# Port Arthur Massacre On **28 April 1996**, a gunman killed **35 people** and wounded many more at the Port Arthur historic site in south-east Tasmania. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in Australian history. Its significance for this vault is entirely in what followed. Twelve days later the [[John Howard]] government announced the [[National Firearms Agreement]]. The massacre is the standard case in the American debate for the proposition that a single event can produce immediate legislative change — and the standard counter-case for arguments that such change is impossible. > [!note] Naming > This page deliberately does not name the perpetrator, consistent with the no-notoriety convention most Australian coverage now follows. ## See Also - [[National Firearms Agreement]] - [[John Howard]] - [[Australia]] - [[Australian History Hub]]