When did Australia adopt the metric system?
Australia began converting to the metric system in 1970 and completed most of the change by the late 1980s. Today, Australians use kilometres, kilograms, litres and degrees Celsius in everyday life.
The Metric Conversion Act was passed in 1970, and the Metric Conversion Board was established to manage the changeover. Different industries changed at different times.
Temperatures in weather forecasts switched to Celsius in 1972. Road signs and speed limits changed to kilometres in 1974, a major and highly visible step.
A smooth transition
Schools began teaching metric measures, and products were labeled in metric units. The building industry, farming and retail all adopted metric systems during the 1970s.
The changeover was generally considered successful and faster than in countries such as the United Kingdom, where imperial units remain in use for some purposes.
Some old units survive informally. People sometimes give their height in feet and inches, and babies' birth weights are occasionally given in pounds. Screen sizes are usually measured in inches. However, metric units are standard in Australian law, trade and education, and most younger Australians have little familiarity with imperial measures.