List of chief presidents of the Australian Natives' Association

The Australian Natives' Association (ANA) was a mutual society founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. From 1877, the ANA elected a Chief President at their Annual Conference held at different cities each year.^[1] The ANA ceased having a Chief President in 1993, following their merger of certain operations with Manchester Unity IOOF of Victoria to create Australian Unity.

Chief presidents[]

Year	Name	Branch elected from	Conference elected at	Additional information^[2]
1877-78	Thomas O'Callaghan	Sandhurst	Melbourne	First Conference held on Melbourne Cup Day, 9 November 1877. O’Callaghan took a conservative view of the proper function of the ANA. He believed that as a benefit society it should have nothing to do with matters that might be considered political.^[3]
1879-80	Simon Cadden	Ballarat	Melbourne	The ninth branch of the ANA was formed in Carters Towers, Queensland, in 1879.^[4]
1881	Malachi James Cahill	Sandhurst	Ballarat	The 1881 Census showed for the first time that the Australian born where for the first time in a majority, with 59% of the population.^[4] Cahill first proposes the precursor to Australia Day in 1884.^[5]^[6]^[7]
1882	William Anderson	Creswick	Melbourne	Andeson active in promoting new branches, achieving 5 new branches in 1882 when Chief President.^[8]
1883	Richard Henry Hart	Stawell	Stawell	When Hart was Chief President membership of the ANA grew by 40%.^[9]
1884	Osbert Edrick Wilson	Horsham	Creswick	Wilson chaired the first public meeting run by the ANA in support of Federation of the Australian colonies and other national issues.^[10]
1885-1886	Alexander Peacock	Creswick	Bendigo & Melbourne	Peacock was always an active office holder in the association, expanding its membership and branches in the 1880s, and leading it into an increasingly public role in the 1890s, especially in area of Federation.^[11]
1887	Thomas Jefferson Connelly	Sandhurst	Ballarat	Connelly was the founding editor of the second ANA journal, the National Australian. He also travelled to South Australia to form the ANA their.
1888-89	James Liddell Purves	Melbourne	Geelong & Bendigo	While his speeches alienated some, association grew in members and branches under his leadership, and his oratory aroused in its members a strong sense of responsibility for their country's future.^[12]
1890	David John Wheal	Ballarat	Maryborough	The ANA Intercolonial Federation Conference held in Melbourne on 22 January 1890, with Wheal one of the Victorian delegates and as vice president.^[13]
1891	George Wise	Sale	Ararat	Wise worked tirelessly to federate Australia on a democratic basis.^[14] He was a trustee of the Association for 53 years.^[14]
1892	John William Larter	Ballarat East	Sale	ANA reaches 10,000 members.^[15]
1893	Alexander Peacock	Creswick	Kyneton
1894	George Fitzsimmons	Prahran	Warrnambool	The 1894 ANA Warrnambool Conference passed a series of radical motions adopting as ANA ‘planks’ a tax on the unimproved value of land, a minimum wage for workers in public utilities, and full adult suffrage.^[16]
1895	Joseph Kirton	Ballarat	Melbourne
1896	James Hume Cook	Brunswick	Daylesford
1897	Richard Toutcher	Richmond	Castlemaine
1898	Carty Salmon	Avoca	Bendigo
1899	Edward Elliott Roberts	Flemington	Port Fairy
1900	Walter Skelton	Dunnolly	Geelong
1901	Thomas Crosbie	North Melbourne	Beechworth
1902	T. M. Burke	Ararat	Ballarat
1903	Arthur Robinson	Malvern	Daylesford
1904	J. M. A. Callaghan	Coburg	Bairnsdale
1905	T. Glass	Sandhurst	Queenscliff
1906	A. D. Freeman	Castlemaine	Shepparton
1907	A. J. O’Dwyer	Echuca	Hamilton
