Our Heritage
Australian Natives' Association Board of Directors 1900-1901 

Australian Unity has a long and proud history dating back to 1840. Australian Unity as an entity was formed by the merger of the Australian Natives' Association Friendly Society (ANA) and the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows in Victoria Friendly Society in 1993 and expanded further in 2005 through a merger with Grand United Friendly Society Limited.

In August 2009, Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society joined Australian Unity Limited after its members voted ‘yes’ to a proposal to merge the two organisations.

Friendly Society History
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, with the impact of the Industrial Revolution, friendly societies were organised all over Britain...
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Our Stories
Australian Unity has celebrated Australia Day since 26 January 1888 when one of our founding organisations, the Australian Natives' Association, successfully lobbied for a national holiday...
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Our Collections
The records created by friendly societies document how the societies governed themselves and conducted their meetings...
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