The story
The concept was originally discussed in 2005, before it was formally founded in 2007. The initial aim was to provide central support to the men's sheds across Australia. This would be done through distributing free information, while aiming to develop men's sheds, and their effectiveness. These aims resulted in a common goal, which resulted in minimising the setup and running costs associated with men's sheds.
In 2010 the Federal Government of Australia launched the Men's Health Policy, which identified and recognized the role the AMSA play in men's health throughout Australia. This identification led to them receiving a grant of AU$3 million to help support their foundation. Later that year the organization also became registered as a tax-deductible recipient.
The success of AMSA is now a model, which is being replicated by numerous non-profit organisations worldwide, including Japan, Europe and North America.
From Wikipedia’s article on Australian Men's Shed Association, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3