AGY-3836 | Returned Soldiers Branch [I] [Department of Lands]

Full description

In February 1916 a conference of representatives of the Commonwealth and of the States was held in Melbourne to consider a report prepared by the Federal Parliamentary War Committee regarding the settlement of returned soldiers on the land. The resolutions of the conference were as follows:
Commonwealth and state governments should co-operate to develop a scheme for the settlement of willing and suitable returned soldiers on the land;
Land should be provided by the states;
The states would also be responsible for classifying applicants and providing them with training;
The Commonwealth would provide loans to the states to enable advances to soldiers to assist them with the costs of establishment. This money would be made available at ‘reasonable’ rates of interest;
The difference between the cost of the loans to the government and the repayments should be borne equally by the Commonwealth and the states. (1) Legislation was introduced in New South Wales to enable the implementation of the scheme. The Returned Soldiers Settlement Act, 1916 (Act No 21 1916) allowed for the settlement of returned soldiers on Crown and Closer Settlement Lands. Returned soldiers eligible were those who had served outside Australia in the Australian forces or Australia residents who had served in the British Defence services and who had been honourably discharged. (2) The Act enabled the Minister to notify in the Government Gazette any area of Crown Land, land acquired under the Closer Settlement Acts, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act, 1910 or identified for disposal under the Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913, to be made available exclusively to returned servicemen. (3) Following notification in the NSW Government Gazette, land in these areas could be made available by lease or sale to returned servicemen according to any conditions made by the Minister, or the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission. These conditions could include the size of the blocks, price and other conditions. (4) When applying for land, an ex-serviceman was required to complete a form which included a declaration of his status as an ex-serviceman, and to attach a certificate from a Returned Soldiers Classification Committee. The Local Land Board or the Water Resources and Irrigation Commission dealt with the applications endeavouring to provide the land suitable to the experience, fitness, and financial position of the applicant. (5) Additional financial assistance was available to ex-servicemen to assist with clearing, fencing, drainage, water supply and other improvement of the land; the erection of buildings and the purchase of stock, seeds, implements, plants and similar material necessary for the occupation and development of the land. (6). There were limitations on the rights of returned soldiers to dispose of land acquired under this Act without Ministerial or Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission consent. (7) The Returned Soldiers Settlement (Amendment) Act, 1917 (Act No 24, 1917) broadened the definition of returned soldiers who could benefit from the provisions of the Act, including those who had not enlisted in Australia and those who had not served overseas, and provided for potential further categories of soldiers. (8) The Act also introduced ‘preferential rights’ for soldiers on active duty. (9) The Act introduced Soldiers’ group purchases on the terms approved by the Minister and notified in the NSW Government Gazette; (10) allowed ex-servicemen to benefit from the Closer Settlement Promotion Act, 1910;(11) authorised relatives to apply for land on behalf of soldiers on active service; (12) and for the establishment of training farms for ex-soldiers to enable them to acquire knowledge about agriculture. (13) Penalties were introduced for persons who falsely obtained benefits under this Act or who aided, abetted or counselled others to do so (14) J.G.R. Bryant, a former Fruit Expert with the NSW Department of Agriculture, was appointed Director, Resumed Areas, Soldiers Settlements on 13 November, 1916. (15) A staff of field workers and clerical officers was soon established. The activities of the Department included the following:
Reporting on the suitability of Crown lands for settlement by returned servicemen;
Reporting on and acquiring private lands for settlement;
Selecting soldiers suitable for membership of group settlements;
Providing agricultural training for soldiers;
Purchasing animals, implements, machinery and other supplies;
Arranging for the erection of cottages on soldiers settlements;
Dealing with advances for soldiers;
Recording and dealing with returned soldiers’ special holdings;
Answering inquiries from various repatriation bodies concerning assistance to soldiers;
