In Reply to: childrens passport posted by exippy on Sunday, 8. May 2011 at 22:10 Bali Time:
Contact the passport office direct call 131 141, you can lodge a passport application without both parents consent but you need to complete a B9 form - thats like a statutory declaration, put in the details about contact with the father, last known address, attempts to contact him, if he pays child support etc. They will access the application & attempt to contact him to gain consent, if he says no he should have a good reason (like you are not going to be returning to Australia) since he hasnt had contact with the children for a number of years it is likely the passports will be issued, they normally take about 6-8 weeks to process so dont book your tickets. A person from the passport office will process your application & help you along the way. They will apply for special authorisation from Canberra for a passport to be issued to your child. It is a long process but worth it, the passport will be valid for 5 years so you will be able to plan your second holiday with no problems. Good luck, (i know this cause i used to work at the passport office)