The oldest association in the Australian building industry still in existence is The Builders’ Exchange of NSW Ltd which is made up of suppliers of products and services to the building and construction industry. It promotes the interests of members of the Builders’ Exchange to the industry, to government bodies, and to the community at large.
The Builders Exchange was formed in 1864 and, while it was principally a suppliers’ organisation, a number of builders also joined it. The builders formed their own organisation in 1873 (as already described), however, there was still a fair amount of overlapping between the two bodies.
After the Builders and Contractors’ Association changed its name in August 1900 to the Master Builders’ Association of NSW and became registered in March 1902 with the newly formed arbitration Court as the “Master Builders’ Union – Industrial Union of Employers,” a separation between the two associations became almost automatic.
It is interesting to note, however, that the Builders’ Exchange continued to work in close co-operation with the MBA, and for some time the President of the MBA was, ipso facto, the President of the Builders’ Exchange.
Since the mid 1970’s the MBA President is Patron of the Builders Exchange, and a virtual merger effected as the Builders’ Exchange took all its members into membership of the MBA.