The County of Sussex was split into two administrative counties in 1889 with the establishment of County Councils for East and West Sussex. Within East Sussex there were three self-administered County Boroughs [Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings].
In the 1974 local government reorganisation the three County Boroughs became districts within East Sussex. At the same time the western boundary was altered so that the Mid- Sussex region became part of West Sussex. The situation changed again in 1997 when Brighton & Hove became a unitary authority.
Originally there was one Beekeeping Association in Sussex – this divided in the 1970s with the establishment of the West Sussex Beekeeping Association covering the pre-1974 West Sussex County Council Area. The Sussex Beekeeping Association retained the original name and covers the remainder of the County.