Australia was long seen as a world leader in gun control – the Bondi attack has revealed a more complicated reality.

On a Sunday afternoon in April 1996, a solitary shooter armed with powerful firearms killed 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That national tragedy nearly a generation ago, which ushered in some of the toughest firearm regulations in the world, can feel like a different era for many residents.

However, the Bondi Beach attack this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has brought back painful recollections of the Tasmanian tragedy.

Weapons Holdings at a Historic Peak

A analysis revealed that there are now more than four million weapons owned by civilians across the country – a figure that is almost double the amount from about 20 years ago.

This equates to approximately one gun for every seven Australians.

While the state of Queensland has the largest arsenal, followed by New South Wales (NSW) and the state of Victoria, it is the island state and the NT that have the greatest density of weapons.

The data also dispels the widespread belief that guns are primarily held by those in the countryside.

Guns are widespread in urban centres, with a significant portion located in major cities.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the average licence holder possessing over four firearms.

Understanding Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Firearm regulations in Australia are not uniform across the country, with a disparate implementation of rules in various regions.

Broadly speaking, to apply for a gun licence, an individual must be over 18, deemed a "responsible individual", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "legitimate need" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include hunting or culling, competitive shooting, certain occupational requirements, and collecting.

However, significant shortcomings remain. For instance, individuals under 18 in some jurisdictions can have supervision 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 large-scale surrender scheme of over 650,000 firearms.

Certain types of firearms were banned, and background checks alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the elimination of "self-defence" as a acceptable grounds for gun ownership.

Fresh Calls for Gun Law Reform

In the immediate aftermath the Bondi shooting, political leaders were forceful about the need to strengthen gun laws.

A weapons collection initiative was proposed, marking the most significant such effort since 1996.

Other planned reforms now under consideration include:

• Restricting the number of guns an individual can legally own.
• Addressing "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making permanent residency a requirement for firearm ownership.
• Improving intelligence sharing during background check processes.

There are also calls for ongoing evaluations of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "people's circumstances can change" over time.

A Nuanced Discussion

These swift actions have met with opposition from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates contend that limiting gun numbers would not have averted an attack driven by radicalisation.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent improving intelligence rather than tightening regulations for the overwhelming number of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a critical reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains unfinished, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

A Catalyst for Change

For campaigners, the Bondi attack is a stark warning that regulations must evolve with technological advances.

They argue that modernisation is needed to "keep up-to-date" and safeguard communities.

While mass shootings remain uncommon in Australia compared to some nations, the risk persists, and the challenge of firearms circulating illegally – through poor storage – continues to pose a problem.

As one advocate stated, "It is regrettable that it needs such a devastating event to get people to wake up and take notice."