{"id":"western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932","name":"Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers' Relief Fund Act 1932","slug":"western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":111107,"registerId":"wa-western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers' Relief Fund Act 1932","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nWestern Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932\n\nWestern Australia\n\nWestern Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932\n\nContents\n\n1. Short title and commencement 1\n\n2. Terms used in this Act 1\n\n3. The Fund 2\n\n4. The Trust 2\n\n5. Investment and application of the Fund 3\n\n6. Expenses of Trust pending accumulation of the Fund 3\n\n7. Regulations 3\n\n8. Authority to conduct the annual Poppy Day appeal 3\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 5\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\nWestern Australia\n\nWestern Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932\n\nAn Act to establish the Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund.\n\n[Long title amended: No. 24 of 1958 s. 2.]\n\n##### 1. Short title and commencement\n\nThis Act may be cited as the *Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932* 1, and shall come into operation on 1 January 1933.\n\n[Section 1 amended: No. 24 of 1958 s. 1.]\n\n##### 2. Terms used in this Act\n\nIn this Act —\n\n  the annual Poppy Day appeal means an annual appeal of a kind similar to the appeal heretofore known as “the Poppy Day appeal”, and heretofore conducted annually by or under the authority of the League since the Great War, 1914‑1918, on Armistice Day;\n\n  the League means The Returned and Services League of Australia WA Branch Incorporated;\n\n  the State secretary means the State secretary to the League.\n\n[Section 2 amended: No. 10 of 1934 s. 2; No. 24 of 1958 s. 3; No. 47 of 2011 s. 17.]\n\n##### 3. The Fund\n\n(1) The Fund inaugurated by the League and known as the Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund is hereby established.\n\n(2A) The League shall, on the commencement of this Act, remit to the Trust all moneys held by the League in an account known as “W.A. Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund”.\n\n(2B) Each sub‑branch of the League shall, on the commencement of this Act, and on or before 1 December 1933, and in every subsequent year remit to the State secretary one‑half of the net proceeds of the annual Poppy Day appeal, and the moneys so received by the State secretary shall be paid by him to the Trust hereby established.\n\n(2C) From the commencement of the *Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund Act Amendment Act 1958*1, the account constituted by subsection (2A) shall be known as the “Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund”.\n\n(3) The Fund shall consist of —\n\n(a) one‑half of the net proceeds of the annual Poppy Day appeal received by the Trust under subsection (2B);\n\n(b) such other moneys as may be set aside for the purposes of this Act by the annual State Congress of the League;\n\n(c) donations or bequests.\n\n[Section 3 amended: No. 24 of 1958 s. 4; No. 19 of 2010 s. 51.]\n\n##### 4. The Trust\n\n(1) The Fund is hereby vested in and shall be administered by a Trust.\n\n(2) The Trust shall consist of 3 members, to be appointed from time to time by the Governor. One of the members shall be nominated by the State Executive of the League.\n\n(3) The Trust, by the name of the Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Trust, shall be a body corporate, with perpetual succession and a common seal.\n\n[Section 4 amended: No. 24 of 1958 s. 5.]\n\n##### 5. Investment and application of the Fund\n\n(1) All moneys to the credit of the Fund shall be invested by the Trust, under and subject to the *Trustees Act 1900* 2, and shall accumulate with interest until 1 December 1940.\n\n(2) Thereafter such moneys shall, subject to the regulations, be applied by the Trust in its discretion for the benefit of aged and/or invalid sailors, soldiers, airmen and nurses eligible for membership of the League, and for any person who, immediately before the death of any such sailor, soldier, airman or nurse, was the spouse or de facto partner of that person.\n\n(3) A benefit under subsection (2) shall be applied only for a person who is domiciled in the State of Western Australia.\n\n[Section 5 amended: No. 24 of 1958 s. 6 3; No. 28 of 2003 s. 206; No. 19 of 2010 s. 51.]\n\n##### 6. Expenses of Trust pending accumulation of the Fund\n\nThe League may defray from its general fund the expense incurred by the Trust in administering this Act, pending the accumulation of the Fund under the provisions of section 5.\n\n##### 7. Regulations\n\nThe Governor may make such regulations as are necessary or convenient to be made for the effective administration of this Act, or to facilitate the carrying out of the objects thereof.\n\n##### 8. Authority to conduct the annual Poppy Day appeal\n\n(1) From and after the commencement of this section it shall be lawful for the League, but for no other body or person, to hold, manage, and conduct in Western Australia the annual Poppy Day appeal.