1. Introduction
The Australian Natives' Association (ANA) was founded in April 1871 and continued
for one hundred and twenty-two years until September 1993, when it merged with
Manchester Unity Friendly Society to become Australian Unity Friendly Society.
The founders of the association hoped to advance the interests of the native-born
in Victoria by the establishment of a friendly society which would be non-political
and non-sectarian, promoting the moral, social and intellectual improvement of its
native-born (male) members. Association membership developed slowly during the 1870's,
but gained momentum in the 1880's with the increase in numbers of the native-born.
With its concern for Australian interests and its vision of a country united by
Federation, it attracted men with a sense of Australian destiny, many of whom were
to rise to positions of national significance.
The achievement of Federation became Association policy in 1883 and there are several
early references to Federation and the ANA in the journal, "The Australian Native".
The guide contains a list of primary sources held in the Australian Unity archives in
South Melbourne, as well as related secondary material held in the Australian Unity
library.
Descriptive entries have been prepared for all the sources listed in the Guide, and these
can be consulted by arrangement with our
librarian.
2. Sources
Journals 1882 - 1919
Listed in chronological order - these journals were published under the auspices
of the Australian Natives' Association and contain articles of interest to the
Association, as well as reports of ANA branch meetings. They do not however
represent official policy of the Association. The journals do not contain
indexes, but a list of the key articles relating to Federation has been
prepared for each title.
- The Australian Native, December 1882 - November 1883
- The National Australian, November 1885 - September 1886
- The Australian, February 1887 - December 1887
- The Australian, January 1888 - August 1888
- The Advance Australia, January 1897 - January 1898
- The Advance Australia, February 1898 - December 1898
- The Advance Australia, January 1899 - December 1899
- The Advance Australia, January 1900 - December 1900
- The Advance Australia, January 1900 - December 1901
Annual Conference Reports 1885-1990: Victorian Board of Directors
Bound volumes containing the reports of annual conferences of the Association. Annual
conferences were attended by delegates representing the branches of the Association
and were responsible for making policy and electing the new board of directors. The
conference considered recommendations from the branches and heard reports of the
general business of the Association. At each conference the outgoing Chief President
gave an address which reviewed the year's achievements and highlighted issues of
concern to the Association.
The bound volumes of conference reports also contain reports of the quarterly meetings
of the Board, other ANA publications such as the ANA Federation Manifesto, and reports
of the ANA in other states.
- Annual Conference Reports, 1885 - 1901
- ANA Federation Manifesto, 1898
- Australian Federation: Lecture on The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia Bill, as adopted by The National Australasian Convention at Sydney, 9th April 1891.
Metropolitan Committee 1888 - 1996
The Metropolitan Committee was formed in 1888 with the object of advancing
the interests of the metropolitan branches of the ANA. It arranged periodical
visits between metropolitan branches, and managed public demonstrations in the city.
It was responsible for organising the annual Australia Day Fetes and celebrations,
and also arranged debating competitions throughout the metropolitan branches.
In 1893, the Metropolitan Committee convened a Federation Conference in Melbourne.
The Conference, presided over by Alfred Deakin, met several times during 1893-94 and
presented its final report to the Victorian Board of Directors in August 1894. A major
achievement of this conference was the launching of the Australasian Federation League
in Victoria, in 1894. In 1890, the Metropolitan Committee began publishing a Combined
Syllabus which listed the meetings and activities of all the Association's branches.
- Combined Syllabus, 1890 - 1942 (incomplete)
- Metropolitan Federation Conference, 1893-1894 Final Report
- Minutes, 1888 - 1891; 1895 - 1926; 1943 - 1995
Branch Minute Books
The minute books all follow a particular style of record keeping with a left hand
margin on each page, in which the key features of the meetings were noted. This
works as a form of index to the contents.
This section contains a listing of all branches whose minute books coincide with
the period 1871 - 1901, and which are held in the Australian Unity archives.
- Anakie, (fmly Steiglitz) 1893-1963
- Bairnsdale, 1886-1990
- Ballarat, 1874 - 1957
- Ballarat East, 1895 - 1908
- Bendigo (formerly Sandhurst), 1874 - 1982
- Brunswick, 1885 - 1890 ; 1968 - 1983
- Carlton, 1886 - 1888
- Clifton Hill & North Fitzroy, 1886 - 1891
- Collingwood, 1889 - 1891
- Elsternwick, 1894 - 1897 ; 1917 - 1951 ; 1951 - 1963
- Geelong (formerly Corio), 1875 - 1876 ; 1888 - 1891 ; 1895 - 1917 ; 1919 - 1994
- Hamilton, 1885 - 1889 ; 1952 - 1962
- Hawthorn, 1886 - 1910 (Summary of minutes) ; 1931 - 1994
- Malvern, 1889 - 1967
- North Melbourne (formerly Hotham), 1886 - 1893 ; 1954 - 1972
- Romsey, 1897 - 1909
- Steiglitz (see Anakie)
General Secretary's Files 1896 - 1936
(Continued by Branch Circulars 1928 - 1992)
The General Secretary was responsible for the day-to-day administration of the
ANA's affairs. The files are kept in 3 volumes and include memos and
circulars to branches on a wide range of topics. Items relating to
Federation are contained in Volume One.
Branch Membership Returns 1879 - 1912
Bound volumes for each year, containing quarterly membership returns from
all the branches. Each return sheet contains a list a current members,
their age, occupation, date of birth, registration of wife etc.
Newspaper Cuttings 1893 - 1970
- Volume One, 1893 - 1900
- Volume Two, 1900 - 1906
also
- Australian Natives Association: The Earlier Years
(An account of the birth and early history of the Australian Natives Association,
compiled from the files of the Melbourne "Argus" and the annual reports to
Parliament by the Victorian Statist.)
Certificates, Memorabilia, Photos
- A collection of pre-Federation items including Membership and Ex-Presidents Certificates,
which give prominence to the Association's aim of Federation.
- Photograph Album, Constitutional Convention, Melbourne 1898
- Opening of Federal Parliament (2 lithographs)
- Photograph of Alfred Deakin (1900's)
- Certificates - Ex-Presidents; Membership; Federation Referendum
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