Commonwealth act

States' Grants Act 1937

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

13 of 1937

Collection

act

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

What this law does

This Act authorises the Commonwealth Government to pay £2.35 million (in 1937 currency) to three specific States—South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania—as financial assistance for the year starting 1 July 1937.

Who gets what

The money is divided as follows:

South Australia: £1,200,000
Western Australia: £575,000
Tasmania: £575,000

How it works

The funds are paid in equal monthly instalments over the year
The money comes from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (the Commonwealth's main government bank account)
This is a one-off grant for the 1937-38 financial year only—once the year ends, the Act has no further effect

Why it matters This legislation represents a direct cash transfer from the Commonwealth to support smaller or less economically prosperous States during the Great Depression era. Unlike modern ongoing funding arrangements, this required fresh legislation each year to continue payments.

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in States' Grants Act 1937.

States' Grants Act 1937

STATES’ GRANTS.

No. 13 of 1937.

An Act to grant and apply out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund sums for the purposes of Financial Assistance to the States of South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

[Assented to 3rd September, 1937.]

Preamble.

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows:—

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the States’ Grants Act 1937.

Payment for financial assistance to States.

There shall be payable, for the purposes of financial assistance to the States of South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, during the year commencing on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven, the sum of Two million three hundred and fifty thousand pounds.

Allocation of grant.

The amount payable to each State under this Act shall be the amount shown in the following table opposite the name of that State:—

	£
South Australia................................	1,200,000
Western Australia..............................	575,000
Tasmania....................................	575,000
	2,350,000

Method of payment.

The amount payable to any State under this Act shall be paid to that State in equal monthly instalments.

Appropriation.

Payments in accordance with this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated accordingly.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 States' Grants Act 1937