The general rule for apostilles and authentications is that government documents can be directly apostilled without needing notarisation. Every non-government document requires notarisation before getting an apostille or authentication.

I keep a running list of government documents that need to be notarised at https://apostillestamp.com.au/what-government-documents-need-to-be-notarised-before-getting-apostilled/

Typical non-government documents I see that require notarisation are

• Powers of Attorney
• Statutory declarations
• Property Deeds
• Probates

I will continue to add to this list as I encounter new non-government documents that need to be notarised before getting apostilled or authenticated.

If a document needs to be signed then it must be signed in front of a notary. I have notaries all around Australia which can help with this function.