South Africa Act 1909

South Africa Act 1909

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to constitute the Union of South Africa.
Citation	9 Edw. 7. c. 9
Territorial extent	Union of South Africa
Dates
Royal assent	20 September 1909
Commencement	31 May 1910
Repealed	31 May 1961 (South Africa) 27 May 1976 (United Kingdom)
Other legislation
Amended by	Status of the Union Act, 1934
Repealed by	Republic of South Africa Constitution Act, 1961 (South Africa) Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976 (United Kingdom)
Status: Repealed

The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the Union of South Africa out of the former Cape, Natal, Orange River, and Transvaal colonies.^[1] The Act also allowed for potential admission of Rhodesia into the Union, a proposal rejected by Rhodesian colonists in a 1922 referendum.^[2] The draft proposal was supported by the four colonial parliaments, but was opposed by Cape Colony premier W. P. Schreiner, who raised concerns that it would strip rights from non-white South Africans.^[3]

The Act was the third major piece of legislation passed by the British Parliament to the unite various British colonies and provide some degree of autonomy. This had been done through the British North America Act, 1867, which united the Province of Canada (split into Ontario and Quebec) with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and the unification of Australia through the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1900.