According to Beryl Chandler in her article "The Governing Council's 50 Years of Cats", written in 1981, cat shows were run in conjunction with dog shows until the first Cat Control Body was formed.  At one such show, 60 cats were shown, 58 pedigreed Longhairs and 2 Siamese!  The earliest cat show for which a catalogue is known to still exist was run by Australian Cat Club in 1912. 

On the 31st October 1928 a meeting of all cat fanciers, organized by The Australian Cat Club, was held at Lyon's Cafe, Melbourne.  At the meeting, it was proposed that a "Governing Cat Council" be formed to officialise and represent the Cat Fancy, with a guiding policy of working together in harmonious and co-operative activity to the benefit of the Cat Fancy.

"The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy" was only the third body of this type to be formed in the world, pre-dated by those of England and America.  The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, Australia & Victoria, the only control body in Victoria until 1962, was registered as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Act 1961 on 22nd November 1962.