The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, now part of BirdLife Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It was also Australia's largest non-government, non-profit, bird conservation organisation. In 1996 it adopted the trading name of Birds Australia for most public purposes, while retaining its original name for legal purposes and as the publisher of its journal the Emu. In 2012 it merged with Bird Observation & Conservation Australia to form BirdLife Australia.