The Australian Neurological Foundation (later to become the Brain foundation) was the brainchild of a previous generation of neurologists and neurosurgeons. Its inaugural meeting was held 3pm on Saturday 16th May 1970 at the Canberra Hotel, Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra under the patronage of former Governor-General The Rt Hon Lord Casey of Berwick KG, GCMG, CH, DSO, MC, KStJ, PC. Directors who were members of the Australian Association of Neurologists (later to become the Australia and New Zealand Association of Neurologists) were Professor Keith Bradley, Dr John Game, Dr Byron Kakulas, Prof James Lance, Dr Barrie Morley, Dr E. Graeme Robertson, Dr George Selby and Prof Sir Sydney Sunderland.

The basic reason for the creation of the Foundation was in fact that there were in-sufficient para-clinical scientists and scientific facilities directly available to those neurologists and neurosurgeons who are at present treating the patients, and endeavouring at the same time to conduct research into their diseases in the teaching hospitals. The greatest and most immediate need was to fill that gap. State surveys revealed deficiencies in almost all aspects of the existing facilities available for the application of modern scientific knowledge and techniques to the treatment of patients and research into the causes of their diseases, in terms of personnel, equipment and facilities. The degree of deficiency in the various fields varied in the different States, as may have been expected. A common denominator was found to be, as expected, the lack of ancillary scientific services required by the clinicians to give their patients the full advantage of available modern scientific knowledge and techniques in their diagnosis and treatment. The most basic of these was the lack of neuropathological services. In some States, there was a disconcerting lack of even more basic clinical facilities such as beds and basic resident medical staff.

Our founders should be pleased with us. In our 40th year we are weathering the global financial crisis; our corpus is around $7,000,000 - it was just over $1,500,000 in 2004. In 2009 it was possible to give over $450,000 in competitive grants (with an additional $300,00 from the Australian Competitive Grants Register awarded through the Department of Industry, Innovation Science and Research) at the last round in 2009, with 8 of the 14 successful applicants being members of ANZAN. The scientific advisory committee headed by Matthew Kiernan ranked 173 applications in order of merit. We will maintain the same level of funding in 2010 as 2009 and encourage young clinician scientists to apply. Applications close 30th of June at www.brainaustralia.org.au. The website has over 6,000,000 hits a year and needs constant attention to content.

Current ANZAN member directors under the patronage of Emeritus Professor James W. Lance AO, CBE, MD, FRCP, FRACP are: John Corbett, Geoff Donnan, Matthew Kiernan (vice-president, medical), Michael Halmagyi (president), Pam McCombe and Dominic Rowe.