With the Maintenance Act 1968 (Act no. 20, 1968), the Commonwealth introduced a comprehensive law relating to the maintenance of spouse and children. The Maintenance Ordinance 1968 was notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 30 September 1968 (Cwlth Gaz 1968 No 80), becoming effective on 1 January 1969. It was repealed by Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1999 A1999-66 on 10 November 1999.
This ordinance became an ACT Act on 11 May 1989.