Bondi Beach attack: Recalling major past shooting incidents in Australia

At least 10 people were shot dead, and several were injured after two gunmen opened indiscriminate fire at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday (Dec 14). The shooting targeted a Jewish Hanukkah event at Australia’s most famous beach when people from the Jewish community gathered to celebrate the festival. Witnesses reported hearing up to 50 gunshots in Bondi, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The incident marks the deadliest shooting incident in Australia since the Port Arthur attack in 1995, when 34 people were killed and scores were injured. Here is a list of past such shooting incidents in Australia.

Port Arthur Massacre (1996)

Australia’s deadliest mass shooting took place in April 1996 at the Port Arthur historic site in Tasmania, when a lone gunman opened indiscriminate fire on tourists and staff. The attack left 35 people dead and 23 others injured. The scale of the tragedy triggered immediate political action, resulting in the introduction of nationwide gun control laws, including bans on semi-automatic firearms and a large-scale buyback programme.

Strathfield Plaza shooting (1991)

In August 1991, a gunman went on a shooting spree inside the Strathfield Plaza shopping centre in Sydney during peak hours. The attacker moved through the mall and surrounding streets, killing seven people before taking his own life. The incident exposed gaps in firearm regulation and public safety preparedness.

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Queen Street shooting, Melbourne (1987)

A mass shooting occurred in December 1987 at an Australia Post building on Queen Street in Melbourne, when a 22-year-old former Australia Post employee carried out a deadly attack inside a multi-storey office building at 30–32 Queen Street. He killed eight people and injured several others. The attack remains one of Melbourne’s worst firearm-related tragedies and sparked renewed debate on workplace security and gun access.

Central Coast shooting, New South Wales (1992)

In October 1992, a gunman went on a shooting rampage in a residential area on the NSW Central Coast, targeting neighbours and passersby. Six people, including an unborn child, were killed before police arrested the attacker. The case was widely reported by national media and later cited in discussions that shaped Australia’s gun reform debate.

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Broken Hill Train attack (1915)

One of Australia’s earliest firearm attacks on civilians occurred on New Year’s Day in 1915, when two men opened fire on a picnic train near Broken Hill in New South Wales. The shooting killed four people and injured several others before police and military personnel shot the attackers dead. Contemporary government and media records describe the incident as a rare but shocking act of violence during wartime in Australia.