Scouting started in New South Wales, a State of Australia, in 1908. In the early years, local Boy Scout patrols and troops formed independently and several separate associations began operating including the Chums Scout Patrols, League of Boy Scouts, Girl Peace Scouts, Boys Brigade Scouts and Church Lads Brigade Scouts. These were later joined by The Boy Scouts Association, The Girl Guides Association and Life-Saving Scouts and Life Saving Guards of the Salvation Army.[1][2] Some local Scout groups moved affiliation between the different associations.[clarification needed]
Scouts and Scouting groups in New South Wales are now mostly registered with Scouts Australia NSW Branch and Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT, a member organisation of Girl Guides Australia. There is also representation by the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association. There are ethnic Scouting organisations including the Australian Association of Scouts in Exile (AASE), Polish Scouting Association, ZHP,[3] Russian Scouts, Hungarian Scouts, Plast Ukrainian Scouts, Lithuanian Scouts, Latvian Scouts, Estonian Scouts and Guides and Homenetmen Armenian Scouts and Assyrian Eagle Scouts. There were formerly Maltese, Hellenic (Greek) and Vietnamese Scout associations.[citation needed]