A meeting to officially form the New Australian Bookplate Society was held in the Edward Ford Room of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, in Macquarie Street, Sydney on the afternoon of Sunday, 22 October 2006. A draft consititution, which had been provided in Newsletter no. 2 and circulated prior to the meeting, was finalised, office bearers elected and committee appointed, and a number of activities canvassed for the coming year.

According to the agreed Constitution, the aims of the Society are to raise awareness of, and promote, bookplates (ex libris) as both a historic and contemporary art form and to bring together individuals with an interest in designing, owning, studying or collecting bookplates.

The following office bearers were elected: Dr Mark Ferson, President; Mike Carter, Vice President; Mary Keep, Secretary; and Ronald Cardwell, Treasurer, also acting as Membership Secretary. June Sanderson (NSW) and Edwin Jewell (Vic.) offered to join the Committee, whilst Elisabeth Bastian (NSW) and Andrew Peake (SA) were coopted onto the Committee.

Activities proposed for the coming year include: continuation of the successful Newsletter; production of a directory of members; publication of a finely printed booklet containing original bookplates of members; a Society website; and an annual dinner. Interest has been drummed up in the Society for approximately 12 months prior to its official formation, and is already evident from the involvement of artists and designers who have produced a variety of bookplates in this short period. As well, prospective members of the Society have been recruited to date from South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand, as well as New South Wales.

The subscription has been set at $30 per year, and a membership kit is available, comprising a sample copy of the Newsletter, Constitution and Membership Application Form 2008. Those interested in joining the Society, or in hearing more about it, should contact the President This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or the Secretary This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

And if you are one of the next three new members who join the Society during 2008, you will receive among other things two quite rare original bookplates from the 1930s and 1940s (if they are still available). Please read on ...