Port Arthur: 25 Years Later

Port Arthur massacre: 25 years on, are gun laws the best they can be?

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The Port Arthur Massacre changed Tasmania, and the nation, forever. Thirty-five people were killed on April 28 1996, among them mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers and children. But from the harrowing loss came sweeping political change. In just 12 days, the Australian states and territories came together to establish a National Firearms Agreement (NFA), under the pressure of then prime minister John Howard, who had just won the federal election. "We had an enormous amount of authority as a result," he said. "And it was a terrible disaster; it was the largest single death toll from such an event at the hands of an individual ever... and understandably the public wanted something done," he said. The NFA restricted ownership of automatic and semi-automatic weapons and made it harder to obtain a gun licence. It resulted in the destruction of over a million guns. To this day, the impact of Australia's gun reform is still evident. In 1997, Australia had 6.52 licensed firearm owners per 100 people, but by last year that proportion had almost halved, to 3.41. The number of registered guns in the community has risen only slightly, despite the importation of modern firearms and population growth. "[The public] do see the laws as having made Australians a safer country," Mr Howard said. "They are seen around the world as having been a very strong, effective, adequate response to what was a terrible tragedy, and I think that's something Australians can derive a great deal of pride in."

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