Editing Australian Natives' Association (section)

{{Short description|Defunct mutual organisation in Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
[[File:ANA banquet 1901.jpg|thumb|right|300px|An Australian Natives' Association banquet held in 1901 to honour [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[Edmund Barton]], following his return from the [[United Kingdom]].]]
The '''Australian Natives' Association''' ('''ANA''')  was a mutual society founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. It was founded by and for the benefit of White native-born [[Australians]], and membership was restricted to that group.<ref name="To Constitute a Nation">{{cite book|author=Helen Irving|title=To Constitute a Nation: A Cultural History of Australia's Constitution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z2PewzjX9I8C|year=1999|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521668972|page=124}}</ref>

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."<ref>Menadue J. E., A Centenary History of the Australian Natives' Association 1871–1971, Page 9</ref>

The organisation had up to 95,000 members and provided benefits to 250,000 people, which were members and their families.<ref>Australian Natives Association, The Hundredth Conference Souvenir, Wodonga 1976, Horticultural Press, Carlton</ref> While the ANA was legally required to have no affiliation with any political party, it was socially active. It 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. After the merger, social and educative functions continue in the ANA Fraternal organisation. The last remaining branch of the ANA closed in 2007 in Western Australia.<ref name=":2" />