Australia is a large island continent with a climate ranging from tropical in the north to temperate in the south. The population, basically of European descent, is located largely on the eastern coast with the larger state capitals of Sydney and Melbourne, each having a population of around 5 million. Around 30% of Australia’s population was born overseas. With people from over 200 countries, Australia has a diverse mix of cultures. The population’s diversity provides a rich variety of indigenous and non-indigenous languages, religions, beliefs, traditions and activities.

Australia is a commonwealth of six sovereign states, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. Under the Constitution, the states have passed onto the commonwealth certain wide powers, such as income taxation, defense, and international affairs and these powers include patents, copyright, designs and trademarks, so that a single patent, design or trademark covers all states of the Australian territories.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Patents, Trademarks and Designs Offices have made available extensions of most extendible deadlines, except for some deadlines such as renewal deadlines, upon a declaration that the deadline is unable to be met due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Similar extensions have been made available by the Plant Breeder's Rights Office.