Deposit N407 - Australian Natives Association records

The Friendly Society of Victorian Natives, was a mutual society formed in Melbourne in 1871. The Society changed its name to the Australian Natives Association (ANA) in 1872 following a vote to include white men born in the other Australian colonies. The Association's objectives were to "raise funds by subscription, donations ... for the purpose of relieving sick members, and defraying expenses of funeral of members and their wives, relieving distressed widows and orphans and for the necessary expenses of the general management of the Society."[Menadue, J A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971, Page 9]. The ANA provided strong support for the Federation of Australia, sport, afforestation, social well-being and the Federal Government's restricted immigration policy, later referred to as the White Australia policy. The ANA and Manchester Unity agreed to merge to form Australian Unity in 1990.

Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows (MUIOOF) had its origins in Manchester, England. It was established in Melbourne on 7 December 1840 when Augustus Greeves, a member of the MUIOOF in England, migrated to Australia and formed the first lodge, Australia Felix Lodge, with journalist Thomas Strode. By the late nineteenth century, Manchester Unity had an extensive network of lodges in metropolitan and country Victoria. The Society was governed by its Annual Moveable Conference (AMC) which, as its name implies, was held in a different Victorian country centre each year. Lodges sent delegates to the AMC, where they voted on policies and rules, and elected the new Board of Directors for the coming year. In 1993 Manchester Unity (Victoria) merged with the Australian Natives Association to form Australian Unity Friendly Society Limited, now known as Australian Unity Limited.