On a Sunday afternoon in the year 1996, a single attacker wielding semi-automatic rifles took the lives of 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.
That horrific event nearly a generation ago, which ushered in some of the toughest weapons policies in the world, can feel like a bygone age for many citizens.
However, the Bondi Beach attack this past Sunday, which claimed 15 lives, has brought back painful recollections of the Port Arthur massacre.
A study released earlier this year revealed that there are now over four million weapons owned by civilians across the country – a figure that is roughly two times the amount from the late 1990s.
This equates to approximately a weapon for each small group of people.
While Queensland has the most registered guns, followed by NSW and Victoria, it is Tasmania and the NT that have the greatest density of weapons.
The data also dispels the common view that guns are mostly possessed by rural residents.
Guns are common in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a significant portion located in population centres.
Critically, there are now more guns in fewer hands, with the registered individual possessing several firearms.
Firearm regulations in Australia are inconsistent across the country, with a disparate implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.
Broadly speaking, to obtain a gun licence, an individual must be of legal age, deemed a "suitable candidate", pass a competency test, and provide a "genuine reason" for ownership.
The accepted reasons include recreational hunting or pest control, competitive shooting, certain occupational requirements, and for collections.
However, significant loopholes remain. For instance, minors in some areas can have use of a firearm from as young as 10 or 12 years old.
Following the Port Arthur massacre, a sweeping overhaul of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a voluntary hand-in of over 650,000 firearms.
Certain types of firearms were prohibited, and security screenings alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.
A key tenet of these reforms was the removal of "self-defence" as a justifiable cause for gun ownership.
In the hours following the Bondi shooting, political leaders were clear about the need to tighten gun laws.
A national gun buyback scheme was proposed, marking the first such effort since 1996.
Other suggested measures now under consideration include:
There are also calls for ongoing evaluations of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "situations evolve" over time.
These swift actions have drawn criticism from some quarters.
Pro-gun advocates contend that limiting gun numbers would not have averted an attack driven by extremist ideology.
They suggest that political capital would be better spent addressing root causes rather than restricting lawful owners for the vast majority of licensed individuals.
Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a national firearms register – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a key project.
For reformers, the Bondi attack is a tragic indication that gun laws must evolve with technological advances.
They argue that strengthening is needed to "remain effective" and prevent future tragedies.
While mass shootings remain uncommon in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the challenge of firearms circulating illegally – through theft – continues to pose a challenge.
As one advocate reflected, "It is regrettable that it requires such a devastating event to focus attention and pay heed."
