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changing your name
When the NSW law was amended, in 1996, allowing me to correct my gender on my birth certificate, I promptly applied. Two weeks later I received a copy of Christina’s Birth Certificate – male. That got me onto the telephone very quickly.
Worse was to come. My father (who has passed away almost 20 years earlier) was notified by mail that my gender had been corrected on my birth record, & my now ‘official’ name change – this had been done by deed poll already. This apparently upset my mother no end, although I knew nothing of this until after my mother has passed away more than a decade later.
It gets worse becasue Medicare, who supposedly corrected my records in 1996, continued to list me as ‘male’, along side my home address, telephone & alternate contact (work) number. This took over 12 months of lobbying & support by my local Federal MP to have corrected (I certainly do home so, this time)
Petty bureaucrats & abuse of position.
It’s easy to laugh, but having had a pervert present at my door at 11pm, having hacked into NineMSN Database to learn where I lived, it’s unsettling.
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7 Replies
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that happened to me down at Centrelink they called me Mr, they had no way of knowing and i think he realised that was not a good move, but nothing bad happened so it was all good, i asked him not to call me mister and about a month later i changed my name and now I’m Miss Ashley.
the only place i had any trouble was NRMA I’m still mister there every where else I’m Miss, at the bank they even changed my gender to female and i have not changed my gender yet.
any way that was a good week.
Ashley
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I’ve encountered an obstacle in the quest to change my name!
I need supporting documents – utility bills, etc, that indicate my residential address. In addition, they can’t be dated less than 3 months or more than 12 months! And the problem is – – – all my correspondence is sent to a post office box!
So, i’m not sure what I can do to prove that I’ve actually resided at a particular address in Canberra within the past year! I hope Statutory Declarations are acceptable!
Clare.
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I think I must be blessed.
When I changed my name at B,D&R, I was there for about 20 minutes, and I was told it could be up to three weeks, but the new birth certificate came a week later.
Except for the two visits to Centrelink to have my mail sent to me in the title of Ms, which is now happening, all of my name changes in my official documents have been very smooth.
As for wills and such, my Mum and Dad willingly took me with them to change their wills so that I was listed as Ms Erika Ros ……… in their wills. In fact, as soon as Dad saw my new birth certificate he was phoning to arrange the meeting and was describing me as his daughter. He wanted to amend his will so that there could be no mistakes. While I was there I had my will changed to my new name as well.
All my mail now comes to me addressed as’ Ms’. I have had to remind a just a couple of utility companies that I had sent them notices of the changes – but they were very willing to make the changes and have done so. And even though I am told it is impossible, I received my new Medicare card in my new name with the envelope addressed to ‘Ms’…….., (not that I am complaining).
The banks followed suit, and all my accounts are in my new name with the title of ‘Ms’. For me, it has been all plain sailing. The only real delay I have had has been with red tape for my new Pass Port, which I am told is ‘likely’ to be done free of charge.
In summary I would have to say that the changes for me have been so swift and uneventful, that I find myself pinching myself, but I am very happy with the changes. -
I should have mentioned that I had downloaded all my forms from the B,D,M website, read the identity requirments, collected those and was prepared, hence the short time spent at the registry. Also, at the time, there was virtually no one there and as I had phoned the previous day they were already knew about me. I suggest to those who going through the red tape of any organization, it is best to get as much done from the web sites as possible and to then phone ahead. As for Centre link, as Ii am 24/7 female mode now, I was dressed as such and when I went in to have my title changed to Ms, it was easy for them to see why. The lady’supervisor still came to give me the once over without being obvious about it. Still I had to submit all the documentation they felt was neccesary. I think it is all about planning ahead.
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as far as changing my name (and salutation – from Mr to Ms or Miss!) it has been smooth sailing so far, except for having to come back to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages because I was missing documents from 2009 (bank statements which I thought I had, but had to get reprinted). express application done on a friday, and i received the name change certificate the following Tuesday at work via registered post! that afternoon i visited the RTA – where they changed my name and photo on my drivers licence for no charge, the following afternoon, my main bank, then medicare and my health fund, and so on, with not much problem. except for the bank sending me mail with ‘Mr’ on it, but that has since been rectified.
changing my name at work (a telco), however, was through HR who then handed it over to Payroll, who i think sat on it for weeks and weeks (‘too hard’ basket, or the payroll person went on holidays, or both!) until i escalated via HR and then the following day it was fixed in the main payroll system, then all i had to do was send requests to a few groups to have my name updated on their systems, so now my email address is right, as well as my work directory entry, i got my new photo ID taken, and for the first time was very happy with the picture
now the only two major name changes i have waiting for me, are for my passport (i already have a supporting letter from my GP so i can have it state me as female), and for my dragonboat ID, which would hopefully stop me having to explain to race marshals ticking me off their lists under my old name, that i am changing my name… and everything… the looks on their faces (nothing i can sense as discriminatory) are priceless!
nevertheless, very few people at my work or dragonboat community refer to me as my old name nowadays, and family is the only group that need me to explain the full picture (they know half) about what i am doing in my life nowadays and how i wish to be referred to/as.
just had my drivers licence renewed a few days ago, not happy with the picture, i was having a bad hair day, can’t justify the $50 to get it redone though, unless if perhaps i change my name again! (no chance!)
cheers
.maya v
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Clare:
Utility and communications bills in addition to the mailing address will usually also have the customers physical address on them – look carefully. Also as you pay rent to Alice – ask her to make up an invoice with all the required documentation is another possibility. All is required is something with your name and your residential address on it, that shows you have been at that address for 3 months etc. You could also use the bill from Australian Post for the PO box as that will have your physical address on it too.
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Has anyone had much luck changing there certificates ???? I got lots of good stuff but clearly doesn’t match me, I have my HSC in my name as I only did it this year my school details are all in my name….just some of my other certificates aren’t I have a letter from McDonald’s stating I was crew person of the quarter crew person of the month and lots others…
Has anyone scan in these things changed them printed them off again ??
I wanna get my life organized cause I got a lot left and if I get my stuff stored now my future will be better……
Also does anyone know if I can get record at the rta changed somehow as it’s a must if my license must match if they ever display gender the night clubs I go to would never let a intersexed or trans person in just cause there straight club they wouldn’t want trouble, my friends are straight and I like going out with them to these clubs as I pass cause I don’t hsve any male ness apart from a unless part which is a freak of birth defect and my parents already had it operated on to make it work when I was younger ha should of cut it off it’s still unless and it’s stopping me from a normal life !!!
I still got a life to live I need everythin to match cause I ain’t flying a flag or changing who I am to fit in with what people want I have rights to a normal job normal life where no one knows the mistake I have attached to me !!!!
