{{Short description|Australian professional association}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} The '''Australian Veterinary Association''' ('''AVA''') is a not-for-profit association representing more than 7000 Australian [[veterinarians]] working in private practice, government, industry, and academia.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Australian Veterinary Association|url=http://www.ava.com.au|accessdate=28 July 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110723052420/http://www.ava.com.au/| archivedate= 23 July 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> The AVA was mooted before the First World War but not founded until 1921. The nineteenth century predecessor organisation was the Australasian Veterinary Medical Association.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8511382 |title=Australasian Veterinary Medical Association. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=14 April 1883 |accessdate=19 May 2012 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/animal/a-veterinary-awakening-the-history-of-government-veterinarians-in-australia |title=A Veterinary Awakening: The History of Government Veterinarians in Australia - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry |accessdate=2012-05-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511084806/http://daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/animal/a-veterinary-awakening-the-history-of-government-veterinarians-in-australia |archivedate=2012-05-11 }}</ref>

Prominent veterinarians who have been members of the Australian Veterinary Association include Professor J.D. Stewart (who was the first AVA President), [[Ian Clunies Ross]] (former head of the CSIRO), and parasitologist [[Hugh Gordon (parasitologist)|Hugh Gordon]].<ref>{{Citation | author1=Australian Veterinary History Society | title=Eminent Australian veterinarians | date=2002 | publisher=Australian Veterinary History Society | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34369669 | accessdate=19 May 2012 }}</ref>

The AVA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publications, public education programs, and professional support. The AVA also lobbies government on a number of fronts. Special interest groups have existed within the AVA since the early 1960s. These include groups dedicated to equine medicine, cattle, practice management, avian health, sheep, conservation and [[animal welfare]]. Some of the special interest groups publish their own peer reviewed journals. The Australian Veterinary History Society is a division of the association.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Australian Veterinary History Society | title=Milestones in Australian veterinary history | date=2002 | publisher=Australian Veterinary History Society | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34369819 | accessdate=19 May 2012 }}</ref> Recent lobbying efforts include, HECS debt relief for rural veterinarians,<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.ava.com.au/media-centre/media-releases/veterinary-peak-body-renews-calls-for-hecs-debt-relief/|title=Media Release 10th May 2023|access-date=13 Sep 2023}}</ref> mental health awareness in the veterinary profession,<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.ava.com.au/media-centre/media-releases/ava-receives-funding-to-help-improve-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-of-australian-vets/|title=Media Release 31st Aug 2023|access-date=13 Sep 2023}}</ref> advocating for veterinarians as essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic and research into the deadly [[Henipavirus|Hendra Virus]].

The AVA has published the ''Australian Veterinary Journal'' since 1925.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58257144 |title=VETERINARY JOURNAL. |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|The Sunday Times]] |location=Perth |date=26 April 1925 |accessdate=19 May 2012 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Australian Veterinary Association | author2=Blackwell Publishing | title=Australian veterinary journal | date=1927 | publisher=Australian Veterinary Association | issn=0005-0423 }}</ref>

==Past and current presidents== *2025– present: Dr Gemma Chuck *2024–2025: Dr Sally Colgan *2023–2024: Dr Diana Barker <ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.ava.com.au/media-centre/media-releases/the-australian-veterinary-association-board-appoints-new-president/|title=Media Release 18th August|access-date=13 Sep 2023}}</ref> *2023: Dr Alistair Webb (resigned August 2023) *2022–2023: Dr Bronwyn Orr *2020–2022: Dr Warwick Vale *2019–2020: Dr Julia Crawford<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ava.com.au/about-us/board-of-directors/|title=Board of Directors|access-date=31 May 2019}}</ref> *2017–2019: Dr Paula Parker<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ava.com.au/about-us/board-of-directors/|title=Australian Veterinary Association {{!}} Board of Directors|last=Association (AVA)|first=Australian Veterinary|website=www.ava.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-05-03}}</ref> *2015–2017: Dr Robert Johnson *2012–2014: Dr Ben Gardiner *2010–2012: Dr Barry Smyth *2008–2010: Dr Mark Lawrie *2007–2008: Dr Dianne Sheehan *2006–2007: Dr Kersti Seksel *2005–2006: Dr Matt Makin *2004–2005: Dr Norm Blackman *2002–2003: Dr Joanne Sillince *2001–2002: Dr Robert Baker *2000–2001: Dr Ian Denney *1999–2000: Dr Garth McGilvray *1998–1999: Dr Geoffrey Niethe *1997–1998: Dr Roger Clarke *1996–1997: Dr Bill Scanlan *1995–1996: Dr Pamela Scanlon *1994–1995: Dr Michael Banyard *1993–1994: Dr Jakob Malmo *1991–1992: Dr John Plant *1989–1990: Dr Ian Fairnie *1988–1989: Professor Mary Barton *1987–1988: Dr Russell Duigan *1986–1987: Dr Terence Collins *1985–1986: Dr David Lindsay *1983–1984: Dr Jack Arundel *1982–1983: Dr Helen Jones *1981–1982: Dr Bryan Woolcock *1980–1981: Dr William Pryor *1978–1979: Dr Ian Pearson *1966–1967: Dr Bruce Eastick

==Past notable board members== * [[Sam McMahon]], an Australian politician for the [[Country Liberal Party]] and a [[Senator]] for the [[Northern Territory]] in the [[Parliament of Australia]] in 2019, served on the board from 2004-2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ava.com.au/siteassets/about-us/annual-reports/ava_annual_report_2004.pdf|title=Annual Report 2004 AVA|access-date=31 May 2019}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist|30em}}

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[[Category:Veterinary medicine-related professional associations]] [[Category:Professional associations based in Australia]] [[Category:1921 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:Veterinary organizations]] [[Category:Veterinary medicine in Australia]]