The Amateur Beekeepers’ Association (ABA) was formed over 50 years ago to foster clubs and other activities to improve the knowledge and skills of amateur beekeepers in NSW. The NSW ABA currently has seven clubs or branches:

• Illawarra
• Parramatta
• Macarthur
• Nepean
• Central Coast
• Hunter Valley
• Northern Rivers

The ABA provides:

• a newsletter, six times per year,
• field days to improve practical beekeeping skills
• optional personal beekeeping insurance, and
• a swarm system to coordinate members efforts in collecting bee swarms

Becoming a member of the NSW ABA (and your local club) provides you with a number of benefits:

• Knowledge. Some club members of the club have many years of beekeeping experience. As a member you will learn much about beekeeping from your fellow members, both in general discussion and in supportive, practical experience when inspection the club’s beehives, and take part in activities such as extracting honey, re-queening and inspecting a hive.
• Support and Encouragement. Support and encouragement from fellow enthusiastic and knowledgeable beekeepers is an excellent way to gain beekeeping skills to assist you in your hobby.
• Equipment. Members can borrow club equipment (e.g. extractors, comb knife) to enable you to extract your honey without the need to purchase these items.
• Books. The club has a number of beekeeping related books that can be borrowed by members.
• Insurance. Low cost personal beekeeping insurance can be obtained.
• Queens/Nucleus Hives. Many clubs raise their own queens for sale to members. Nucleus hives are also available