The Australian Space Forecast Centre (ASFC) had its origins in the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957–58, when a need arose for short-term forecasts of the near-space environment to support the IGY scientific programmes. Skills developed during the IGY provided the platform for building the current space weather services, which take advantage of internet communications, a wide range of space-based imagery and our significantly enhanced scientific knowledge of the space environment.