Speed Limits in Australia - Historical Limits

Historical Limits

Historically, Australia operated a simple speed limit system of urban and rural default limits, denoted in miles per hour. The urban default, which prior to the 1930s was 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), applied to any "built up area", usually defined by the presence of street lighting. This limit was progressively increased to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) over the next 30 years by each of the states and territories, with New South Wales being the last to change in May 1964. Outside of built up areas, a prima facie speed limit applied. In New South Wales and Victoria, the prima facie speed limit was 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). In the 1970s however, most state prima facie speed limits were gradually replaced by absolute limits. An absolute speed limit of 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) was introduced to Victoria in 1971. This was subsequently reduced to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) in late 1973. South Australia introduced an absolute speed limit of 60 mph in 1974.

With the onset of metrication in 1974, speed limits and speed advisories were converted into kilometres per hour, rounded to the nearest 10 km/h, leading to small discrepancies in speed limits. The default urban limits of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) were converted to 60 km/h, an increase of 3.7 kilometres per hour (2.3 mph). The rural defaults of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) became 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) and 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) respectively. The prima facie 50 mph limit in New South Wales became a prima facie limit of 80 km/h. Signage changed from a North American-style black and white textual sign to a design based on metric signage in use in New Zealand with black number in red annulus (or circle) on white, itself a derivative of the European standard number in red circle design.

New South Wales introduced an absolute speed limit of 100 km/h in 1979. The Northern Territory introduced an absolute speed limit of 110 km/h in 2007.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the 60 km/h urban default limit was progressively lowered to 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) nationally for reasons of road, and especially pedestrian, safety. However, many existing roads, especially subarterial roads in urban areas, have had 60 km/h limits posted on them. Queensland's Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Speed Controls) states that 60 km/h is the general minimum speed limit for traffic carrying roads. The Northern Territory has retained the 60 km/h limit; however, 50 km/h is also a common speed limit (particularly in residential areas).

There has been a campaign by some organisations, such as the Australian Wheelchair Association, to lower the default urban limit further, to allow wheelchairs to be used on public roads, with most such proposals calling for 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph) or 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) limits. Some local government areas have unilaterally applied lower limits, such as the City of Sydney introducing 30 km/h zones in many areas. In other areas, special 40 km/h zones have been introduced in "high pedestrian activity" areas.