Australian Family Association

The Australian Family Association is a front group for the ultra-socially-conservative National Civic Council. It was founded in 1980 by B.A. Santamaria, and acts as a lobby group for conservative social values.

While the AFA has claimed that it "represents the interests of the majority of Australian families", in fact its membership has been estimated at less than 3,000.

History
Santamaria described his founding of the AFA:
 * "You had to develop different organisations. If there was a family problem, and the family became a critical part of the whole of the problem, you ... we've had to develop a thing called the Australian Family Association . . . You can best envisage it as a wheel. The hub in the centre was the Movement, the NCC, the spokes were the Family Association, the Thomas Moore thing and so on, and the rim of the wheel was that part of public opinion that you could influence."

Personnel

 * David Perrin - National President
 * Mary-Louise Fowler - National Vice President and NSW President

Patrons

 * B.A. Santamaria
 * Hon. Kim Beazley Snr
 * Professor Rupert Goodman
 * Dr Clair Isbister
 * Major General [[W.B 'Digger' James
 * Dame Elizabeth Murdoch
 * Lady Mary Scholtens
 * Judge Frank Walsh
 * Emeritus Prof. Jerzy Zubrzycki
 * Dr John I. Fleming

Contact Details

 * National Office:
 * 582 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne, Vic, 3051
 * Ph: (03) 9326 5757
 * Fax: (03) 9328 2877
 * Email: austfamily AT connexus.net.au
 * Web: http://www.family.org.au/

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * National Civic Council
 * National Marriage Coalition
 * Australian Christian Lobby
 * Salt Shakers
 * Focus on the Family Australia
 * Thomas Moore Centre
 * Family Council of Queensland

External Articles

 * Australian Family Association Wikipedia Entry.
 * Ros Guy, The family business, The Age, July 7, 2004.
 * Bob Birrell, Men and Women Apart The Australian Family, March 2004.
 * Steve Cannane, Another song and dance about what can be shown at the movies, Sydney Morning Herald, April 26, 2005.
 * Australian Religious Right Groups], unBelief.org.