The Australian Society of Baking (ASB) was founded in 1970 by Sydney Packham and a group of bakers and allied traders, some of whom had attended meetings of the American Society of Bakery Engineers in the United States. They decided there was scope to set up an organisation along similar lines in Australia.

The ASB was first constituted as the Australian Chapter Affiliate of the American Society, before simplifying its name in 1979 to the Australian Society of Baking. It retains its links with both the American Society of Baking and the British Society of Baking. The societies exchange publications and information, and can offer more direct help to one another's members by way of organising bakery visits and work experience.

The primary purpose of the Australian Society of Baking is to provide a forum for learning more about the industry through meetings and seminars.

Members come from every sector of the baking industry - small craft bakers and larger retail bakers, pastrycooks, independent and group plant bakeries, supermarket groups, research organisations, the educational field, flour millers, ingredient and equipment suppliers.

Papers presented cover technical, legislative and marketing matters and there have been almost 280 presentations in all since the founding of the Society. Copies of most of these are available from the secretariat for those wishing to research particular subjects.