Guns were effectively banned in Australia following the Port Arthur massacre on April 28, 1996. On May 10, 1996, just 12 days after this mass shooting, the Australian federal and state governments agreed to enact uniform gun control laws under the National Firearms Agreement (NFA). These laws banned rapid-fire long guns, including semi-automatic rifles, and led to a large-scale buyback and destruction of over 700,000 firearms by 1997. The legislation imposed strict licensing, registration, and private sale prohibitions to reduce firearm availability for mass shootings and other crimes.