\n\n(2) The annual Poppy Day appeal shall be conducted in accordance with the regulations.\n\n(3) Any person who, in contravention of this section, conducts, or attempts to conduct, or permits or suffers to be conducted, or who aids in, abets, takes part in, or whether with or without personal reward or remuneration as a servant or agent, or otherwise engages in the conduct of the annual Poppy Day appeal, will be guilty of an offence.\n\nPenalty: $200.\n\n(4) Where any annual Poppy Day appeal is conducted in contravention of this section, any moneys collected by such appeal shall be held by the person collecting or having such moneys in his possession in trust for the League, and such person, on demand, shall pay such moneys to the League, and until such moneys are so paid to the League the amount thereof shall be a debt owing to the League from the person for the time being holding the same, and shall be recoverable by the League from such person in any court of competent jurisdiction.\n\n[Section 8 inserted: No. 10 of 1934 s. 3; amended: No. 113 of 1965 s. 8(1).]\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a compilation of the *Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932* and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table. The table also contains information about any reprint.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Short title** | **Number and year** | **Assent** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| *Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund Act 1932* 4 | 39 of 1932 (23 Geo. V No. 39) | 30 Dec 1932 | 1 Jan 1933 (see s. 1) |\n| *Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund Amendment Act 1934* | 10 of 1934 (25 Geo. V No. 9) | 9 Nov 1934 | 9 Nov 1934 |\n| *Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund Act Amendment Act 1958* | 24 of 1958 (7 Eliz. II No. 24) | 11 Nov 1958 | 11 Nov 1958 |\n| *Decimal Currency Act 1965* | 113 of 1965 | 21 Dec 1965 | Act other than s. 4-9: 21 Dec 1965 (see s. 2(1));   s. 4-9: 14 Feb 1966 (see s. 2(2)) |\n| **Reprint of the *Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932* as at 7 Feb 1989** (includes amendments listed above) | | | |\n| *Acts Amendment (Equality of Status) Act 2003* Pt. 60 | 28 of 2003 | 22 May 2003 | 1 Jul 2003 (see s. 2 and *Gazette* 30 Jun 2003 p. 2579) |\n| **Reprint 2: The *Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932* as at 1 Jun 2007** (includes amendments listed above) | | | |\n| *Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010* s. 51 | 19 of 2010 | 28 Jun 2010 | 11 Sep 2010 (see s. 2(b) and *Gazette* 10 Sep 2010 p. 4341) |\n| *Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act 2011* s. 17 | 47 of 2011 | 25 Oct 2011 | 26 Oct 2011 (see s. 2(b)) |\n\n\n2 Repealed by the *Trustees Act 1962*.\n\n3 An amendment was made to this section by the *Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund Act Amendment Act 1958* s. 6(b) which reads as follows:\n\n“\n\n(b) by substituting for the passage, “soldiers or sailors,” in lines eight and nine, the passage, “sailors, soldiers and airmen,”;\n\n”,\n\nThis amendment is inconsistent with the amendment made by the *Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers’ Relief Fund Act Amendment Act 1958* s. 6(c) and the latter has been incorporated in this reprint.\n\n4 Now known as the *Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932*; short title changed (see note under s. 1).\n\nDefined terms\n\n*[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]*\n\n**Defined term Provision(s)**\n\nthe annual Poppy Day appeal 2\n\nthe League 2\n\nthe State secretary 2\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as the legislative text was not available for review. The page has been removed from the Western Australian legislation website due to system upgrades, and no content beyond an error message was returned."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was retrievable — only a website error page was provided","Cannot assess complexity of the actual Act without its content","Score of 1 reflects the absence of analyzable material, not simplicity of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"The 1932 Western Australian Aged Sailors and Soldiers' Relief Fund Act appears to have created a dedicated relief fund to provide financial assistance to elderly sailors and soldiers—likely WWI veterans—who were in need. It’s a historical veterans’ welfare law; its current status (in force, repealed, or incorporated elsewhere) is uncertain, so researchers should check WA legislation records or contact Parliamentary Counsel."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act’s scope has been expanded since enactment. The original fund for 'sailors and soldiers' was extended in title and operation to expressly include 'airmen' (see s 3(2C) and s 4 amendments). Beneficiary language now expressly encompasses 'nurses' eligible for League membership (s 5(2)). Separate amendments granted the League exclusive legal authority to conduct the annual Poppy Day appeal and created a penal and recovery regime for unauthorised collections (s 8(1)–(4); amendment history in compilation notes)."