In 1866 a small group of commercial travellers in South Australia joined together to redress for grievances that they had about the state of roads and hotel accommodation, they became the Commercial Travellers' Association. The group's efforts were apparently successful, they disbanded in early 1873, and accumulated funds were donated to the Adelaide Benevolent and Strangers Association.

The group reformed the following year and became the South Australian Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemens' Association. That was the genesis of today's Commercial Representatives' and Agents' Association.

The South Australian Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association Incorporated was later renamed the Commercial Travellers' Association of South Australia Incorporated. The Association sponsored a bursary in memory of Archibald Mackie, formerly Secretary of the Association, at the the University of Adelaide.

References:
Commercial Travellers' Association of Western Australian Inc, Man on the Road: 100 Years of Commercial Travelling in Western Australia 1896-1996.
Western Australian Club website http://www.waclub.org.au/club/cta.html.

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