AGY-3848 | Closer Settlement and Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch [Department of Lands]

Full description

The Closer Settlement and Returned Soldiers Settlement Branch appears to have commenced about 11 June 1936 with the amalgamation of the former Returned Soldiers and Closer Settlement branches under Frank Neri Boddington, Officer in charge. (1) The Branch administered the various closer settlement and soldier settlement acts then in force. It acquired Crown Lands and less often privately owned lands for division into smaller allotments for lease to individuals for development as farms. Some of the lands had been acquired specifically for settling returned servicemen from World War I, although the acquisition of new lands for this purpose had ceased. In 1939 the Department reported that since the inception of returned soldier settlement in 1916, 9682 farms had been taken up by soldier settlers. 4681 of these farms were still occupied; the remainder had been transferred to other holders or abandoned. 7620 advances had been made to soldiers over the period of approximately 23 years, and 2231 of these advances were outstanding. The separate accounting arrangements for the soldier settlement receipts had ceased and all payments were credited to the Closer Settlement Fund. (2) The Branch was responsible for acquiring new lands for closer settlement purposes, placing notifications in the Gazette, receiving applications for settlement, allocating land parcels, administering the financial transactions including financial assistance to settlers, and monitoring the progress of the various estates. Financial administration had become more complex as a result of the ‘Great Depression’. The Closer Settlement and Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Amendment Act 1927 afforded relief to settlers requiring the re-valuation of lands and annual rental due, in many cases resulting in amelioration of indebtedness. This Act was extended several times during the following decade. There was an emphasis on voluntary subdivision by the owners of suitable estates by 1937. The Closer Settlement Agency was established within the Rural Bank of New South Wales by the Rural Bank (Agency) Amendment Act, 1936. Property owners in ‘safe rainfall’ areas of the State were encouraged to participate in voluntary subdivision, provided that their properties could be divided into at least three blocks. 250 landholders were approached regarding the division of their lands and a further 100 owners approached the government regarding subdivision. (The properties offered by owners were usually less appropriate for closer settlement and few of them were taken up) Local Advisory Committees were established in many locations throughout New South Wales. The Committees consisted of the district surveyor (chairman) local agricultural instructors and Rural Bank valuers together with local representatives who assisted the Committees. The role of these Committees was to report to the government regarding closer settlement proposals. (3) In 1941, in order to meet demand for housing and businesses close to railway lines, 37 sites were purchased for designation as villages followed by subdivision and auction of the individual blocks for residential and commercial development. Parts of these lands were dedicated for public purposes such as schools, halls and recreation grounds. (4) The War Service Land Settlement Act 1941 (Act No 43, 1941) made provision for areas of land to be set aside specifically for the selection by members or discharged members of the defence forces. The land was that covered by the Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913, the Wentworth or Hay Irrigation Acts, The Irrigation Act, 1912, the Closer Settlement Acts, Prickly Pear Acts or the Western Lands Act. (5) Persons desirous of making a selection were required to obtain a qualifications certificate. (6) The Certificates were issued by the Classifications Committee which contained one member who was a discharged member of the forces. To prove eligibility applicants were required to provide evidence that they were discharged members of forces and that their experience and fitness suited them for farming or the pastoral industry. (7) The local land board could recommend that interest on purchase money or loans from the Rural Bank of New South Wales for improvement or annual rental could be waived during the time that an applicant was serving in the Forces. (8) The Classification Committee met for the first time on 13 July 1943 (9) and regulations under the Act were issued on 12 November, 1943, (10) By 30 June 1944 4,829 applications were registered 2,541 applicants were interviewed and 1,340 certificates were issued. (11) In its first full year of operation under the new legislation 16,849 applications were received, 11,541 applicants interviewed and 7,606, certificates were issued, 5,534 of these to serving members of the forces. The National Security (Economic Organisation) Regulation (No. 6A) restricted country land transfer for soldier settlement temporarily delaying the full operation of the Act. At a Premiers’ Conference on 5 October 1944 agreement between the Commonwealth and the States in relation to soldier settlement was reached. The ratified agreement was incorporated into Commonwealth legislation that commenced on 7 January 1946. (12) The terms of the agreement were that the states should select estates suitable for soldier settlement, they were then submitted to the Commonwealth for approval. The estates were to be such that they could quickly be brought into production. The States were responsible for making available advances for working capital, making improvements, and purchasing plant and stock. Repayments and interest were waived for the first year of occupation of the land except for working capital which was payable immediately. The Commonwealth provided a ‘reasonable living allowance’ for the first year on the land. This was not re-payable. Refresher training courses in farming were available although applicants were expected to have some experience in order to achieve qualification. Lack of finance was not be a hindrance to qualification for soldier settlement (13) The Closer Settlement Amendment (Conversion) Act, 1943 (Act No 38, 1943) allowed for the conversion of some settlement purchases and soldiers’ group purchases into leases in perpetuity, made provision for reduction in rent of some homestead farms and for setting apart for disposal as leases some forfeited holdings. The Crown Lands, Returned Soldiers Settlement and Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act, 1945 (Act No 14, 1945) reconstituted the closer settlement advisory boards. A Chairman of Closer Settlement Advisory Boards, who was to be the chairman of each Advisory Board, was appointed by the Governor. Several Boards could be established each containing two additional members also appointed by the Governor. (14) Three boards which replaced those which commenced in 1937, were in operation by June 1946 (15) By the end of 1948 the business concerned with War Service Land Settlement had increased in volume to the extent that the branch was divided into two separate sections – (16)
the War Service Land Settlement Branch under Herbert Henry Percy, previously the Officer-in-Charge of the Closer Settlement and Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch: and
the Closer Settlement Branch under James Alexander Sinclair who had previously been Section Leader, Acquisition and Disposals in the Closer Settlement and Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch
Endnotes:
(1) Public Service List 1936 p. 72-73
(2) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1939 p. 13 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1938-39-40 Vol 1 p. 857
(3) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1938 p. 6 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1938-39-40 Vol 1 p. 818
(4) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1941 p. 6 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1941-1942 vol 1 p. 12
(5) War Service Land Settlement Act, 1941 s. 3
(6) Ibid. s. 3 (3)
(7) Ibid. s. 4
(8) Ibid. s. 7
(9) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1944 p. 2 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1944-1945 Vol. 1 p. 6
(10) NSW Government Gazette 12 November 1943 p. 1989 – 1999
(11) Department of lands report for the year ended 30 June 1944. Loc. Cit.
(12) Department of lands report for the year ended 30 June 1946 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 30 June 1946 p. 4-5 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1946-1947 vol 1 p. 48-49
(13) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1947 p. 8,11 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1947-1948 Vol 1 p. 84, 87
(14) Crown Lands, returned soldiers settlement and closer settlement (amendment) Act, 1945 s. 5
(15) Department of Lands report for the year ended 30 June 1946 p. 5. Op. Cit.
(16) Public Service lists 1947 p. 71 and 1948 p, 71, 81