The Federation of Scientific and Technical Workers was formed on 16 September 1943 by a joint committee of the Australian Association of Scientific Workers and the Federated Scientific Employees' Association. The latter body sank its identity into the new Federation but the Australian Association of Scientific Workers continued as a separate organisation. For some time, the Victorian body acted virtually as the Federal body but as other branches became established, the registered office of the Federation moved to Sydney in August 1946. The Federation was registered federally as a union in September 1946 and was deregistered in 1971.