Ask Paul: I have a 47-year-old cheque no bank will cash

I'm confused, she has the cheque, but she says she also lost it. So she is trying to have a cheque re-issued from 50 years ago? Best to contact whoever issued it (the payer - not the bank) and see if they have record of owing you those funds.

All is not lost but the Legal & Banking RealityStale Cheque Status: Under Section 89 of the Cheques Act 1986 (Cth), a cheque is legally considered "stale" if it is presented more than 15 months after the date written on it. At 47 years old, the bank has no legal obligation to honour or process the instrument. The Issuer's Liability: The underlying debt or obligation that generated the cheque is subject to statutory limitation periods (typically 6 years for standard contract/debt claims under state limitation acts). As a result, the legal liability of the issuer to replace or re-issue the cheque has long expired.Banking Mergers: Colonial State Bank (formerly State Bank of NSW) was acquired by Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) in 2000. While CBA maintains institutional archives, original paper ledgers and individual cheque balances from 1979 generally fall outside standard record-retention requirements (typically 7 years under corporate law). Unclaimed Money Pathways1. ASIC Unclaimed Monies (Commonwealth Level)If the unpresented cheque was drawn on a bank account or involved a banking balance, funds sitting inactive for 7+ years are transferred to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).Search via ASIC's Moneysmart Unclaimed Money database.If listed, the record will show an Original Transaction Number (OTN). Because CBA acquired Colonial State Bank, any claim on ASIC-held funds originally under Colonial/State Bank must be lodged through CBA as the successor institution. 2. State Unclaimed Money Registries (NSW & Others)If the cheque was issued by a company, solicitor, government department, or corporate enterprise (rather than a simple bank account transfer), unpresented cheques are reported to the relevant State Treasury or Revenue office after 6 years:Revenue NSW Unclaimed Money: Search via the official online registry using exact historical names, maiden names, or prior residential/business addresses.Interstate equivalents: If the issuer was based in another state (e.g., State Revenue Office Victoria, State Revenue Office WA), search those respective state registries.Actionable Next StepsStepActionRequirements1. Identify the DrawerCheck who signed/issued the cheque (e.g., insurance company, estate, dividend, private individual).Physical cheque details2. Search RegistriesConduct a full search on ASIC Moneysmart and Revenue NSW Unclaimed Money using all name variants/addresses from ~1979.Full legal name & historical addresses3. Lodge Claim via CBAIf found on ASIC's database under Colonial or State Bank of NSW, present the OTN to a CBA branch.2 forms of ID + Proof of OTN4. Direct Issuer ApproachIf the issuing entity still exists (e.g., an active corporation or insurance firm), contact their registry or finance office to check historical ledger records.Cheque copy/detailsSummary AssessmentIf the money was never remitted to ASIC or Revenue NSW during the initial statutory roll-overs (1985-1986), the funds would have reverted to consolidated revenue or been written off long ago. Finding an active record on either ASIC's or Revenue NSW's unclaimed money database represents the only realistic recovery route. So if the juice is worth the squeeze, you've not yet exhausted all possibilities and you can ask the Commonwealth Bank to re-issue the cheque if they are liable now as no harm asking nicely in writing...

Most banks these days don't accepr cheques or issue them. I had an issue wirh trying to cash in some travellers cheques several years ago, it just got alll to hard in the end.