Assisting soldiers to establish themselves on the land;
Assisting soldiers to develop production and distribution co-operatives;
Preparing promotional literature for the information of protection soldier settlers; and
Administering the Forest Vale and Woodlands Wheat areas. (16) In the period October 1917 – 30 June 1917 the Department commenced 12 soldier settlement projects including the Glen Innes Returned Soldiers’ Nursery where soldiers were trained in horticulture and ; and the Grantham Stud Poultry Farm and Soldiers settlement initially for training purposes and eventually intended to be established into 12 home maintenance poultry farms for maimed or partially incapacitated men. (17) In its first full year of operation 1,694 qualification certificates were issued resulting in 694 applications for settlements, 616 of the soldiers were settled during the year. (18) There were 19 settlement projects in preparation or operation. These included share farms, small farms and training projects. (19) Following the end of World War I a sharp increase in the number of applications for Soldier Settlement was anticipated. The Department undertook an analysis of primary industries concluding that the most suitable industries for farmer settlement were – poultry-raising; hog raising; prune growing; viticulture; market gardening; tropical fruit culture and other orchards. The report suggested that ‘ready-made farms’ should be offered to the soldier-settlers. The farms would contain cottages, the quantity of land appropriate for the specialty, stock, plants, and equipment, and the settlers received financial assistance during the establishment period. The Commonwealth government assisted with a loans for purposes such as constructing railways, resuming land and providing financial assistance to the settlers. The Department of Agriculture made available places in the various training colleges to prepare the soldiers for the work. (20) In 1920 P.W. Street was appointed Royal Commissioner to Inquire into the administration of the Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch of the Department of Lands. The Commissioner found that the Minister for Lands had not used his powers improperly to create the branch outside the control of the Under-Secretary for lands and that he had followed the correct procedures in the appointment of the Director. However he had accepted recommendations of the Director without adequate scrutiny. This resulted in authorising the purchases of properties at prices exceeding their valuation; erection of facilities unwisely in advance of requirements; rewarding contracts partially without following procedures. There was mis-management and corruption within the Branch. (21) At the end of 1920 the Branch ceased its involvement with training the former soldiers and the Grantham Farm was converted into a stud farm for supplying breeding poultry stock to settlers. The Glen Innes nursery was sold (22) The Director was replaced soon after the report of the Royal Commission was received in March 1921 but the Brach continued to report immediately to the Minister for Lands until August 1922 when it became a branch of the Department of Lands reporting to the Undersecretary. (23) Endnotes:
(1) Report of the Royal Commission of inquiry into the Administration of the Return Soldiers’ Settlement Branch, Department of Lands. 1921. in NSW Summary. p. v-vi in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1921 vol 1 p. 811- 812
(2) Returned Soldiers Settlement Act, 1916 s. 2
(3) Ibid s. 3
(4) Ibid s. 4
(5) Ibid s. 4 (6), (7)
(6) Ibid s. 7
(7) Ibid s. 10
(8) Returned Soldiers (Amendment) Act 1917 s. 2
(9) Ibid s. 3A
(10) Ibid s. 4B
(11) Ibid s. 4C
(12) Ibid s. 4D
(13) Ibid s. 4E
(14) Ibid s. 12
(15) Public Service List, 1917 p. 94
(16) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1917 p. 49 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1917-1918 Vol 2 p. 119
(17) Ibid p. 50 – 55
(18) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1918 p. 44 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1918 vol 1 p, 904
(19) Ibid p. 47- 53
(20) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1919 p. 44- 47 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1920 vol 1 p. 50- 53
(21) Report of the Royal Commission of inquiry into the Administration of the Return Soldiers’ Settlement Branch, Op. Cit p. cxvi- cxviii
(22) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1922 p. 24 in NSW Parliamentary Papers Second Session 1922 vol 1 p. 224
(23) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1923 p. 3 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1923 vol 1 p. 255
Reference.
Harvey, Brian "Land for the People: a history of Land Settlement in New South Wales." Prepared for the Department of Lands. n.d. (1959?)