THE CONSTITUTION Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act…

THE CONSTITUTION
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
Plain Text: 2023 Australia’s Constitution PDF (with Overview and Notes by the Australian Government Solicitor, Parliamentary Education Office).0
It includes the Overview, Covering Clauses, the full Constitution (as amended), and a summary of the Notes section. The PDF is a formatted document with page numbers, side notes, and annotations, so some layout elements (tables, exact pagination) are simplified here for plain text.

OVERVIEW (by the Australian Government Solicitor)
The Australian Constitution has properly been described as ‘the birth certificate of a nation’. It also provides the basic rules for the government of Australia. Indeed, the Constitution is the fundamental law of Australia binding everybody including the Commonwealth Parliament and the Parliament of each State. Accordingly, even an Act passed by a Parliament is invalid if it is contrary to the Constitution.
Background to the Constitution
The Constitution was drafted at a series of conventions held during the 1890s and attended by representatives of the colonies. Before the Constitution came into effect, its terms were approved, with one small exception, by the people of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania.
The Australian Constitution was then passed as part of a British Act of Parliament in 1900, and took effect on 1 January 1901. […] References in the Constitution to ‘the Queen’ now include King Charles III.
Creation of the Commonwealth of Australia
On the commencement of the British Act on 1 January 1901, the Commonwealth came into being and the six colonies became the six States of Australia.
The Federal Structure
The Constitution establishes a federal system of government. […] powers are distributed between the Commonwealth and the six States.
Separation of Powers
Chapters I, II, and III of the Constitution confer the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of the Commonwealth on three different bodies […]
The Crown and Responsible Government
Australia is a constitutional monarchy. […] The Governor-General acts in accordance with the advice of Commonwealth Ministers (responsible government). The Governor-General has certain reserve powers.
Representative Government
[…] sections 7 and 28 […] require regular elections […] members of the Commonwealth Parliament to be directly chosen by the people.
Commonwealth Parliament
The Constitution established the Commonwealth Parliament comprising the Queen, a House of Representatives and a Senate (sections 1–60). […]
Section 57 prescribes the procedure for resolving irreconcilable disagreement between the two Houses (double dissolution and joint sitting).
The Relationship between Commonwealth and State Powers
[…] section 109 […] if a valid Commonwealth law is inconsistent with a law of a State Parliament, the Commonwealth law operates and the State law is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency.
Section 96 allows the Commonwealth to make conditional grants of money to the States.
The Executive Government of the Commonwealth
Chapter II (sections 61–70). The Prime Minister and Cabinet are not mentioned in the Constitution but operate under conventions.
Federal Judicature
Chapter III (sections 71–80) — High Court of Australia and other federal courts.
An Australian ‘Common Market’
Chapter IV — uniform customs, section 92 (trade and commerce between the States shall be absolutely free), etc.
New States and Territories
Sections 121–124 for new States. Section 122 for Territories.
Rights
The Constitution has no comprehensive Bill of Rights. Some express protections (e.g., just terms for property acquisition, trial by jury, freedom of religion) and implied rights (e.g., freedom of political communication).
Amending the Constitution
Section 128 — referendum requiring a majority of electors nationally and in a majority of States.

THE CONSTITUTION
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
Covering Clauses
Short title
Act to extend to the Queen’s successors
Proclamation of Commonwealth
Commencement of Act
Operation of the Constitution and laws
Definitions
Repeal of Federal Council Act
Application of Colonial Boundaries Act
Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth
Chapter I — The Parliament
Part I — General
Legislative power
Governor-General
Salary of Governor-General
Provisions relating to Governor-General
Sessions of Parliament
Yearly session of Parliament
Part II — The Senate
7. The Senate
8. Qualification of electors
9. Method of election of senators
10. Application of State laws
11. Failure to choose senators
12. Issue of writs
13. Rotation of senators
14. Further provision for rotation
15. Casual vacancies [as amended]
16. Qualifications of senator
17. Election of President
18. Absence of President
19. Resignation of senator
20. Vacancy by absence
21. Vacancy to be notified
22. Quorum
23. Voting in the Senate
Part III — The House of Representatives
24. Constitution of Hous…