Western Australia Grant Act 1936

Western Australia Grant Act 1936

This is a short, sharp piece of legislation with one job: to hand £500,000 to the State of Western Australia as financial assistance.

What it does

• Authorises a one-off payment of £500,000 (five hundred thousand pounds — a very significant sum in 1936) from the Commonwealth to Western Australia during the financial year starting 1 July 1936.
• Requires the money to be paid in equal monthly instalments across that year — so roughly £41,667 per month.
• Draws the money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund — that's the Commonwealth's main pool of public money, collected from taxes and other sources. By "appropriating" it (formally setting it aside), the Act gives legal authority for the money to actually be spent.

Who it affects

• The State of Western Australia, which receives the funds.
• Commonwealth taxpayers, whose contributions to federal revenue are being directed to WA.

Why it matters

This Act sits in a fascinating historical context. In 1933, Western Australia held a referendum in which over two-thirds of voters backed seceding from the Australian federation — largely out of frustration that WA was sending more money to Canberra than it was getting back. While WA's secession petition ultimately went nowhere in London, the Commonwealth responded with increased financial support to the state. This grant is part of that political and economic effort to address WA's legitimate grievances about its share of Commonwealth revenue.