1908	A. G. Proudfoot	Hawthorn	Maryborough
1909	A. A. Peverill	South Melbourne	Geelong
1910	E. D. Wilcox	Geelong	Echuca
1911	John Lemmon	Williamstown	Warrnambool
1912	William Francis McNamara	Rushworth	Castlemaine
1913	Morris Mondle Phillips	Malvern	Ararat
1914	A. M. Taylor	Ballarat	Wangaratta
1915	J. H. Hewson	Carlton	Port Fairy
1916	A. C. Ostrom	Echuca	Warragul
1917	M. Davine	Warragul	Kerang
1918	C. A. Hack	Collingwood	Bendigo
1919	G. D. McLean	Castlemaine	Horsham
1920	G. Allen Moir	Albert Park	Sale
1921	Thos Rust	Hawthorn	Colac
1922	E. J. L. Bremner	Toora	Mildura
1923	Albert Bussau	Hopetoun	Bairnsdale
1924	V. L. Ginn	Malvern	Warrnambool
1925	J. Patterson	Mildura	Ballarat
1926	Bill Slater	Hamilton	Sorrento
1927	J. Green	Mirboo North	Hamilton
1928	A. Staples	Bendigo	Swan Hill
1929	A. G. Byrne	South Yarra	Healesville
1930	J. Howlett Ross	Fitzroy	Echuca
1931	D. Black	Sunshine	Warrnambool
1932	J. M. Elliot	Ballarat East	Bendigo
1933	R. C. Ritchie	Murrumbeena	Mornington
1934	Harry Drew	Middle Park	Mildura
1935	P. J. Toohey	Warracknabeal	Queenscliff
1936	G. F. Holland	Albert Park	Castlemaine
1937	J. W. Marrows	Merbein	Warragul
1938	S. J. Herron	Prahran	Sorrento
1939	J. B. Dwyer	Warrnambool	Warrnambool
1940	H. G. Hughes	Geelong West	Cowes
1941-42	J. E. Menadue	Horsham	Sorrento	Served for two years as a result of the Second World War
1943	Dr. A. R. Haywood	Hastings	Melbourne
1944-45	H. B. V. Dimelow	Fitzroy	Melbourne	Served for two years as a result of the Second World War
1946	P. J. Lynch CBE	Murrumbeena	Melbourne
1947	Bill Fulton	Maffra	Geelong
1948	R. J. Joseph	St Kilda	Ballarat
1949	A. Shaw	Moyston	Bendigo
1950	W. G. Smallman	Footscray West	Sorrento
1951	A. R. Milne	Tatura	Bendigo
1952	J. E. Kellway	Elsternwick	Ballarat
1953	C. W. Quihampton	Fitzroy	Queenscliff
1954	V. G. Wright	Bentleigh	Daylesford
1955	J. A. Donald	Camberwell	Mildura
1956	G. A. Abberton	Williamstown	Sorrento
1957	G. Briggs	Burwood	Lorne
1958	Arthur Smith	Seymour	Lorne
1959	T. R. Davey	Balwyn & Deepdene	Lakes Entrance
1960	E. W. Pitts	Newport	Ballarat
1961	H. J. Peagram	South Yarra	Daylesford
1962	H. T. Shannon	Box Hill	Warrnambool
1963	K. E. Rash	Ballarat	Wangaratta
1964	J. A. S Geddes	Creswick	Lorne	Amalgamated with the Australasian Women's Association^[17]
1965	C. D. D. Martin	Glen Iris	Sorrento
1966	D. C. T. Robertson	Camberwell	Lorne
1967	J. E. Menadue	Black Rock	Wodonga	Second term as Chief President
1968	H. A. Patterson	Learmonth	Mildura
1969	F. E. Capuano	Essendon North	Yarrawonga
1970	W. . Foley	Ballarat	Lakes Entrance
1971	A. J. Brisbane	Wangaratta	Wangaratta
1972	H. T. Murley	Bendigo	Swan Hill
1973	B. J. Kelleher	Chadstone	Sale
1974	J. A. S Geddes	Creswick	Horsham	Second term as Chief President
1975	L. J. Yelland	Elsternwick	Shepparton
1976	F. E. Capuano	Essendon North	Wodonga	Second term as Chief President
1977	Mrs. I. V. Meagher	Fairfield & Alphington	Portland	The first Female Chief President, previously a member of AWA.
1978	H. J. Peagram	South Yarra	Bairnsdale
1979	W. A. Cuddihy	Elsternwick	Wangaratta
1980	R. A. Storey AIHIA	Bendigo	Bendigo
1981	W. L. J. Crofts	Altona	Hamilton
1982	E. S. A. Wickham	Hawthorn	Ballarat
1983	Mrs. S. V. Wright	Rosebud	Horsham
1984	B. W. Armstrong	Glen Iris	Yarrawonga
1985	W. L. J. Cook	Geelong	Geelong
1986	G. D. Wearne	Newington	Sale
1987	J. H. Dean	Bendigo	Warrnambool
1988	W. R. Jewell	Box Hill	Swan Hill
1989	T. A. Byrne	Yarraville	Bendigo	Agreement to merge ANA with the Manchester Unity IOOF Friendly Society to create Australia Unity.
1990	Alan Yawkins	Ballarat
1990	Leon Hickey	Central		Merger of ANA with the Manchester Unity to create Australia Unity was completed.

