About us

The ACM NSW is a non-government, not for profit, volunteer-based organisation that provides services to midwives and women and birthing families, as well as a professional organisation supporting midwives in their work. We are the NSW branch of our national body the Australian College of Midwives.

Midwives work in consultation with women and their families during pregnancy, birth and subsequent care for the woman and her baby. As a provider of primary health care, midwives offer services that are relevant, accessible, safe and affordable to the community needs. Midwives practice in a variety of health service delivery models in order to meet the needs of women and their families.

The professional support offered to midwives by the ACM NSW includes conferences and seminars throughout the year, self directed learning packages for midwives in the workplace, refresher packages for midwives re-entering the workforce, a state conference annually as well as links to midwifery associations nationally and internationally. All of these activities contribute to ongoing education ensuring up to date clinical practice by midwives. The ACM NSW also has representatives on a variety of committees within the health system, the education sector and consumer groups.

History

The Australian College of Midwives New South Wales Branch Incorporated originated in 1903 as a sub-branch of the Australian Trained Nurses Association (ATNA). Over the years, the college's membership has expanded and it's direction changed.

Since 1978, The New South Wales Midwives Association, in conjunction with Midwives Association in Victoria and South Australia, formed the first branches of the National Midwives Association, Australia. In 1987 the national body became known as the Australian College of Midwives Incorporated(ACMI) and its six state and two Territory Associations, as ACMI branches, have a national focus and through it, membership of the International Confederation of Midwives(ICM).

In 1985, the Association became autonomous when it parted from its nursing parent (RANF).
Since 1991 the NSW Midwives Association has been an incorporated association in NSW, under the Asociation's Incorporation Act 1984. We use the associations incorporation to increase our standing in the business community and to maintain business standards. We are striving to pursue the highest standards of business performance for the Association.

For the past two decades, members of the Australian College of Midwives NSW Branch have networked with midwifery colleagues at state, national and international level. More recently, this network has further widened to include colleagues in the medical, nursing and legal professions. In 2008 we changed our name from the NSW Midwives Association to the Australian College of Midwives NSW Branch to come in to line with the other branches and reflect our status as a state branch of our national organisation the Australian College of Midwives.

The ACM NSW Branch has had a long-term vision to include consumers into our membership. Following changes to our constitution at a national and state level, we are now able to offer this service to consumers of midwifery care. The ACM NSW Branch now also includes a consumer representative position on our Executive.