{"id":"nsw:act-1949-003","name":"The Lakemba Memorial Hall Act 1949","slug":"the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"nsw","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"3 of 1949","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":111324,"registerId":"nsw-act-1949-003-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Act and commencement","content":"#### 1 Name of Act and commencement\n\n1 Name of Act and commencement\n\n> > (1) This Act may be cited as [The Lakemba Memorial Hall Act 1949](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1949-003).\n> \n> > (2) This Act shall commence upon a day to be appointed by the Governor and notified by proclamation published in the Gazette.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 2 Definitions\n\n2 Definitions\n\n> In this Act, unless the context or subject-matter otherwise indicates or requires:\n> \n> Club means the Lakemba Services Club.\n> \n> Committee means the Lakemba Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Memorial Hall Committee.\n> \n> Council means the Council or other governing body for the time being of the Club.\n> \n> Trust property means the property described in the Schedule to this Act and any building or other improvement erected on the land described in the said Schedule.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Vesting of trust property","content":"#### 3 Vesting of trust property\n\n3 Vesting of trust property\n\n> > (1) The trust property is hereby transferred to and vested in the Club.\n> \n> > (2) All trusts, estates, or interests affecting the trust property immediately before the commencement of this Act are hereby revoked and annulled.\n> \n> > (3) The Registrar-General shall upon the application of the Club and upon payment of the fees prescribed register the Club as the proprietor of the land described in the Schedule to this Act for an estate in fee simple freed and discharged from any trusts, estates, or interests which, immediately before the commencement of this Act, affected such land.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Provision of club and office premises","content":"#### 4 Provision of club and office premises\n\n4 Provision of club and office premises\n\n> > (1) The Club shall as soon as may be practicable cause to be erected upon the land described in the Schedule to this Act such buildings as will provide suitable accommodation for:\n> > \n> > > (a) club premises and recreation rooms for the use and benefit of members of the Club,\n> > \n> > > (b) separate office accommodation for the Lakemba Sub-branch of the Returned Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia (New South Wales Branch), the Lakemba Sub-branch of the Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women and any other kindred organisations approved by the Council for this purpose.\n> \n> > (2) The Club shall permit each of the said organisations to occupy for office purposes separate portions of the said buildings. The respective portions to be so occupied shall be decided by the Council. No rent shall be charged in respect of such occupation.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Exoneration of members of and trustees for Committee","content":"#### 5 Exoneration of members of and trustees for Committee\n\n5 Exoneration of members of and trustees for Committee\n\n> All persons who, at any time before the commencement of this Act, were members of the Committee or trustees for the Committee, and the estates of all deceased members of the Committee, and of all deceased trustees for the Committee are hereby released and discharged from all claims and demands which, before the commencement of this Act, arose out of contract or tort or otherwise in relation to the ownership, management, or administration of the trust property.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Preservation of rights","content":"#### 6 Preservation of rights\n\n6 Preservation of rights\n\n> Nothing in this Act contained or that may be done under this Act shall be deemed prejudicially to affect or deprive any person of any right whatsoever which, before the commencement of this Act, arose out of contract or tort or otherwise in relation to the trust property, and any such right which may, immediately before the commencement of this Act, have been enforceable against the Committee or any trustees for the Committee may be enforced against the Club.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Vesting of rights","content":"#### 7 Vesting of rights\n\n7 Vesting of rights\n\n> All rights, including choses in action, arising out of contract, tort, or otherwise in any way relating to the trust property which were, immediately before the commencement of this Act, vested in the Committee or in the trustees for the Committee, are hereby vested in and may be enforced by the Club.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"sch","sectionType":"schedule","heading":null,"content":"# sch\n\nSchedule\n\n> (a) All that piece of land situated in the Municipality of Canterbury, Parish of St. George, County of Cumberland, having a frontage to The Boulevarde, Lakemba, and being the land comprised in Certificate of Title, Volume 3269, Folio 69, upon which piece of land is erected the building known as the Lakemba Memorial Hall.\n\n> (b) All moneys, securities, chattels and other personal property of any description vested in Victor Edmund Harcourt, Russell Clarence Gordon and James Sydney Davidson as trustees for the Committee.","sortOrder":7}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"There is no evidence of any scope change. The Act has never been amended since its enactment in 1949, suggesting it has remained precisely as originally intended — a narrow, site-specific piece of legislation governing one community hall."