▁from ▁the ▁Char itable ▁Us es ▁Act ▁ 1 6 0 1 , ▁and ▁then ▁through ▁several ▁centuries ▁of ▁case ▁law ▁based ▁upon ▁it . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁established ▁an ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁a ▁char ity . ▁The ▁inqu iry ▁proposed ▁a ▁stat ut ory ▁definition ▁of ▁a ▁char ity , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁principles ▁developed ▁through ▁case ▁law . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁Char ities ▁Bill ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁which ▁included ▁limitations ▁on ▁invol vement ▁of ▁char ities ▁in ▁political ▁campaign ing , ▁which ▁many ▁char ities ▁saw ▁as ▁an ▁unw el come ▁departure ▁from ▁the ▁case ▁law . ▁The ▁government ▁appointed ▁a ▁Board ▁of ▁Tax ation ▁inqu iry ▁to ▁consult ▁with ▁char ities ▁on ▁the ▁bill . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁w ides p read ▁criticism ▁from ▁char ities , ▁the ▁government ▁abandoned ▁the ▁bill . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁then ▁introduced ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁Ext ension ▁of ▁Char itable ▁Pur pose ▁Act ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁attempt ▁to ▁cod ify ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁a ▁char itable ▁purpose , ▁but ▁merely ▁sought ▁to ▁clarify ▁that ▁certain ▁purposes ▁were ▁char itable , ▁whose ▁char itable ▁status ▁had ▁been ▁subject ▁to ▁legal ▁doub ts . ▁These ▁purposes ▁included ▁child care , ▁self - help ▁groups , ▁and ▁closed / cont empl ative ▁religious ▁orders . ▁ ▁To ▁public ly ▁raise ▁funds , ▁a ▁char ity ▁in ▁Australia ▁must ▁register ▁in ▁each ▁Australian ▁juris diction ▁in ▁which