Dragon boat races are held in Australia from Broome to Brisbane, from Perth to Sydney and from Adelaide to Darwin. The first Australian involvement occurred in 1980 when the Penang Tourist Development Corporation invited the WA Surf Life Saving Association to send a team to the Penang Festival. This was followed the next year by invitations from the HKTA to WA and NSW to send teams to what was then considered the unofficial world championships on Hong Kong Harbour. In 1984 Sydney held the inaugural Sydney Dragon Boat Festival at Farm Cove.
The Western Australia Dragon Boat Association formed in 1985. All states have subsequently formed State Associations. Australian Clubs tour regularly overseas and have been sighted at least once at all the major international festivals.