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.