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1996 Community Aid Abroad Study Tour. Oxfam Australia began in Melbourne's suburbs in 1953 as a church-affiliated group called Food for Peace Campaign. The group sent weekly donations to a small health project in India, and eventually, Food for Peace Campaign groups were established throughout Victoria.
In 1962, a full-time Director of the Campaign was appointed and the name was changed to Community Aid Abroad. The new name reflected an aim to assist communities more broadly, rather than just providing food in order to maintain peace.
Throughout the 1960s, local Community Aid Abroad groups were established across Australia.
In 1992, we became one of the largest development organisations when we merged with the Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign, another leading agency which was founded in 1961.
Since 1995, Community Aid Abroad has been part of the Oxfam International family - an affiliation of 13 Oxfams around the world. In 2005, the name of the agency changed to Oxfam Australia.
Today, the agency is a secular, independent, non-government, not-for-profit organisation working in over 30 countries around the world.