz soon and I plan to travel around all of Australia. Is there a general rule of knife laws or does it matter where you are? I will be in big cities and small ones. Also I will be staying in hostels for the most part and I do not want to upset anyone.

I plan to take my Swamp Rat Howling rat, it is the one on the far right.

Photo-0042.jpg


Is this is a good idea or should I leave it at home. I think I would leave it in my backpack most of the time and take it out when I need it. Thank you for your answers.
 
they should all come through fine btw check out www.laventrix.com/Law.php i have collected most of the acts and regs there hope that helps,

btw what state are you comming to

ps if any one knows the link to the missing ones please PM me manily Tassie

cheers forrie
 
btw thanks for the link. Forsure i am gonna be in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Maybe the north too but thats if money lets me.
 
Here is a link to all Australian Legislation http://www.austlii.edu.au. Each state in Australia sets it's own legislation and the Federal government controls legislation over imports into the country.
In NSW the main thing is to have a legal reason for carrying the knife ie food preparation, fishing, hunting etc. Self defence is not a legal reason for carrying a knife in NSW.
Regards
Pinpoint
 
If the knife only has a single edge then you should not have a problem bringing it into the country. Make sure you declare it on arrival when you hand in your customs declaration. Most State legislation will relate to carrying the knife in public places rather than the ownership of it.
 
I just joined this forum to ask the same question and it looks like I got my answer. Thanks. One more question for the Aussies on this board. I'm from the USA and am debating on whether to bring my own or buy a knife when I get to Australia. I'll just be traveling with a small backpack and would like to avoid checking in a bag. I'll have to check a bag if I want to bring my own knife. What would a Leatherman Tool and a nice Bowe or K-Bar type knife cost me in Sydney and will they be easy to find?
 
Bring your knife with you and check your bag in. For a KaBar expect to pay upwards of $120 Australian in retail stores - around the same for a Buck 110. A Leatherman Charge would cost you over $230. You can find prices that are even worse than this.

You can do better at some on-line stores but this isn't very practical if you are travelling. One Australian dollar is about 77c US today.

If you can get over the shock of the prices, the knives you mention would be easy to find in Sydney or most large population centres.
 
YIKES!!!!!! Bringing my own it is!! On that note perhaps I should sell my knives before leaving Australia or would that be illegal? I can get a nice K-Bar for about $40 just down the road from where I live and my Leatherman Wave was about $60.:)



2manyknives said:
Bring your knife with you and check your bag in. For a KaBar expect to pay upwards of $120 Australian in retail stores - around the same for a Buck 110. A Leatherman Charge would cost you over $230. You can find prices that are even worse than this.

You can do better at some on-line stores but this isn't very practical if you are travelling. One Australian dollar is about 77c US today.

If you can get over the shock of the prices, the knives you mention would be easy to find in Sydney or most large population centres.
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No legal issues about selling them (except to minors). It is more a matter of how you would sell them and who you would sell to when travelling. You are unlikely to make a huge profit.
 
Hi Clone7,

I don't want to alarm you but you should be aware that knife laws in Australia are very restrictive and very strictly enforced. You will have a seriously hard time convincing the cops that you have a legitimate reason for walking around the streets of a big city with a fixed blade or a locking folder. Carrying an offensive or prohibited weapon is an indictable offense (ie. a felony) and could land you in jail.

To be honest you'd be much better off just carrying an SAK or a multitool whilst here.

Best of luck with your travels.
 
If you feel you MUST carry a small fixed blade in such a restrictive environment, I'd suggest not letting anyone see it. Bring some paracord with you so you can wear it under your shirt out of sight. It should hang under your arm, and should never leave your person if you'll be sleeping in hostels. Sleep with it, shower with it, but never let anyone see it. Keep your Passport, large bills, and credit cards in a waterproof case under your OTHER arm. Hostels are filled with thieves.

Good luck getting it through Customs -- put it in your checked luggage and hope no-one steals it. Before you get on the plane back to Canada you should probably FedEx it home.
 
Sorry, bad idea shadowblade. If the cops found you with a fixed blade in a sheath stashed under your arm, you would be arrested immediately and charged with an indictable offense. Its just not worth the risk.
 
jh205 said:
Sorry, bad idea shadowblade. If the cops found you with a fixed blade in a sheath stashed under your arm, you would be arrested immediately and charged with an indictable offense. Its just not worth the risk.
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How safe are the hostels there? How bad is the street crime? Is CCW a seperate offense from simply carrying openly, or having a knife in your pack? And how frequently do the police "stiop and frisk" passers-by? I am unfamilar with the statistics for Australia -- please advise.
 
Australia is generally pretty safe. In hostels physical safety is not an issue but you would need to watch your property. Most of the better hostels will provide secure storage. The backpacker hostel market is very competitive and there are some good options available.

Street crime exists just like anywhere else. I travel a lot for work to most state capitals and usually stay in inner city hotels. I don't feel particularly threatened in any of those cities but you need to use common sense. There is no provision for carrying any form of weapon for self defense - do so at your peril. There is really no reason to do so although I sure that some may disagree.

Legislation re knives varies a bit from state to state but generally the issue is about having a knife on your person rather than whether it is concealed or not. Police cannot stop you and search you without a reason. Some people are better at attracting the attention of the police than others.
 
The chances of being stopped and searched by a cop are pretty low, but as a tourist spending all day and some of the night floating around in public your chances are increased to a degree.

Another thing to consider: if you stabbed someone in public with a fixed blade, your claim of self defence would almost certainly be rejected by a judge and jury. Without a genuinely convincing reason for having the knife (eg. being on a pier with a fishing rod and tackle) they would assume that you were basically looking to stab someone. And then the buggers would convict you.
 
As it stands I planning on bringing a Leatherman and a very small Swiss Army knife. I was also planning on bringing a locking Kershaw folder but after reading some of these posts I'm thinking twice about the last one. I'm planning on doing some hiking in the bush which is my main reason for wanting some good knives. Thanks for the info on the hostels too as I do plan on using them. I'll be on my way airborne in about 12 hours. I can hardly wait.
 
You are unlikely to have any problems carrying a SAK.
A small folder under 3 inches would be ok in most cases.
I carry a 2 1/2 inch lock back on my keyring.
If the knife looks like it is a handy tool, it will most likely be judged that way.
On the other hand, if you have something that looks "covert", "Tanto" or military and you are in a nightclub and a fight breaks out....... good luck.
Its just common sense really.
If you are camping and backpacking around Australia, having a small to reasonable sized knife will not be an issue, its just where you choose to carry it.
Once you are out of the Cities the outlook on knives changes somewhat, nearly all country folk see knives as tools not weapons.
There has been a big increase in stabbings in recent years and many inner city frequenters tool up with a knife and take their chances with the law.
 
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