AGY-2987 | Bursary Endowment Board

Full description

Bursary Endowment Board was established under section 4 Bursary Endowment Act commencing on 4 April 1912. The Board was first constituted when its initial members were appointed by the Governor’ s proclamation of 10 July 1912. The Board consisted of

(a) Two representatives of the University of Sydney,
(b) Two representatives of the Department of Public Instruction,
(c)Two representatives of Secondary Schools

The Chairman of the Board was one of the Departmental representatives . (1)

The main task of the Board was the administration the Bursary Endowment Act, 1912 under which it determined the bursaries to be tenable in approved public or private schools, and colleges at the Sydney University (later including other universities in New South Wales). The standard of the educational attainments of bursars was determined by the regulations but the Act stipulated that this could not be below the standard prescribed for the qualifying and leaving certificates of the Department of Public Instruction. The Board was required to keep proper account of all money received and expended and an annual statement of its finances was made to the Minister. (2)

In the sixth year of the Board’s operations there were 1,450 students holding bursaries under the Act. Of these 1,351 attended courses of secondary instruction and 99 attended university lectures. All bursary holders received a monetary allowance and assistance with text-books. At the end of financial year on 30 June 1918 the Board reported a balance of £10, 713 14s 5d. (3)

During 1949/50 the Board was reconstructed following the retirement of a member appointed in 1926 and need for a new secretary. The Minister also approved amendments of the Bursary Endowment Act, 1912 which took effect from 1. January 1951. (4)

In 1960, the forty seventh year of the Board’s operations there were there were 1,987 students bursaries. Of these 1,845 were attending secondary courses, 136 of them enrolled in university courses and 6 held bursaries tenable in courses of Technical Education. (5)

The number of bursary holders increased in 1973 when 7660 students who held bursaries awarded under the provisions of the Bursary Endowment Act. The majority of these (7489 students) attended secondary school, 159 were enrolled in university courses, three at colleges of advanced education and one at the School of Physiotherapy. (6)

During 1980s main Board’s function was provision of secondary bursary grants to students in government and non-government schools that were registered with the Board. (7)

To contain the Secondary Bursary Grants scheme within the budget allocations, the Board varied the income criteria used to determine successful applicants for awards. All applicants were ranked in strict income order of family taxable income or for an applicant in receipt of a social security payment, by gross income. (8)

It would appear that the Bursary Endowment Board ceased to exist by 13 June 1989 as the Bursary Endowment Act 1912 was repealed by the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989. (9)

Endnotes
1. Bursary Endowment Act 1912, The Statutes of New South Wales 1911-12, pp.144-146 and NSW Government Gazette No.104, 10 July 1912, p.4348.
2. Bursary Endowment Act 1912, ss.8-9, The Statutes of New South Wales 1911-12, pp.144-146 and Annual Report Bursary Endowment Board 1912/13, NRS 21714.
3. Annual Report Bursary Endowment Board 1912/13, NRS 21714.
4. Annual Report Bursary Endowment Board 1950/51, Annual Report, 1950/51/52, v.1, p.423.
5. Annual Report Bursary Endowment Board 1959/1960, Annual Report, 1959/1960, v.1, pp.444-447.
6. Annual Report Bursary Endowment Board 1972/1973, Annual Report, 1974/1975, v.2, pp.1049-1054.
7. NSW Government Directory, Government Information Service 1987, p.114.
8. Annual Report Bursary Endowment Board 1979/1980, Annual Report, 1981/1982, v.1, pp.539-543.
9. NSW Government Directory, Government Information Service 1989, p.4; Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 (Act No.89, 1989), s.3 (Assented to 13 June 1989).