Membership records

You must keep:

all membership applications given to the corporation
a register of current and former members.

Membership applications

Most corporation rule books state that a person must apply in writing to become a member. Application forms are often included in the rule book.

Directors are in charge of accepting membership applications. When directors make a decision about a membership application, they must write to the person and tell them about their decision. They then have 14 days to add the member’s name to the register of members.

Applications and decision letters are all corporation records.

You can use our templates for membership applications and notifications

Application for membership (14.52 KB)

Acceptance of membership letter (35.59 KB)

Refusal of membership letter (40.34 KB)

Learn more about becoming a member and deciding membership applications.

Member registers

Your register of current and former members says who the corporation’s members are and were. A corporation must know who its members are at all times. Members names go onto the:

register of members
register of former members.

If a person’s name isn’t on the register of members, they are not a member of the corporation.

Only people on the register of members can:

take part in members' meetings
receive corporation notices and information for members.

Keep these registers:

at the corporation’s registered office (for large corporations)
at a document access address (for small or medium corporations).

As part of annual reporting to ORIC, a corporation must provide a list of members from the register.

Register of members

The register of members should include this information:

First name and last name, and other names the members is or was known by
Postal address
The date the member’s name was added to the register
If the member is not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, if your corporation allows non-First Nations members.

Register of former members

The register of former members must include the following information about each former member:

First name and last name, and other names the members is or was known by
Postal address
The date the person stopped being a member.

You can use our template for your register of members and former members.

Register of members and former members (27.9 KB)

Accessing the registers

Anyone can inspect the member registers or ask for a copy at any time.

Corporations cannot charge a member a fee to look at the registers.

If you keep the registers on a computer, you can:

allow access by computer
provide a hard copy.

You must make the member register available at every annual general meeting (AGM).

Keeping the registers up to date

Ask all members at the AGM to check their name, address and other details.

It’s best to do this before the meeting starts. Have the register at the door so it’s easy for members coming into the meeting to confirm that:

they are on the register of members
the information recorded is correct.

List of members

A ‘list of members’ is a copy of the register of members at a point in time.

You must lodge the list of members as part of your general report each year.

We publish this to the Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations.

You can also contact us to update your list by emailing info@oric.gov.au

Misuse of member information

Information in the register and on membership applications is for valid purposes only.

It is a criminal offence to use this information for reasons that are not relevant or approved by the corporation. For example, to send marketing materials.