Knights Templar of Australia

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to the website of the Knights Templar of Australia – Grand Priory, part of the Ordre du Temple de Jérusalem(“OTJ”).

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and—where applicable—the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit our website:
👉 https://www.kta.org.au (the “Site”).

By using our Site, you agree to the terms of this Policy.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following information:

  • Contact details: Name, email address, telephone number, and postal address

  • Membership details: Titles, rank, and Order-related information (if applicable)

  • Communications: Enquiries, correspondence, or event registrations

  • Technical data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and referring URLs

  • Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on site, navigation paths

  • Cookies and analytics information (see Section 4 below)

We do not collect sensitive information (e.g. racial, health, or religious data) unless voluntarily provided and necessary for legitimate Order purposes.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information through:

  • Forms and registrations on our website

  • Subscriptions to newsletters, event lists, or mailing lists

  • Direct communications (email, phone, mail, social media)

  • Cookies, analytics, and server logs when you visit the Site

  • Third-party service providers assisting with IT, web hosting, or analytics

4. Cookies and Analytics

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies to track website activity and improve functionality.

We may use tools like Google Analytics to collect anonymous data, including user location (by region), session duration, and navigation behavior.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that some features of the Site may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

We do not use cookies for advertising or profiling purposes.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and manage correspondence

  • Administer membership or affiliation requests

  • Send newsletters and event updates (with your consent)

  • Manage Order communications, events, and ceremonies

  • Improve the Site and monitor its security and performance

  • Comply with our legal or regulatory obligations

We will not use your personal information for unrelated purposes without your consent.

6. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

If you are located in the European Union, the legal bases for processing your personal data under the GDPR include:

  • Consent: You have given us explicit permission to process your data for one or more purposes.

  • Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to perform a contract with you (e.g. membership application).

  • Legal obligation: We must process data to comply with applicable laws.

  • Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for legitimate activities of the Order (e.g. member communications, site security).

You have the right to withdraw consent at any time by contacting us (see Section 13).

7. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may share personal information with:

  • Our authorised officers and administrative volunteers

  • IT and web hosting providers

  • Professional advisors (legal, accounting, compliance)

  • Government or law enforcement agencies if legally required

We do not sell or trade your personal data.

If information is transferred outside Australia (e.g. for secure cloud hosting), we ensure the recipient provides privacy protections equivalent to the APPs and GDPR.

8. Data Security and Retention

We maintain robust administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, or disclosure.

Data is stored securely in systems with restricted access, and encrypted where appropriate.

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for operational or legal purposes, after which it is securely deleted or anonymised.

If a data breach occurs, we will act promptly in accordance with Australian and international data breach notification laws.

9. Your Rights

Under Australian Law (APPs):

You have the right to access and correct the personal information we hold about you.

Under GDPR (EU Residents):

If you are an EU data subject, you have the following rights:

  • Access: Obtain a copy of your personal data.

  • Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”).

  • Restriction: Limit processing of your personal data.

  • Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format.

  • Objection: Object to data processing for legitimate reasons.

  • Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw previously given consent.

To exercise these rights, contact us (see Section 13). We may request proof of identity.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our Site and activities are directed toward adults, specifically members and affiliates of the Order.

We do not knowingly collect or store personal information from children under the age of 16.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child without parental consent, we will promptly delete such data from our systems.

Parents or guardians who believe their child has submitted information may contact us directly at privacy@kta.org.auto request removal.

11. International Data Transfers

Some data may be processed or stored by cloud services located outside Australia, including in the European Union or the United States.

We ensure that any overseas data transfer complies with the Australian Privacy Principles and, where applicable, the GDPR’s cross-border transfer requirements, using standard contractual clauses or equivalent protections.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in law, technology, or organisational practices.

The revised version will be posted on this page with the new “Last Updated” date.
Your continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of any updated terms.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Knights Templar of Australia – Grand Priory
📜 Ordre du Temple de Jérusalem
📍 21 Barley Street, Park Ridge, 4125, Queensland, Australia
📧 Email: templars@kta.org.au
🌐 Website: https://www.kta.org.au

For EU residents, you may also contact your local Data Protection Authority (DPA).
For Australian residents, complaints can be directed to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
www.oaic.gov.au/privacy

14. Plain-Language Summary (for Website Footer)

We respect your privacy.
When you use our website, we may collect your name, contact details, or general site usage data.
We only use this information to respond to you, manage Order communications, and improve the website.

We comply with both Australian privacy law and the EU’s GDPR.
You can ask us at any time to see, correct, or delete your data.

We do not sell your information, and we don’t collect data from children under 16.

📧 Contact: templars@kta.org.au