CSSANZ's Constitution is the governing document is the formal document that sets out:

• our charity’s charitable purpose or purposes
• that our charity operates on a not-for-profit basis, and
• the way our charity's governing body (such as its committee or board) makes decisions and consults any members.

On the 11th November 1988 a meeting of 25 committed colorectal surgeons agreed to form the Australian Society of Colorectal Surgeons (later changed to the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australasia and in 2006 renamed the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand). The meeting was convened by Dr Mark Killingback and it elected Dr David Failes as the first President.

Since its inception, the cornerstones of the Society's ideals remain dedicated to TRAINING, STANDARDS, RESEARCH and EDUCATION.

The Society continues to foster the development and maintenance of colorectal surgery as a specialty with the following objectives:

• education of colorectal surgeons, the medical profession and the public
• development and maintenance of standards of practice of colorectal surgery in Australia and New Zealand
• to facilitate and promote the training, certification and accreditation of colorectal surgeons
• development and support of research programmes in colorectal surgery
• acting in an advisory capacity for government, the AMA and other health organisations
• provision of peer review advice
• to foster the international exchange of all matters important to the development of colorectal surgery.

Historically, surgery of the colon and rectum (large intestine) was considered to be an integral part of general surgery. Despite this, disorders of the anus (and more recently the rectum) have been subject to specialty management in some centres for many years. An expanding knowledge base and a capacity to provide more favourable outcomes for increasingly complex intestinal problems fostered the development of the specialty of colorectal surgery. Individuals such as the late Dr Edward Wilson (Sydney Hospital), the late Professor Sir Edward Hughes (Alfred Hospital), Professor Murray Pheils (Concord Hospital) and Dr Mark Killingback were, amongst others, pre-eminent in modern times in supporting the need for special interest and experience in colorectal surgery.

The Colon and Rectal Surgery Section (previously the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery), Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has existed since 1966 and is comprised of experienced colorectal surgeons, as well as trained general surgeons who have an interest in colorectal surgery but who have not necessarily undergone advanced training in the specialty.

1992 saw the first graduates of a specialised training programme in colorectal surgery within Australia and New Zealand. Originally under the auspices of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, it is now jointly administered by that Section and the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand. Prior to that time specialised colorectal surgical training was only undertaken overseas, initially in the United Kingdom, and in later years, in the United States of America.