At least 11 people were killed at a Hanukkah ceremony at Bondi Beach in Sydney in an attack described by authorities as targeting the Jewish community. Australia tightened gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 and prompted a buyback of more than 700,000 firearms. The timeline highlights several other deadly incidents across Australia and the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in neighboring New Zealand.
At Least 11 Killed at Bondi Beach Hanukkah Ceremony — Timeline of Major Shootings in Australia
A small Christmas tree is at the center of an abandoned holiday picnic at Bondi Beach after a reported shooting in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
SYDNEY (AP) — Police said at least 11 people were killed when gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah ceremony at Bondi Beach in Sydney, an attack authorities described as targeting the Jewish community.
Mass shootings remain uncommon in Australia, where strict gun laws introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre dramatically reduced the incidence of such attacks. Below is a timeline of significant shootings in recent decades.
Timeline of Notable Shootings
April 28, 1996 — Port Arthur, Tasmania
Gunman Martin Bryant went on a rampage at the Port Arthur tourist precinct, killing 35 people and wounding 23. In the aftermath, federal and state governments banned most semiautomatic and pump-action shotguns and rifles and implemented a nationwide gun buyback program that recovered more than 700,000 firearms.
Sept. 8, 2014 — Lockhart, New South Wales
A farmer shot his wife and three children near Lockhart before killing himself.
Dec. 16, 2014 — Lindt Café Siege, Sydney
An Iranian-born man, Man Monis, held 18 people hostage at the Lindt Chocolate Café. Three people died: the gunman was shot by police, one hostage was fatally struck by fragments from police gunfire, and another hostage was shot by the attacker.
May 11, 2018 — Western Australia
A farmer killed six members of his family and then took his own life.
March 15, 2019 — Christchurch, New Zealand
An Australian white supremacist attacked two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 worshippers. It remains New Zealand’s deadliest mass shooting and prompted swift changes to gun laws there.
June 4, 2019 — Darwin, Northern Territory
A man who had been released on parole fatally shot four men and wounded a woman in the northern city of Darwin.
Dec. 12, 2022 — Wieambilla, Queensland
A gunbattle at a rural property in Wieambilla left six people dead. Two police officers were killed by the assailants; police later shot dead the three attackers and one of the attackers' neighbors.
Dec. 14, 2025 — Bondi Beach, Sydney
Gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah ceremony at Bondi Beach, killing at least 11 people in what authorities described as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community. Investigations and official statements are ongoing.
Context: Australia tightened firearm ownership rules after Port Arthur in 1996, and mass shootings have been far less common since. Nevertheless, isolated, deadly incidents have occurred in the following decades, including both domestic attacks and internationally linked events such as the Christchurch mosque shootings.
