Thirty years after Port Arthur, are we doing enough about gun control?

**FILE** An April 28, 2006 file photo of Australian Prime Minister John Howard lays a wreath at the memorial site of the Port Arthur massacre during a memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of the massacre in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Two months into the first term of the new coalition government, gunman Martin Bryant murdered 35 people at Port Arthur, prompting John Howard to tackle guns. (AAP Image/POOL/Getty Images, Ian Waldie) Credit: IAN WALDIE/AAPIMAGE

It's been nearly 30 years since 35 people died and dozens more were injured in a shooting at Port Arthur, in southern Tasmania. The tragedy led to a mass buyback of more than half-a-million guns and other reforms to gun ownership. Australia hadn't seen a mass shooting anywhere near that scale in almost 30 years until the attack at Bondi in December, when 15 people were killed.

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Published 28 April 2026 6:00pm

By Kerrin Thomas

Presented by Yumi Oba

Source: SBS

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It's been nearly 30 years since 35 people died and dozens more were injured in a shooting at Port Arthur, in southern Tasmania. The tragedy led to a mass buyback of more than half-a-million guns and other reforms to gun ownership. Australia hadn't seen a mass shooting anywhere near that scale in almost 30 years until the attack at Bondi in December, when 15 people were killed.

That attack renewed debate on gun control and proposed a new round of reforms across the country, including a new firearm buyback, tighter license requirements, limits on the number of firearms per person and a long-awaited National Firearms Register.

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