Analysis of 700 case histories from the Australian Shark Attack File indicates that 28 per cent are fatal. This is consistent with the International figures of 30 per cent fatality rate.

The earliest Australian recorded shark attack was in 1791, an indigenous female on the North Coast of NSW (fatal). The last fatal attack in Sydney Harbour happened in 1963 (Marcia Hathaway).

Unprovoked Cases

Since 1791:

Provoked Cases

Since 1832:

As of June 2012 (all Australian States combined):

In the last 20 years, there have been 23 recorded unprovoked fatalities due to shark attacks, which averages around  1.1 per year. In the last 50 years, there have been 46  recorded unprovoked fatalities due to shark attack, which averages less than one (0.92) per year.

Shark Attacks In Perspective

There is an element of risk in any activity we undertake. To put the risk of being killed by a shark into perspective, the following statistics illustrate the number of deaths associated with some water related activities in Australia.

Australian Bureau of Statistics

There were no recorded fatalities from shark attacks in Australia in 1994 and one in 1995.

Compared to fatalities from any other forms of water related activity the number of fatal shark attacks, from all reported shark encounters in Australia, is extremely low.

There are an average of 87 deaths per year from people drowning at the beach (SLSA 2010 Newsleter). There is an average of 1.1 people killed by shark attack per year over the last 20 years.

During the period 1969-2000, in NSW alone, 218 rock fishermen were swept off the rocks and drowned. In that same period 40 shark encounters were recorded with only two fatalities reported. On average there are 80 drowning deaths each year (ref Beachsafe Newsletter Issue 16, 2009).

Diving related deaths in Australia 1945 - 1987 = 292 (quote from Diving Accident Management in Australia, 1988). "Eleven Australians were killed by lightning in the years 1983 to 1986", (John Sedgwick, Lightning Natures Terrible Swift Sword, Readers Digest, January 1990).

On average there are two to three deaths per year from bee stings in Australia (Dr van Nunen Royal North Shore Hospital Allergy Unit, February 3 1989. Manly Daily). Three people died from bee stings in 1995 (Australian Bureau of Statistics). On average, less than one person per year has been killed in a shark attack in Australia since 1791.

Any use of this information in any publication must be authorised by Taronga Zoo Public Relations Department and contain appropriate accreditation to Taronga Zoo and the Australian Shark Attack File. This document is regularly updated and revised, therefore numbers of recorded attacks and their outcomes are subject to change reflecting the new information available.