Marriage Act 1961

A child (whether born before or after the commencement of this Act) whose parents were not married to each other at the time of his or her birth but have subsequently married each other (whether before or after the commencement of this Act) is, by virtue of the marriage, for all purposes the legitimate child of his or her parents as from his or her birth or the commencement of this Act, whichever was the later.

Subsection (1) applies in relation to a child whether or not there was a legal impediment to the marriage of his or her parents at the time of his or her birth and whether or not the child was still living at the time of the marriage or, in the case of a child born before the commencement of this Act, at the commencement of this Act.

Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to a child unless:

at the time of the marriage of the child’s parents:

where that marriage took place before the commencement of section 24 of the Marriage Amendment Act 1985—the child’s father was domiciled in Australia; or

in any other case—one of the child’s parents was domiciled in Australia; or

the marriage of the child’s parents took place in Australia, or outside Australia under Part V of this Act or under the Marriage (Overseas) Act 1955.

Nothing in this section renders ineffective any legitimation that took place before the commencement of this Act by or under a law of a State or Territory or shall be taken to exclude the continued operation of such a law in relation to such a legitimation.

This section does not apply in relation to a child so as to affect any estate, right or interest in real or personal property to which a person has become, or may become, entitled, either mediately or immediately, in possession or expectancy, by virtue of a disposition that took effect, or by devolution by law on the death of a person who died, before the marriage of the parents of the child or the commencement of this Act, whichever was the later.