Loan Appropriation Act 1935

Loan Appropriation Act 1935

This is a short, single-purpose piece of Depression-era Commonwealth legislation that authorises the government to spend a specific sum of borrowed money on infrastructure works in what is now the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

What does it do?

It gives the government legal permission (an "appropriation") to draw £170,000 (one hundred and seventy thousand pounds) from money already borrowed under existing loan legislation and spend it on three specific projects, all managed by the Department of Interior in the Federal Capital Territory (the precursor name for the ACT):

• Architectural services — £59,500
• Engineering services — £10,500
• Developmental works related to transferring government staff to Canberra — £100,000

Why does this matter?

In the 1930s, the Commonwealth government was still in the process of physically relocating its operations to the newly built national capital, Canberra. This Act helped fund the construction and professional services needed to support that move.

Who does it affect?

Primarily the Commonwealth government itself — specifically the Department of Interior, which was responsible for managing the Federal Capital Territory. Ordinary Australians were indirectly affected as this spending shaped the development of their new national capital.