History

The history of Co-operatives Victoria is in essence about the co-operative principle of co-operation between co-operatives - about the origins, development, benefits and limits of a peak body for co-operatives.

The Co-operative Federation of Victoria (CFV) was formed in Melbourne in October 1970 as an unincorporated body.

Prior to the establishment of the CFV there were at least three preceding initiatives to establish peak bodies for co-operatives in Victoria. In 1921 a Co-operative Union of Victoria was formed and ceased. In 1939 a Co-operative League was formed in Victoria and in 1944 the League organised a Victorian Co-operative Congress.

The CFV was initially formed with the following objects:
  • To encourage the application of co-operative principles and methods to economic and social needs by the formation and development of co-operative organisations and associations for distribution, marketing, housing, health insurance, credit and any other services or activities to which co-operative principles and methods may be applied.
  • To carry on, encourage and assist educational and advisory work relating to co-operative enterprises.
  • To further and protect the interests of co-operatives by action in making representations to responsible authorities.
  • To print, publish and circulate any newspapers or other publication in the interest of co-operative enterprises, practice and principles.
  • To render services designed to ensure efficiency and uniformity in the conduct of the business of its members.
The August 1971 issue of the CFV's publication Co-op Digest explained in an article, Why the Federation?
It was formed by people who saw a need to co-ordinate the many types of co-operatives in Victoria. The founders believed a federation was necessary to ensure that the vast amount of money, effort, achievements, talents, knowledge, experience and hopes built up in co-operatives was developed to the fullest extent in meeting economic and social needs.
The Federation is a voluntary association of co-operatives designed to encourage the application of co-operative principles and methods. It will seek to do this without usurping or duplicating the functions of any association of co-operatives or of any individual co-operative society or corporation.

In recent years, a Marketing Our Co-operative Advantage seminar in Warrnambool was attended by 46 participants from 16 co-operatives and the then Executive Officer Graeme Charles wrote Co-op Advantage: Developing Directors of Co-operatives Kit and the Co-op Start-Up Manual . On the 7 January 2003 the australia.coop web site was established - the first .coop country portal established in the world.. It was Graeme Charles who initiated contact with and introduced the UK Co-operative College to Australia commencing in 2005. Since, then, the Co-operative College has provided the Co-operative Identity Workshop in NSW, Victoria and WA.
From late 2007 the Co-operative Federation was active in reviving the Co-operative Council of Australia – now Co-operatives Australia. In 2009 the trading name Co-operatives Victoria was adopted as was a new logo – to reflect and reinforce a new beginning for the Co-operative Federation of Victoria Ltd.
For current services and activities:
http://victoria.australia.coop/services

For more on the international history of co-operatives visit the web site of the International Co-operative Alliance at? http://www.ica.coop/coop/history.html

For statistics on the extent and depth of the international co-operative movement visit the web site of the ?International Co-operative Alliance at:? http://www.ica.coop/coop/statistics.html

Attention: open in a new window. PDFPrintE-mail