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely narrow and localised scope — applies to a single building in a single suburb","No amendments in over 75 years, suggesting minimal legislative complexity","Likely a short, purpose-built private or local Act with few provisions","Substantive text was not available for analysis, limiting assessment","Typical legislation of this type involves straightforward trust or property administration provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"The Lakemba Memorial Hall Act 1949 is a narrow, local NSW law governing the Lakemba Memorial Hall — likely covering its establishment, ownership or management. Passed in 1949 and never amended, it remains technically in force today.\n\nIt chiefly affects a small group (trustees, local council or community organisations) and matters because it quietly sets the legal rights and responsibilities around use, control or disposal of this community asset."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Yes. The Act moves legal ownership and rights in the memorial hall land and listed personal property from the Committee and trustees to the Lakemba Services Club, annuls earlier trusts, releases prior committee members and trustees from past liabilities, and imposes new obligations on the Club (building provision, rent‑free offices, and title registration). Existing enforceable rights are preserved but are to be enforced against the Club rather than the Committee."},"complexity_factors":["Statutory vesting and annulment of prior trusts (s3): transfers land and revokes prior trusts, which changes legal title and trust relationships.","Registration procedure and fee payment (s3(3)): requires Club application to Registrar‑General and payment of prescribed fees to record fee simple title.","Mandatory construction and occupancy obligations (s4): Club must erect buildings \"as soon as may be practicable\" and provide rent‑free office accommodation for named ex‑service sub‑branches.","Council discretion (s4(2)): Council decides allocation of office portions and approves other \"kindred organisations\", creating administrative discretion.","Exoneration of past officeholders (s5): releases prior Committee members and trustees from historical claims, shifting potential liability away from them.","Preservation and vesting of enforceable rights (s6–s7): existing contractual/tort claims are preserved and vested in the Club, creating potential continuing liabilities against the transferee.","Broad schedule description of trust property (Schedule): combines specific land description with unnamed personal property and trust assets held by named trustees, affecting asset scope.","Limited transitional detail and timing (commencement provision and phrases like \"as soon as may be practicable\"): creates some implementation uncertainty about deadlines and standards."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act transfers the Lakemba Memorial Hall land and listed personal property to the Lakemba Services Club, annuls prior trusts and vests related rights and claims in the Club. It obliges the Club to provide club facilities and to give rent‑free office space to specified ex‑service sub‑branches and approved kindred organisations.\n\nThe Club must register title and pay prescribed fees; the Club’s Council decides office allocation. Former committee members and trustees are released from past liabilities, while any enforceable rights may be pursued against the Club."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This legislation has remained tightly focused on its original purpose since 1949. It was enacted specifically to transfer the Lakemba Memorial Hall from trustees to the Lakemba Services Club, provide for veterans' facilities, and settle liabilities — and it does exactly that without expansion into broader areas."},"complexity_factors":["Very short statute (only 7 operative sections plus a schedule)","Only 4 defined terms in the interpretation section","No cross-references to other legislation","Simple linear structure with no nested exceptions or conditional logic","Single purpose legislation with straightforward operative provisions","No delegated legislative powers or regulatory mechanisms"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a short, specific law from 1949 that deals with a single piece of community property in Lakemba, Sydney.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Transfers ownership** of the Lakemba Memorial Hall and associated assets from a committee of trustees to the Lakemba Services Club (a local RSL-type club).\n- **Cleans up the title** by wiping out old trusts and legal interests that were attached to the property, making the Club the outright owner (\"fee simple\" means full ownership).\n- **Requires the Club to build facilities** on the land, including:\n  - Club premises and recreation rooms for members\n  - Free office space for local veterans' organisations (the RSL sub-branch, the Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women, and similar groups approved by the Club's council)\n- **Protects the old committee members** by releasing them from personal liability for anything that happened while they were managing the property before this law took effect.\n- **Preserves existing rights** — if anyone had a legal claim against the property (like a debt or injury claim), they can still pursue it, but now against the Club instead of the old committee.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- The Lakemba Services Club (gains full ownership)\n- Local veterans' organisations (get free office space)\n- Former committee members and trustees (protected from past lawsuits)\n- Anyone with existing legal claims against the property (can still sue, but must sue the Club)\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis is a classic example of a \"private Act\" — legislation passed to solve a specific local problem. Rather than going through complex court processes to transfer the memorial hall from the old trustees to the Club, Parliament passed a dedicated law to do it cleanly. It ensures the memorial hall remains a community asset serving veterans while giving the Club clear ownership to develop the site."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949","history":"/api/acts/the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949/history","analysis":"/api/acts/the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/the-lakemba-memorial-hall-act-1949/documents"}}