An International Co-operative Movement

This chapter provides the international context for understanding the history of Australian co-operatives. It examines the origins of co-operatives, exploring the ideas of Robert Owen and William King, and the rise and spread of the Rochdale consumer co-operatives, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. The chapter then examines the origins of the two other significant types of co-operatives – financial and agricultural. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the origins and rise of the International Co-operative Alliance, which highlights the international dimension of the co-operative movement and determines the guiding principles that define a modern co-operative.