The New South Wales Typographical Association was formed after a series of meetings held in early 1880 and registered under the New South Wales Trade Union Act, 1881, on the 15 June 1882. It had been known as the Sydney Typographical Association until changing its name on 1 January 1882. Prior to its formation in 1880 there had been several similar societies in Sydney, such as the Compositors' Society, the Sydney Typographical Society, and a different N.S.W. Typographical Association. In 1917-1918 the NSW Typographical Association was converted to the New South Wales branch of the Printing Industry Employees' Union of Australia.