AGY-56 | Board of Optometrical Registration

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The Board of Optometrical Registration was constituted by the Opticians Act, 1930 (Act No.20, 1930). (1)

The first Board of five persons was appointed by the Governor (2); thereafter, the Board was to consist of two members appointed by the Governor, and three elected by the registered optometrists for a period of three years. (3)

The Board of Optometrical Registration was reconstituted by the Opticians (Amendment) Act, 1955 (Act No. 7, 1955) (4) although the continuity of the body corporate was not affected. (5) The new board was to comprise two registered optometrists nominated by the Australian Optometrical Association (NSW Branch); one registered optometrist nominated by the Opticians and Optometrists Association of NSW; one barrister or solicitor nominated by the minister; one legally qualified medical practitioner nominated by the NSW branch of the British Medical Association; one optometrist nominated by the NSW University of Technology and the Under Secretary of the Department of Public Health ex-officio. (6)

The Optometrists (Amendment) Act, 1963 (Act No. 34, 1963) retrospectively renamed the Opticians Act 1930 (7). The Act also incorporated amendments to include a representation of the Australian Medical Association in lieu of the NSW branch of the British Medical Association (8) and of the University of New South Wales in lieu of the NSW University of Technology. (9)

The Health Professional Boards Legislation (Amendment) Act 1990 (Act No. 12), assented to 7 June 1990, provided that the staff necessary to enable the Board to exercise its functions were to be employed under the Health Administration Act, 1982 by the Health Administration Corporation and that all monies received by the Board were to be transmitted to the Corporation. (10) The Board was responsible for maintaining a register of optometrists qualified to practice in New South Wales, approving courses for training, holding examinations, regulating optometrical practices.

The Opticians Act 1930 was repealed by the Optometrists Act, 2002 (Act No.30, 2002), which constituted the Optometrists Registration Board, proclaimed to commence on 1 February 2003 (11), but its functions did not commence until 5 September 2003 due to the need to transition functions from the old act to the new. (12)

Endnotes
(1) Opticians Act, 1930 s.5 (1)
(2) Ibid s. 5(2) and NSW Government Gazette, 8 August, 1930 p.3134
(3) Opticians Act, 1930 s. 7(2)
(4) Opticians (Amendment) Act, 1955 s. 2
(5) Ibid. S. (2) (2)
(6) Ibid. s. (2) (5) (2) a - f
(7) Optometrists (Amendment) Act, 1963 s.2(1)(a)
(8) Optometrists Amendment Act, 1963 s (2) (1) (d) (i)
(9) Ibid. s. (2) (1) (d) (ii)
(10) Health Professional Boards Legislation (Amendment) Act, 1990 schedule 1 (1) "Concise Guide", 2nd Edition "A - Cl ", "Board of Optometrical Registration" p.42
(11) Optometrists Act, 2002 (Act No.30, 2002), Schedule 7 Sections 1, 3 and 4; NSW Government Gazette No.33, 31 January 2003, p.596
(12) NSW Government Gazette No.137, 5 Sep 2003, p.9128