Health and Community Services Union

The Union was first registered under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act as a Federal Organisation on April 12, 1911, but had been operating on an informal basis for a number of years before that. It was then called "The Hospital and Asylum Attendants and Employees' Union", and its only members were in Victoria.

In 1914 the name was changed to "The Hospital Dispensary and Asylum Employees' Association". From 1924 branches in other states were formed.

On May 26, 1922 another Melbourne based Federal Organisation - "The Hospital Employees' Association" - was registered. All its members worked in Victorian and NSW mental hospitals.

An amalgamation of the two bodies took place in 1930 and formed "The Hospital, Dispensary and Asylum Employees' and Allied Government Officers' Federation of Australia".

In 1946 the name was then formally changed to "The Hospital Employees' Federation of Australasia" and became the "The Hospital Employees' Federation of Australia" (HEF) in 1959.

In 1991, the HEF (including HACSU) amalgamated with the N.S.W Health Services Union. Both have a very long history record of supporting and organising members in mental healthand alcohol and drug disability services.