"Having realized how few objects of real quality any of these houses held, the [Official Establishments] Trust decided that the ideal plan to work towards would be to acquire for each House its own collection of Australian origin so that, as well as looking welcoming, handsome and comfortable, each house would present a picture of Australia's achievement during its brief history."

Dame Helen Blaxland D.B.E.,O.B.E. Foundation Chairman of The Australiana Fund taken from the book, The Australiana Collection .

The Australiana Fund was developed by Mrs Tamie Fraser in 1978 from the difficulty of furnishing the four Official Residences appropriately for changing occupants. The Fund also grew out of the desire to display the history and cultural achievements of Australia within the Official Residences.

In 1961 Mrs Jacqueline Kennedy decided to launch The Americana Fund to raise private funds to furnish the White House in Washington D.C. with a sense of history and authenticity and as a focus of national pride. The Diplomatic rooms in the State Department were similarly decorated with superb examples of American decorative arts, acquired with funds donated by the public.

On moving into the official residences, Mrs Tamie Fraser, the wife of then Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, was surprised, "there was not even a salad bowl of Gough Whitlam's" (Sun, August 1976). Mrs Fraser then considered how the official residences could be provided with a fine permanent collection to reflect history and traditions. Fortunately Malcolm and Tamie Fraser travelled to Washington in 1976 where Mrs Fraser met Mr Clement Conger, the Curator of the Diplomatic Rooms and of the White House. Mrs Fraser resolved to establish an Australiana fund to furnish the Official Residences in Australia, and she became its first President.

The Australiana Fund is an independant organisation which has 120 members who raise funds by organising a wide range of functions. This allows a continuing programme of new acquisitions as well as the management of the existing collection. The value of the collection is in excess of AU$4 million. Acquisitions made by The Australiana Fund are made without financial assistance from the Australian government.