Owning a Katana in Victoria, Australia

by Chrys
(Melbourne)

My 18 year old brother would like a katana for his birthday. We live in Melbourne. I heard somewhere it was illegal to have one of these swords in Victoria. Is that true?

Answer

Yes, that's true. Victoria is the one state in Australia where you have to be licensed to own a sword. Your brother could join an exempt knife club or reenactment group such as the NVG. Then he will be able to keep a sword under certain conditions. Since he lives in Victoria he will also have to have a locked box to keep it in. This applies to all swords, not just the katana.

For other readers, Victoria is the only state in Australia that makes it so difficult to own a sword. In NSW, you only have to be 16 to own one, no license required. Other states have their own age rules but no bans on swords.