About JOSA & OSA

History of OSA

Professor A.R. Davis who was then Head of Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Sydney, founded the Oriental Society of Australia in 1956. The Society was established to promote the knowledge of Asia in Australia and to provide a venue for scholars to present their work to their peers and to other people interested in Asia and things Asian. This was the first such organization in Australia with an Asian focus. Membership included both academic and non-academic people who were interested in the history and culture of Asia. In the early years of the Society, lectures attracted a large audience and lively discussion ensued. The annual dinner, which was held at Chinese restaurants in Sydney. During the academic year, monthly lectures given by Australian and overseas scholars; these were reported in a newsletter. After JOSA was established, the papers started to be widely circulated to subscribers, both private and institutional, in America, Asia, Australia and Europe.