Codes of Practice

Background to Spearfishing in Australia

Prepared with assistance of many contributors – Version February 2022

Spearfishing in Australia dates back to the early twentieth century. Spearfishers, using very basic yet effective equipment, braved the elements to fish near coastal waters. The sport rapidly developed in a short time and in 1948 the Underwater Spearfishing Association of NSW (now the AUF) was formed by a small group of dedicated divers, located at Long Reef in Sydney. This hardy band of spearfishing pioneers looked into every reef and headland along the coast north and south of Sydney, becoming part of spearfishing’s heritage. Around this time competition spearfishing began and numerous clubs formed around Australia.

In those early days spearfishing and scuba divers were viewed as a single group and worked together, similar to the sector in modern day New Zealand and New Caledonia. In the formative years the AUF made a decision to ban spearfishing using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCUBA). The sporting spirit shown back then has shaped ‘skin-diving’ (diving with just the use of mask, snorkel and fins) into a personally challenging and physically demanding recreational pursuit. Spearfishing has extended down through family generations and today is a skill that continues to be passed down to the younger generations. It is a genuine family recreational activity enjoyed by many.