Who Is NAPSA?

The President of the Sydney University Pharmaceutical Society, Les Cashen, sends a letter to pharmacy student associations in each state expressing the view that pharmacy is urgently in need of a spirit of cooperation at the federal level. He proposed that each association send a delegate to the Congress of the National Union of Australian University Students (NUAUS) to report on their activities.

During the Congress at Brighton military camp in Tasmania, a simultaneous pharmacy students conference was held. Colin Caswell and Pat Quinn from Brisbane, Les Cashen from Sydney, and Hal Knightly and John Retallick from Adelaide were assisted in holding this conference by the Secretary of the Tasmanian Pharmaceutical Society J Smithies.

A second conference of Australian pharmacy students was held in conjunction with an NUAUS Congress in Somers, Victoria. At this meeting there was unanimous agreement to establish the National Union of Pharmaceutical Students of Australia (NUPSA). It was the largest representative body of pharmacy students in the world. The union had as its objectives “the standardisation of the courses of study of pharmacy throughout Australia, and promoting understanding between student organisations”. Bill Lumley of the Victorian Pharmaceutical Students’ Association was elected as the first President of NUPSA.

For the first time an invitation to NUAUS Congress was extended to all pharmacy students in Australia by inaugural NUPSA Secretary-Treasurer Lee Cashen, starting the tradition of a NAPSA Congress for all students.

The first NUPSA Congress was held in Penrith, New South Wales where attendees were expected to cross the Nepean river by rowboat in a final leg of the journey to the venue. Congresses in this era were typically two week events.

The Tasmanian Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (TPSA) was accepted into NUPSA at the National Congress at Point Lonsdale, Victoria.

The newly formed Western Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association was accepted into NUPSA at the National Congress in Caloundra, Queensland with every state now having representation.

Late 1980s Dissolution - NAPSA is dissolved by its member organisations who continue to function without national representation.

NAPSA was reformed by delegates from eight of the nine pharmacy schools in Australia at the time, with the first Congress following dissolution being held in Adelaide in 2003.