Australia gave up its guns.

Let's get this straight.

Here be a thread..

(1) Australia didn't exist before the American War of Independence.

Australia was founded as a Penal Colony primarily when The First Fleet arrived on January 20 1788.

(2) British Garrisons, Support Staff & Convicts of all ages, Men, Women and Children continued to arrive until the First Free Settlers arrived 5 years latter on the 16th of January 1793.

Over the next 60 years a mix of Convicts & Free Settlers continued to arrive..

(3) Gold was Discovered in 1851, and that started the Gold Rush in the Colonies, as Australia had not become a Nation yet, it was still a cluster of British Colonies, people from all over the world filtered in to try and strike it rich.

(4) Besides for the Garrisoned British Military, and the Colonies Police forces, before the Gold Rush there were not so many Firearms in Civilian Hands, but the Prospectors from all over the world brought them protection with them.

(5) Then came the Events of Nov/Dec 1854 at Ballarat on the Victorian Goldfields, the Eureka Rebellion, Still being a series of Colonies without Federation and Nationhood, I dare say that between the Events of 1776 and 1854...

(6) Firearms would have been well left out of the Constitution as it would have been Developed starting 1889 When things got underway towards federation, while still under British Rule.

Outline of how Australia came to Federate into a Nation: https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/history-of-parliament/federation/the-federation-of-australia/

(7) Now, Lets jump forward, It was basically the states responsibility to police firearms ownership, and not a federal concern until after WW2, when the rash of "Bring Backs" sparked an almost total Handgun Ban that wasn't relaxed until after the 1956 Melbourne Olympics...

(8) Renewed Interest in sports pistol shooting opened the Possession and Use of Handguns for Club/Sporting use only.
Things motored along without long arm regulation until the Milperra Massacre, 2nd September 1984,
You could have basically anything you like...

(9) As long as it was at least 75 cm long and not Suppressed, Select Fire or Fully Automatic.

States started looking at Registration in 1984, for those of us that Shot in Club Comps, we had to sign a Range Register with Our Details, Our Firearms Details & Serial Number..

(10) The Firearms (long Arm) Licence was a Slip of Paper you could get from your local police station by answering a multiple choice 10 question safety test, and having a valid ID (At Least in Queensland), I think my first licence cost $10 for 5 years.

(11) Going Back to "Why" our laws changed, there was a rash of "Mass Shootings" between 1984 and the straw that broke the Camel's Back, Port Arthur in 1996.

One thing to note here, Most of this was before the Internet, so the MSM was the Australian People's..

(12) Only source of "Information" before the Mid '90s and as you all know, the Media Did it's thing well and truly, Public Opinion ways Swayed and the State Police Forces went around to the Gun Clubs and started collecting Range Registers..

(13) Remember those registers that I mentioned we all signed in good faith to compete with or even zero our rifles.. Some Owners Even got Knocks on the door if they didn't surender things that they had marked on the registers in a timely manner..

(14) I distinctly remember getting shamed and nagged by friends, family and a partner that I had to hand things in because it made them feel safer if I did..

In the end, I split the difference and kept my still legal firearms, as the now restricted weapons...

(15) were all on the registers for my club shoots.

And that was that, I still shoot, I have Carried Firearms for work and pleasure.

In Summary,
There was no way Australia had a chance at something like the 2nd Amendment & Media played a big part...

(16) in shaping the opinions of the non-shooting public here, and with no idea what was really going on, combined with fear and the trust in what they were being told by the talking heads on TV, and the Lack of transparency and..

(17) Burial of evidence under "Parliamentary Privilege" when it comes to the 1996 Port Arthur event has left Australian's basically "Mushrooms" when it comes to Firearms in general.

Anyway, that's where I'm going to leave this thread.