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple funding sources and timing rules: initial account transfer, annual remittance of one‑half of net Poppy Day proceeds from sub‑branches, plus donations and Congress allocations (s 3(2A), 3(2B), 3(3)).","Trust governance and appointment: three trustees appointed by the Governor with one nominee from the League (s 4(2)); corporate status and common seal (s 4(3)).","Investment and accumulation rule with historical cut‑off: funds invested under the Trustees Act and were to accumulate with interest until 1 December 1940 (s 5(1)).","Discretionary application and eligibility constraints: Trust has discretion to apply funds for aged/invalid sailors, soldiers, airmen and nurses eligible for League membership, limited to persons domiciled in Western Australia (s 5(2)–(3)).","Exclusive retailing and enforcement regime for Poppy Day: only the League may conduct the appeal; unauthorised conduct is a penal offence and monies collected improperly are held on trust and recoverable (s 8(1)–(4)).","Regulatory and delegated powers: Governor may make regulations for administration and conduct of the appeal, creating delegated rule‑making and administrative discretion (s 7; s 8(2)).","Interplay with other legislation and amendments: references to the Trustees Act and several historical amendments add interpretive and archival complexity (notes and compilation table)."],"plain_english_summary":"Creates a permanently vested relief fund for aged or invalid ex‑service people, financed by half the net proceeds of the League’s annual Poppy Day appeal plus donations and allocations, and managed by a three‑member Governor‑appointed Trust that invests and pays benefits. Benefits are limited to sailors, soldiers, airmen and nurses eligible for League membership who are domiciled in Western Australia; the League alone is authorised to run the annual Poppy Day appeal and unauthorised conduct is an offence."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation has remained tightly focused on its original purpose since 1932. The amendments have been minor updates: adding 'airmen' in 1958 to recognise Air Force veterans, modernising relationship terminology in 2003 to include de facto partners, and standardising formatting. The core scope — establishing a veterans' relief fund funded by Poppy Day and administered by an RSL-linked Trust — has not expanded beyond the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["Only 8 sections total, with minimal cross-referencing","Just 3 defined terms in the interpretation section","Straightforward administrative structure (single Trust with 3 members)","Simple funding mechanism (half of Poppy Day proceeds plus donations)","Minimal conditional logic — mainly timing provisions (accumulation until 1940, then distribution)","One offence provision with fixed penalty ($200)","Historical amendments are cosmetic (updating terminology like adding 'airmen', changing 'wife' to 'spouse or de facto partner', decimal currency conversion)"],"plain_english_summary":"This law creates a special trust fund to help elderly and disabled veterans in Western Australia, and gives the Returned and Services League (RSL) exclusive rights to run the annual Poppy Day fundraising appeal.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Establishes a relief fund** (the \"Fund\") to provide financial assistance to aged or invalid sailors, soldiers, airmen, and nurses who are eligible for RSL membership, plus their spouses or de facto partners (unmarried partners living together as a couple).\n- **Creates a Trust** of three people (appointed by the Governor, with one nominated by the RSL) to manage the money.\n- **Funds the trust through Poppy Day** — half the money raised from the annual Poppy Day appeal (traditionally held on Armistice Day/Remembrance Day) goes into this Fund.\n- **Gives the RSL a monopoly** on running Poppy Day appeals in WA — it's illegal for anyone else to conduct these appeals, with a penalty of $200 for violations.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Elderly or disabled veterans living in Western Australia\n- Surviving spouses and de facto partners of deceased veterans\n- The RSL (which manages the fundraising and nominates one trustee)\n- Anyone who might want to run a Poppy Day appeal (they're banned from doing so)\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis law ensures there's a dedicated, protected source of money to support vulnerable veterans in their old age, separate from government welfare. It also protects the integrity of Poppy Day fundraising by preventing unauthorised groups from running competing appeals that might confuse donors or divert money away from veterans' support."},"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"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932","history":"/api/acts/western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932/history","analysis":"/api/acts/western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/western-australian-aged-sailors-and-soldiers-relief-fund-act-1932/documents"}}