Special Annuity Act 1935

Special Annuity Act 1935

This is a very short, highly specific piece of legislation with one sole purpose: to provide a government pension (called an "annuity") to the widow of Senator Sir Walter Kingsmill, a former Australian Senator who had passed away.

What it does:

• Grants a payment of £156 per year (approximately $156 pounds sterling per annum, which in 1935 was a modest but meaningful sum) drawn from Australia's central government money pool (the Consolidated Revenue Fund — the main account the Commonwealth uses to pay its expenses).
• The payments go directly and exclusively to Lady Kingsmill, the widow of the late Senator.
• The annuity stops immediately if she remarries. This was a common condition attached to widow's pensions of the era.

Who it affects:

• In practical terms, only one person: the widow of Senator Sir Walter Kingsmill. This is as narrow in application as legislation gets.

Why it matters (historically):

• This type of legislation reflects a pre-welfare-state practice where Parliament would pass individual, named Acts to provide financial support to the widows or dependants of prominent public servants and politicians, rather than relying on a general pension scheme.
• It demonstrates Parliament's role in directly , even for very small, individual payments — a constitutional requirement in Australia.