The current New South Wales Branch (CMASA-NSW) was formed by the merger of the original CMASA and ATCMA in May 2016.
CMASA's predecessor was the New South Wales Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Association, founded in 1989 by 13 experienced Chinese medicine professionals in Australia, with Liu Taishu as the founding president. Liu Taishu was succeeded by Chen Tongcheng, who served as president for over a year due to Liu's departure from Australia. Yang Yifan served as the third and fourth presidents. Starting from the third session, it was renamed the Australian Chinese Medicine Society. During the fifth council's term, the society split into two due to financial issues, with one part retaining the name Australian Chinese Medicine Society. To eliminate financial oversight loopholes, core members like Zheng Jianhua, Zeng Shizong, and Wei Guoqing decided in March 1999 to register the society as a limited public company under federal company law, with the registered name being the Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture Society of Australia (CMASA), and the Chinese name as Australia Chinese Medicine Society. Zheng Jianhua served as the first, second, and third president after the name change, followed by Zeng Shizong serving two terms as the fourth and fifth president, and then Wei Guoqing serving as the sixth to ninth president.
After taking office in the sixth council of CMASA, during a time when Traditional Chinese Medicine was preparing for national unification of registration, the society, under the leadership of Wei Guoqing, actively protested various obstacles to the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the harsh conditions imposed on practitioners. They worked hard to grow membership and improve financial management, which provided the resources and capacity to support the society's operations and advocate for the rights of Chinese medicine, such as negotiations with private insurance companies. During Wei Guoqing's four terms as president, the society gained recognition from nearly all private insurance companies. This groundbreaking contribution played a key role in the society's rapid development and growth.
From 1989 to 2024, the presidents of the CMASA New South Wales Branch were: Liu Taishu, Chen Tongcheng, Yang Yifan, Zheng Jianhua, Zeng Shizong, Wei Guoqing, Wu Yu, Liu Jianping, and Wang Qiudong.
In the history of the establishment and development of CMASA, presidents Liu Taishu, Chen Tongcheng, Zheng Jianhua, Zeng Shizong, and Wei Guoqing played crucial roles.
Another important association in Chinese medicine, the Australian Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (ATCMA), was established even earlier, in June 1985, by 35 overseas Chinese medicine professionals including Hong Hai, Zhong Kua Feng, Ye Yuan Chao, Liang Xiang, and Chen Yuan. It was the first Chinese medicine association in New South Wales.
From 1985 to 2016, the presidents of ATCMA were: Hong Hai, Ye Yuan Chao, Huang Huan Song, Shen Tie, Jia Zhen Long, Chen Yong Fa, Shen Tie, Li Mao, Li Jing Biao, Xiao Jia Bin, Ivanov, Guan Bin, and Chen Shu Yi.
Promoting collaboration with other state Chinese medicine associations has long been a steadfast commitment of CMASA's leadership, particularly during Wei Guoqing's presidency when significant achievements were made, making the society the largest Chinese medicine group in Australia. For the unification of CMASA and ATCMA, through the persistent efforts of Dr. Lin Qian and other senior Chinese medicine professionals, then CMASA president Wei Guoqing and ATCMA president Guan Bin communicated and collaborated for over six years through joint academic lectures and advocacy for Chinese medicine rights. On this basis, after Chen Shu Yi took over as president of ATCMA in 2015, with a broad mind and decisive leadership, he resolutely announced the merger of CMASA and ATCMA with Wei Guoqing in May 2016. The merged society retained the English name Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture Society of Australia (CMASA) and changed the Chinese name to Australian Chinese Medicine Society. ATCMA added over 400 members and more than AUD 200,000 to the merged society. The successful merger of CMASA and ATCMA owes much to the remarkable contributions of presidents Wei Guoqing and Chen Shu Yi!
