Australia's softball history began in 1939 when Gordon Young, Director of Physical Education in NSW, began to promote the game in schools and colleges. In 1942, during World War II, US army sergeant William Duvernet organised softball as a recreation for US nurses stationed in Victoria. Another American, Mack Gilley, introduced the game to Queensland in 1946. Australia's first inter-state championship was played in Brisbane in 1947 and was won by Victoria. The second national championship was held in Melbourne two years later. It was at this championship that the Australian Softball Federation was formed with Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales being the founding members. The other States of Australia have since joined. Eight Australian Championships are now conducted each year.
ACT Softball Association was established in 1959 and was granted statehood by the Australian Softball Federation in 1961 which bought about a name change to the ACT Women's Softball Association. In 1973-74 the word women's was dropped from the title in recognition that the association needed to broaden its horizons to cover softball for both genders. New South Wales schools were introduced to softball in 1939. Softball saw a "benefit" in the bombing of Darwin and the inclusion of Australia in World War II in terms of bringing in American military personnel who brought softball with them to this state. The state had its own association by 1946. The state federation was one of the foundation federation members of the Australian Women's Softball Council in 1949. In 1971, there were 309 teams affiliated with the state organisation.
Softball in Victoria grew after the bombing of Darwin and the inclusion of Australia in World War II, when American military personnel brought the game with them. The state had its own association by 1946. The organisation came about because of the work of two people, American Special Forces Sergeant William Du Vernet and Melbournian Irene Burrows. The state federation was one of the foundation federation members of the Australian Women's Softball Council in 1949. By 1949, the Victorian association had 22 clubs and 250 players competing in its competitions. In 1971, there were 375 teams affiliated with the state organisation.
Softball Queensland was founded in 1945 at Victoria Park by a group of enthusiastic "youngsters" who had either learnt to play softball at the Bedford Playground in Spring Hill or from the American troops who were camped in the grounds of the Hendra School. Two of the "youngsters" shared their enthusiasm for their new sport with an acquaintance, an American named Mack Gilley, who had also been involved in the softball competition played by the American troops stationed in Brisbane. Mack Gilley was soon umpiring their games.
Softball is played in Tasmania. The game was brought to the island during the late 1940s from Melbourne, Victoria. The sport would grow in popularity in Tasmania with 56 teams in 1976. Men's softball is not popular in Tasmania. The first softball only facility was built in Tasmania in 1984.
The Northern Territory Softball Association is the smallest state body in the Australian Softball Federation with only two affiliated Associations.In the Northern Territory history they have never once won any of the ASF National Championships.
In 1950, the Western Australia state softball federation aligned itself with the Australian Women's Softball Council. Up to twenty games a Saturday were being played at Langley Park by the Esplanade in Perth in 1955. After the failure of getting softball on the 1956 Olympic programme, an attempt was made by Western Australians to get softball included on the schedule at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games that were going to be held in Perth. Empire Games organisers did not support this as they allowed neither team sports, nor demonstration sports at the Games. In 1971, there were 66 teams affiliated with the state organisation .
