The Johnson Society of Australia, the first and still the only society of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, was founded in 1993 and is based in Melbourne, capital of the State of Victoria. The JSA now has members, not only in all five mainland States of Australia, but also in other countries, including the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Japan

The gestation period for the Johnson Society of Australia was long, but far from painful.

Conception occurred in November, 1984, at a seminar held by the Council of Adult Education in Melbourne, marking the bicentenary of Johnson’s birth. After the event, three of the participants, Dr John Wiltshire, Dr Rusi Khan and Bryan Reid, began to discuss a long-held idea of Bryan’s to form a Johnson Society of Australia.

Nothing more happened for seven years, apart from sporadic resolutions to "do something about it" expressed at various luncheon meetings in Melbourne. Then, at another CAE seminar, marking the bicentenary of the publication of The Life, Professor Clive Probyn, Head of the English Department at Monash University, joined the speakers’ panel and the group of Johnson society enthusiasts. There followed a series of meetings, generally over lunch and always convivial, until in 1993 it was decided to hold a third Johnsonian CAE seminar at which the group would move to form a Society.

President: Barrie Sheppard

Vice-President: John Wiltshire

Treasurer: Barrie Sheppard

Secretary: Barbara Niven

Committee: Bryan Reid, Bronwen Hickman

Paul Tankard (Editor) and Denis Le Neuf (Publicity Officer) will continue to act ex officio.