New South Wales & Victoria Border Closure 2020

The New South Wales and Victoria border closed on July 8, 2020, for the first time in 100 years due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Melbourne. The closure was managed through a strict permit system, with a designated border region for residents allowing limited, essential travel, enforced by police and defense forces until its reopening in late November 2020 The NSW Police Force is one of the largest police organisations in the English speaking world. It began as the first civilian police force in Australia, known as the Night Watch, and was formed by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1789 to guard Sydney Town. In 1862, all Watch Teams were combined under the Police Regulation Act 1862 to form the NSW Police Force. That Act was later replaced by the Police Regulation Act 1899. In June 1987, the NSW Police Force (which had carriage of operations) and the NSW Police Department (which had carriage of policy and administration) were amalgamated. We operate under the Police Act 1990 and the Police Regulations 2008.