The Australian Masters Games is a biennial sporting event and the largest multi-sport participation sporting event in Australia. Garry Daly as President of the Confederation of Australian Sport proposed the concept of Masters Games to the Northern Territory government.[1] It went on to establish the Central Australian Masters Games in 1986. The first Australian Masters Games were held in Hobart, Tasmania in 1987.[1] The Australian Masters Games event is owned by the Confederation of Australian Sport and state governments and cities bid to host the Games. The minimum age for most sports is 30 years of age however some of the sports, like Gymnastics, the minimum age for participation is 20 years of age.
| Edition | Year | Host | Sports | Competitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1987 | Hobart | 35 | 3695 |
| 2nd | 1989 | Adelaide | 42 | 7415 |
| 3rd | 1991 | Brisbane | 40 | 5957 |
| 4th | 1993 | Perth | 40 | 5759 |
| 5th | 1995 | Melbourne | 51 | 10479 |
| 6th | 1997 | Canberra | 31 | 8811 |
| 7th | 1999 | Adelaide | 46 | 10144 |
| 8th | 2001 | Newcastle | 61 | 11225 |
| 9th | 2003 | Canberra | 58 | 10326 |
| 10th | 2005 | Adelaide | 59 | 10003 |
| 11th | 2007 | Adelaide | 52 | 9693 |
| 12th | 2009 | Geelong | 50 | 7126 |
| 13th | 2011 | Adelaide | 52 | 8103 |
| 14th | 2013 | Geelong | 51 | 7771 |
| 15th | 2015 | Adelaide | 49 | 8159 |
| 16th | 2017 | NW Tasmania | 47 | 5109 |
| 17th | 2019 | Adelaide | 45 | 7036 |
| 18th | 2021 | Perth | 51[2] | |
| 19th | 2023 | Adelaide | 45+[3] | 9000[3] |
The estimated number of competitors for future events includes volunteers and social participants. An official breakdown of the three participant categories is provided in an update to the participation report by the organisers following each event.[4]
These were the sports on offer for the 2021 edition of the games.[2]