References[]

^ Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of The Australian Natives Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 22.
^ The information in the Chief Presidents Table is contained in the ANA Conference Proceedings of the year following their election. i.e the year they preside at the conference.
^ Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 346.
^ ^a ^b Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of the Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University - Thesis. p. 40.
^ Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbournes: Horticultural Press. p. 347.
^ "The Bendigo Advertiser". TROVE National Library of Australia. 26 January 1906. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
^ Hirst, John (26 January 2008). ""Australia Day in question". The Age". The Age (Melbourne). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
^ Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of The Australian Natives Association 1871 - 1900. Department of History, Monash University, Melbourne. p. 38.
^ Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of The Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University, Thesis. p. 53.
^ Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of the Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University - Thesis. p.76-78
^ For biographies of Peacock see Advance Australia vol. 6, no. 7, 15 July 1902, p.12; Anapress June 1989, p.3; Alan Gregory, 'Peacock, Sir Alexander James (1861–1933)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/peacock-sir-alexander-james-7994/text13927.
^ Aveling, Marian (2010). "Purves, James Liddell (1843–1910)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, ANU. Retrieved 3 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University, Thesis. pp. 249
^ ^a ^b Menadue, John (1971). A Centenary History of The Australian Natives' Association 1871-1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 351.
^ Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of The Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 68.
^ Aveling, M., George Fitzsimmons, unpublished paper, April 2021, P1
^ Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 6.

[1] Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of The Australian Natives Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 22.

[2] The information in the Chief Presidents Table is contained in the ANA Conference Proceedings of the year following their election. i.e the year they preside at the conference.

[3] Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 346.

[Aveling,_Marian_1970_p._40-4] Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of the Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University - Thesis. p. 40.

[5] Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbournes: Horticultural Press. p. 347.

[6] "The Bendigo Advertiser". TROVE National Library of Australia. 26 January 1906. Retrieved 15 May 2021.

[7] Hirst, John (26 January 2008). ""Australia Day in question". The Age". The Age (Melbourne). Retrieved 30 June 2021.

[8] Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of The Australian Natives Association 1871 - 1900. Department of History, Monash University, Melbourne. p. 38.

[9] Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of The Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University, Thesis. p. 53.

[10] Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of the Australian Natives Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University - Thesis. p.76-78

[11] For biographies of Peacock see Advance Australia vol. 6, no. 7, 15 July 1902, p.12; Anapress June 1989, p.3; Alan Gregory, 'Peacock, Sir Alexander James (1861–1933)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/peacock-sir-alexander-james-7994/text13927.

[12] Aveling, Marian (2010). "Purves, James Liddell (1843–1910)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, ANU. Retrieved 3 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[13] Aveling, Marian (1970). A History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871-1900. Melbourne: Department of History, Monash University, Thesis. pp. 249

[:0-14] Menadue, John (1971). A Centenary History of The Australian Natives' Association 1871-1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 351.

[15] Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of The Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 68.

[16] Aveling, M., George Fitzsimmons, unpublished paper, April 2021, P1

[17] Menadue, J. E. (1971). A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871 - 1971. Melbourne: Horticultural Press. p. 6.

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