The Australian Society for Immunology, or ASI (first called the Australian Society of Immunologists) was formed in 1970 to provide interaction and communication between immunologists in Australia.

ASI's origins can be found in several informal or unstructured meetings of Australian immunologists in the 1960s. Notably, in 1962 Derrick Rowley hosted a small meeting in Adelaide which included most of the working immunologists in Australia. Rowley is said to deserve credit for bringing the Australian Society of Immunologists together. And, in 1963, Frank Macfarlane Burnet held a similar meeting in Melbourne. Macfarlane Burnet is seen by some to be a father figure to the immunology group.

Following these early gatherings, in December 1969 a symposium on "Aspects of Antibody Formation and Unresponsiveness" was held under the name "The Australian Society of Immunologists".

ASI was formally established as a national society in 1970. The following year the ASI Constitution was passed and the Society held its first Annual Meeting. From then on, the Society held meetings, lectures and symposia for immunologists and students of immunology, provided funding (travel bursaries) to allow students to attend events, and published newsletters to keep its members informed of new developments in the field, appointments, new publications, job vacancies, upcoming conferences, etc. ASI also aided in the formation of other societies and organisations such as the Clinical Immunology Group (CIG).

In 1986, ASI became the sponsor of the journal Immunology and Cell Biology, published by Blackwell Scientific Publications, which became the official journal of the Society.

ASI was incorporated in 1988 to reduce liability for the individuals involved, and to allow the Society to act as a group, forming the Australian Society for Immunology Incorporated. For further information on the next stages of the Society, see the provenance entries for the Australian Society for Immunology Incorporated, and the Australasian Society for Immunology Incorporated.