The AAMA was founded in 1979 since it was recognised at the time that although Australia is uniquely an island continent with an economy heavily dependent on overseas trade Australians, as a nation, lacked a cohesive maritime outlook.

For most of its history its national maritime requirements, such as sea transport, have been serviced by others. Thus Australia has never developed a true perspective of itself as a maritime nation nor has a maritime psyche ever etched itself on the Australian people.

This is turn has led to inadequate development of national marine policies, unsatisfactory coordination of marine research and technology and poorly coordinated development of maritime resources, both human and material.