<P> The Australian Senate has recently moved to inquire into portable long service leave schemes . The inquiry will be conducted by the Education and Employment References Committee . The committee will consider how portable schemes might be structured and what role the Australian Federal Government might play in helping to establish a scheme . The committee will also have to evaluate the effect that the differing State long service entitlements will have on a national scheme, as the current state based long service leave provisions are all practically different . As of 11 November 2015, the committee had yet to meet and set dates for submissions and reporting . </P> <P> Long service leave is a benefit peculiar to Australia and New Zealand (and possibly some public servants in India) and relates to their colonial heritage . There is a similar system of sabbatical leaves also in Finland . Long service leave developed from the concept of furlough, which stems from the Dutch word verlof (meaning leave) and its usage originates in leave granted from military service . </P> <P> Long service leave was introduced in Australia in the 1860s . The idea was to allow civil servants the opportunity to sail home to England after 10 years' service in' the colonies' . It was 13 weeks for every ten years of service, composed of five weeks to sail back to England, three weeks of leave and five weeks to sail back . </P> <P> In the 19th century, furlough as a benefit as it is now known, was a privilege granted by legislation to the colonial and Indian Services . In Australia, the benefits were first granted to Victorian and South Australian civil servants . The nature of the leave allowed civil servants to sail' home' to England, safe in the knowledge that they were able to return to their positions upon their return to Australia . </P>

When did long service leave start in australia