Notary Public · Gawler, South Australia
Notary Public in Gawler for overseas documents and apostilles.
If an overseas authority has asked you to notarise a document, certify a copy or get an apostille, we take you through the whole process from Gawler. Steven M Clark is a practising solicitor and Public Notary, the only one between North Adelaide and the Riverland. Most appointments take 15 to 30 minutes, and we confirm the fixed fee before you come in.
Where your document goes
Three stops between our desk and the authority overseas.
Most people arrive knowing only that someone abroad has said the word notarised. This is the whole journey, so you know what each step costs, how long it takes, and which ones we handle.
1 Adelaide Road, Gawler South
Steven M Clark, Public Notary
We check your identity, watch you sign (or attest the copy), then attach the notarial certificate and press the seal. The document is now recognised under Australian law for use abroad.
One appointment, 15 to 30 minutes
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Government, Adelaide office
DFAT checks the notary's seal and signature against the sample it holds on file, then issues an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or an authentication (for the rest). Most clients take the pack to DFAT in Adelaide themselves. We can lodge it for you instead, through DFAT in Sydney.
Often within a day in Adelaide; three to four weeks if we lodge through Sydney. DFAT charges A$105 per document.
The authority that asked for it
Overseas court, land registry, bank, consulate, university or employer
They receive a document they can rely on without contacting Australia. A handful of countries outside the Convention add one more step: legalisation at their own embassy, which we tell you about before you start.
Your courier or theirs. We prepare the pack so it arrives intact.
If the document is only for use inside Australia, you will usually not need a Notary at all. A Justice of the Peace can witness it at no charge. We will tell you that on the first call rather than book you in.
What a Notary does
A notarial certificate is the document the rest of the world trusts.
A Public Notary is a practising lawyer appointed by the Supreme Court of South Australia to hold a public office that other countries recognise. The role exists because a court in Italy or a land registry in India has no way of checking an Australian signature. The Notary checks it for them, records that check in a certificate, and puts a seal on it that DFAT and foreign authorities know.
In practice that means three things. We verify who you are and that you signed freely. We attest that a copy is a true copy of an original we have seen. And we administer oaths, affirmations and declarations, certifying that you swore, affirmed or declared the contents. Not every job needs a separate notarial certificate: sometimes a copy certified as a true copy of the original is all the receiving authority wants. It depends on what they require, and we tell you which before you come in.
We handle the full range: Powers of Attorney, Wills and estate documents, deeds and contracts, affidavits and statutory declarations, attested copies (exemplifications), bills of exchange and ships protests. Where the destination country needs a DFAT apostille or authentication on top, we prepare the document for it and tell you exactly what to take to DFAT.
Before you come in
What to bring to a notary appointment.
Send us the document and the overseas instructions before your appointment where you can. We then confirm whether notarisation on its own is enough, or whether a DFAT apostille or authentication is also needed, and quote the fixed fee.
- The original document that needs notarising. Do not sign it beforehand unless we have told you to; most documents must be signed in front of the Notary.
- Current government-issued photo identification: your passport, or your Australian driver's licence. Bring both if you have them.
- Any email, checklist or written instructions from the overseas authority that asked for the document. They often specify the exact wording of the certificate.
- The correct spelling of every name that appears, and the country the document is going to. Both go on the notarial certificate.
- Any supporting originals the document refers to: a company extract if you are signing for a company, a marriage certificate if a name has changed.
If a person signing does not read English confidently, tell us when you book. We arrange an interpreter or explain what the certificate needs to say about it.
If you are here because…
Three reasons people need a Notary.
An overseas authority has asked for a notarised document.
A land registry in India, a bank in Italy, a court in the UK, a university in Germany. They will not accept a JP-witnessed document. They will accept a notarial certificate under seal, usually with an apostille on top. We do both in one visit.
You need a certified copy that will be accepted abroad.
A JP-certified copy works inside Australia. For a foreign authority you need an attested copy under notarial seal (an exemplification). Passports, degrees, birth and marriage certificates, company extracts. Bring the original.
You have been told to swear or declare something in front of a Notary.
Common for dual citizenship, migration, inheriting overseas property, and international business. We administer the oath or declaration, witness your signature, and certify it.
Go deeper
The questions people ask before they book.
Six short guides, written for people who have just been told the word notarised and want to know what happens next. Read the one that fits, then call.
Common questions
What people most often ask on the first call.
A Public Notary (or Notary Public) is a practising lawyer appointed by the Supreme Court of South Australia under the Notaries Public Act 2016 to hold a public office. A Notary verifies identity, witnesses signatures, certifies copies and administers oaths, and issues notarial certificates under seal that authorities in other countries recognise. Steven M Clark is the Public Notary at our Gawler office.
A JP witnesses documents and certifies copies for use within Australia, at no charge. A Notary does the same for use anywhere in the world, with authority backed by a Supreme Court appointment and a seal that foreign authorities and DFAT recognise. If your document is going overseas, you need a Notary. If it stays in Australia, a JP is usually enough and we will say so.
Yes. Countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention require a DFAT apostille on top of the notarisation; other countries require a DFAT authentication and sometimes legalisation at their embassy. We notarise the document and give you the pack to take to DFAT in Adelaide, which is usually the fastest route. If there is no rush we can lodge it for you instead, but that goes through DFAT in Sydney and takes three to four weeks. DFAT currently charges A$105 per document.
Most notarisations are done in one appointment of 15 to 30 minutes, and we can usually see you within a day or two. If DFAT is involved, taking the pack to DFAT in Adelaide yourself is often done within a day; if we lodge it for you it goes through Sydney and takes three to four weeks. Then allow courier time to the destination.
Notary work is charged on a fixed fee. The fee depends on how many documents there are, how many people are signing, whether certified copies are needed, and whether we are coordinating DFAT for you. Send us the document and the receiving authority's instructions and we confirm the fee before your appointment. DFAT and courier charges are on top and we tell you those too.
The original unsigned document, current photo identification (passport or driver's licence), any written instructions from the overseas authority, the correct spelling of every name, and any supporting originals the document refers to. Do not sign the document before you arrive unless we have told you to.
Yes. We are the only Public Notary between North Adelaide and the Riverland, so people come to us from Elizabeth, Salisbury, Munno Para, Angle Vale, Two Wells, Roseworthy, Kapunda and across the Barossa. Our office is at 1 Adelaide Road, Gawler South.
Often, yes. What matters is that the Notary understands what is being certified and that the signer understands what they are signing. Depending on the document and the destination, we may ask for a translation from an accredited translator, or arrange an interpreter for the appointment. Tell us the language when you book.
We'll call you back the same business day.
Tell us briefly what's happening. Steven will call you back for a free 15-minute conversation, the same business day. No obligation, no pressure to engage us afterwards.
For certain matters, new national rules mean we verify your identity before we start acting. What to expect →
Thank you. We'll be in touch today.
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