In 1999 the first Indigenous credit union began establishing in Victoria to increase access to the financial system. First Nations Credit Union with its Cathy Freeman branded cards was an instant hit and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people opened accounts in droves. It grew to a national presence and became a part of Credit Union Australia. This was about 15 years before "financial inclusion" became a buzzword.
In 2006, consistent with the idea of a mutual fund, First Nations Foundation was created. This was a reinvestment into members by offering financial literacy training. Within a couple of years My Moola was developed and being delivered around Australia. This money management training course originally ran over 8 days but as it became more in demand with employers of Indigenous people, was reduced to a 1-2 day training course. It was enormously popular with participants because it was culturally safe, delivered by skilled Indigenous trainers to an Indigenous audience and it quickly started to change the money habits of people exposed to it.