S 1 1914-1923

This Section includes years from 1914 to 1923.

1914

Until 16 September 1914 Prime Minister was the Hon J Cook (Liberal Party), the Hon A Fisher (Labor Party) was elected Prime Minister from 16 September 1914.  There was no ministry for Repatriation.

• 4 August - Onset of World War I;
• December - An Act for the provision of war pensions was passed.  This was the first Commonwealth provision for payment of war pensions to members of the Forces and their dependants and came into operation on 21 December 1914.  A Member of the Forces was defined as a member of the Commonwealth Naval or Military Forces enlisted or appointed for or employed on active service outside Australia or employed on a ship of war; and
• The Act provided for medical treatment of war-caused disabilities and for the payment of war pension, in the case of the death of a member, to the widow, children and other dependants as defined.  In the case of total incapacity of a member, a war pension was payable to the member at the rate specified in the Schedule, to the wife at 50 per cent of the rate payable to the member and 13 pounds per annum was payable to each child.  In the case of partial incapacity of a member pension was payable at a rate assessed by the Pensions Board.

1915/16

Until 26 October 1915 Prime Minister was the Hon A Fisher (Labor Party), the Hon W M Hughes (Labor Party/National Labor Party as of 14 November 1916) was elected Prime Minister from 26 October 1915.  There was no ministry for Repatriation.

• 1915, commencement of the War Pensions Act 1914;
• the rates of compensation were increased; specific rates of pension were introduced for loss or loss of use of limbs and eyes under a new Schedule;
• nurses were included as 'members of the Forces'; home service was included in provisions; and
• May 1916 to June 1920, were formative years for the development of Repatriation Legislation.

1917

The Hon W M Hughes (now Nationalist Party) was the Prime Minister.  There was no ministry for Repatriation.

• Repatriation Department was created.
• the War Pensions Act was consolidated into the 'Australian Soldiers Repatriation Act 19I7' Repatriation Boards were introduced as honorary bodies whose function was to represent the Repatriation Commission.  Boards had no function in relation to pensions which were the responsibility of the Treasury at that time; and
• Minister given general administration of the Act.

1918

The Hon W M Hughes (now Nationalist Party) was the Prime Minister.  The Minister for Repatriation was Senator the Hon E D Millen (NSW), Senator Millen was the first Minister for Repatriation.

• 8 April 1918, the Repatriation Department come into being and began operation;
• 11 November - Armistice Day;
• free passage of wives and children to Australia of veterans married overseas;
• basic pension payments were supplemented by a living allowance administered by the Repatriation Commission.  These were payable to seriously incapacitated married soldiers and widows with or without children who were certified physically unfit to augment their pension by personal earnings; and
• business loans up to 250 pounds were introduced for veterans returned from World War I.
• Governor gives Royal Assent to the War Service Homes Act to make provision for homes for Australian soldiers and dependants of Australian soldiers.  Defence Services Homes was one of the biggest owners and builders of homes in Australia and made a significant contribution to WWII post-war reconstruction.

1919

The Hon W M Hughes (now Nationalist Party) was the Prime Minister.  The Minister for Repatriation was Senator the Hon E D Millen (NSW).

• Sustenance Allowance was introduced and paid at the 100 per cent General Rate.

1920

The Hon W M Hughes (now Nationalist Party) was the Prime Minister.  The Minister for Repatriation was Senator the Hon E D Millen (NSW).

• payment of pensions were brought into the scope of the Repatriation Commission;
• Special Rate pensions were introduced for those who were 'totally and permanently' incapacitated or 'blinded' and had previously received, under regulation, separate payments in excess of the maximum incapacity rate;
• The dependency criteria for Orphan's Pension have eased since 1920 when the claimant must have been dependent on the veteran at some time in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of enlistment or appointment;
• paid Repatriation Boards were established, one in each State consisting of three members, and the duty conferred upon them of determining claims for pension;
• provision was made for the 'right of appeal' to the Repatriation Commission in respect of claims rejected by Repatriation Boards;
• funeral benefit introduced; and
• provision was made for 'occurrence' in respect of active service.

1921

The Hon W M Hughes (now Nationalist Party) was the Prime Minister.  The Minister for Repatriation was Senator the Hon E D Millen (NSW).

• Aggravation: provision was made for the payment of pension to the full degree of disability in cases where a pre-war disability had been aggravated 'to any material degree' by war service.  (Previously pension was payable only in respect to the degree of disability actually caused by war service);
• the Soldiers' Children Education Scheme was introduced for the benefit of children of deceased members and of members totally and permanently incapacitated;
• development of the Repatriation treatment services commenced.  Institutions established by the Defence Department were transferred to the Repatriation Department, the major hospitals to become Repatriation General Hospitals; and
• 1 September 1921, the end of World War I was fixed by proclamation under the Termination of the Present War (Definition Act) 1919.

1922

The Hon W M Hughes (now Nationalist Party) was the Prime Minister.  The Minister for Repatriation was Senator the Hon E D Millen (NSW).

• allowances became payable to limbless soldiers under a new Schedule 5 of the Act in addition to existing rates of war pensions;
• an Attendants Allowance was provided for certain double amputee, blinded and spinal cases;
• a Special Rate pension was introduced for soldiers who although not totally blind had no useful vision;
• assistance towards funeral expenses for dependants of deceased members was authorised;
• the army hospital in Hobart, erected during World War I, became the first Repatriation General Hospital; and
• Commission was authorised to administer the pensions of unmarried members afflicted with lunacy.  This was the forerunner to Section 49 of the Act introduced in 1938.

1923

As of 9 February 1923 the Prime Minister was the Hon S M Bruce (Nationalist Country Coalition).  Sources show that there was no Minister for Repatriation named in the Bruce-Page ministry.

• a living allowance was granted, in addition to war pension, to a member who was married, and certified as being temporarily totally incapacitated (TTI) for a period in excess of three months. This was the forerunner to the present TTI pension; and
• an allowance was granted to a member whose incapacity was assessed at not less than 65 per cent but was of a nature to preclude him for engaging in regular employment or from earning a living wage.  This provision was recognition in some degree of 'the intangible effects of war service' which was the argument which led to the introduction in 1935 of service pensions.