Deposit Z194 - Ballarat United Friendly Societies' Medical Association and Dispensary deposit

The Ballarat United Friendly Societies' Medical Association and Dispensary was established as the Ballarat United Friendly Societies' Dispensary on 5 December 1880. The first dispensary opened in Armstrong Street in 1881 and moved to Dana Street in 1901. In 1918 the society changed its name to the Ballarat United Friendly Societies' Medical Association and Dispensary and operated a medical institute from 1919 to 1939. In 1952 the UFS Dispensary was relocated to 717 Sturt Street. Various branch dispensaries were opened in Ballarat and surrounding western region after 1957.

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.