The association was first registered in Victoria in 1913 under the name the Australian Commonwealth Public Service Clerical Association. The name was changed in 1919 to the Commonwealth Public Service Clerical Association and in 1956 to the Administrative & Clerical Officers' Association, Commonwealth Public Service. After a further change of name in 1982, this time to the Administrative & Clerical Officers' Association, Australian Government Employment, the union merged with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Staff Union and the Australian Public Service Association so that, in 1989, it eventually became known as the Australian Public Sector & Broadcasting Union, Australian Government Employment.

The Australian Public Service Association (Fourth Division Officers) had its origins in the Federated Public Service Assistants' Association of Australia which was registered in 1914. The union became known as the Commonwealth Public Service Association (Fourth Division Officers) in 1967 and then eventually in 1974 became known as the Australian Public Service Association (Fourth Division Officers). By the end of 1986 the name was shortened to the Australian Public Service Association. In 1989, the union amalgamated with the Administrative & Clerical Officers' Association, Australian Government Employment and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Staff Union to form the Australian Public Sector and Broadcasting Union. This was reregistered in 1991 following a further amalgamation with the Meat Inspectors' Association. By the end of 1992 the union had amalgamated twice more, firstly with the Professional Officers' Association and then the Professional Radio & Electronics Institute of Australasia to eventually form the Public Sector Professional Technical Communications Aviation & Broadcasting Union. A year later this union had merged with the CSIRO Staff Association to form the Public Sector Professional Scientific Research Technical Communications Aviation & Broadcasting Union which, in 1994, evolved into the Community and Public Sector Union [CPSU].