VPRS 11076 Miners' Phthisis Allowance Claim Files

Full description

The Miners Phthisis (Treasury Allowances) Act 1938 (No.4567) was passed by the Victorian Parliament on 11 October 1938. The Act related to the payment of allowances to sufferers from Miners Phthisis (known also as silicosis - alone or accompanied by tuberculosis).

Prior to the passing of this bill the miners phthisis allowance was a compassionate assistance from the Government varying in amount according to the financial situation of the state.

A number of attempts to provide compensation to miners suffering from the disease were made throughout the years. In 1915 a Bill was prepared but it was not presented to the Parliament. Passing of the Miners Phthisis Act placed the payment of allowances on a statutory basis, subject to alteration only with the consent of the Parliament.

Under the provisions of this Act every person suffering from miners phthisis and incapacitated from work, as a result of mining for gold in Victoria was entitled to an allowance. The rate of the allowance was determined and fixed from time to time by the Governor in Council, by Order published in the Government Gazette.

The applications, supported by the medical reports were initially examined and processed by the Department of Treasury (VA 865), and later by the Department of Management and Budget (VA 1022).

This series ended in 1983 when the active files from this system were top numbered into the Central Correspondence System (Refer to VPRS 9458/P1).

This series contains Claim Files created by the Department of Treasury (VA 865) during the period 1939 to 1982, and by the Department of Management and Budget (VA 1022) between 1982 and 1983. These records document the process of assessment of the applications and the payment of this allowance to entitled miners.

The P1 consignment of this series consists of:

Files - containing applications, medical reports, related correspondence and records of payment of allowance

Schedules.

The P2 consignment of this series contains files relating to refused applications and cancelled cases.