The game of Scouting was played by boys in the Commonwealth of Australia as early as 1908, the year the first Boy Scout Training handbook Scouting for Boys was published in England. The visits made to Australia by Baden-Powell in 1912 and in later years (1931-34) encouraged the extension of the Movement in Australia.
Although each State Branch in Australia was directly and individually responsible to Imperial Headquarters in London, there grew a desire to achieve co-operation at a higher level so a Federal Council of nominees from each State Council was formed in 1922. This body later appointed an Australian Commissioner. For more than 30 years, Scouting was co-ordinated by the Australian Federal Scout Council which functioned as a Branch of the British Boys Scout Association.
In 1958 the adjuration of the Australian Boys Scout Association took place and in 1967 the National Organisation was incorporated by Royal Charter. The name of the Association was changed to the Scout Association of Australia in 1971.
Copied from following web page on 11 Oct 2017
http://www.scouts.com.au/about-us/history/scouting-comes-to-australia
