The Greens NSW was launched in Sydney in August 1984 at a public meeting in Glebe Town Hall. Soon after, in January 1985, The Greens was registered as a political party.
Greens parties soon followed in other states, including in Tasmania where Bob Brown was one of the activists campaigning on local environmental issues. In 1992 the Australian Greens was launched with The Greens NSW as a founding member.
There are now eight state and territory parties that make up the Australian Greens.
The Greens have a long history of MPs as activists – who know that actions inside parliament are only as powerful as the support they have in the community and on the street.
Four key principles provide the basis for Greens policies and campaigns:
- ecological sustainability
- grassroots democracy
- social justice
- peace and non-violence
The Australian Greens are a founding member of the Global Greens, a global partnership of the world’s Green parties and political movements, working cooperatively to implement the Global Greens Charter.