Number of vehicles: cars 7,913,200 (1992), trucks and buses 2,041,300 (1992)
Road information: total: 811,603 km; paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways); unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.)
The earliest Australian number plates are made up of two numbers followed by three numbers
and include the 'NSW' initials to show the number
plates were issued in New South Wales. The 2005 series
of plates saw the introduction of a new plate format
- two letters, two numbers, and two letters.
Between the 1970s and late 1990s, the Australian number plate system
consisted of two sets of three characters, which could
be either letters or numbers. However, when this system
started to reach its capacity, different issuing authorities
have continued their respective systems in different
ways, and there is no longer a uniform format for registration
plates.
Number plates in Australia usually bear the name of the State or Territory,
as well as a state motto or slogan at the bottom. Some
number plates may also contain colours or images related
to the state.
For cars running on LPG fuel, one red diamond sticker per LPG cylinder
fitted is placed on the number plate.
