The Australian gas industry has been evolving continuously for well over a century, from the early use of manufactured town gas and propane to the large-scale conversion of Australia’s reticulated supply to Natural Gas.
In the early days, gas appliances were basic and community trust in gas was limited. To shift public perception, the industry needed both effective promotion and credible technical backing to demonstrate that gas was not only useful, but also safe and reliable.
In 1925, Mr Philip C. Holmes Hunt, now regarded as “The Father of the Australian Gas Industry”, led the establishment of two key organisations:
• One focused on promoting the benefits of gas to the public
• The other on providing the scientific and technical expertise required to support appliance safety and performance
Over time, these organisations grew in influence and capability. In 1935, the promotional body became known as the National Gas Association (NGA). The technical body, AGI, continued to build its reputation and capabilities alongside it.
The discovery of rich natural gas reserves in Bass Strait in the 1960s presented Victoria and Australia with an opportunity to become energy self sufficient. However, realising the full economic potential of this resource depended on reassuring the public that Natural Gas was a safe, efficient and reliable fuel.
To meet this challenge with a unified voice, the NGA and AGI formally amalgamated in 1962, giving rise to the Australian Gas Association (AGA), a national peak body bringing together both technical authority and industry wide collaboration.
Established as a national not for profit membership association, AGA represented hundreds of companies across the globe, including gas producers, appliance manufacturers, importers and affiliated service providers, working together to advance the safety, performance and trust in gas technologies across Australia.
In the early 1960’s, AGA set up specific Australian Gas (AG) Committees to develop safety Standards/Codes for domestic and commercial gas appliances as well as a myriad of gas-carrying components and controls.
Under the management and technical support of AGA, the industry was brought together through these Committees to produce our world class safety gas Standards/Codes. This provided manufacturers and suppliers the much needed direction to help develop and produce safe and compliant gas products.
AGA transferred the administration of the gas product Standards to Standards Australia in 2004. This enabled AGA to focus on other gas industry developments and improvements while continuing to be the largest technical contributor to the Standards writing process going forward.
AGA launched the AGA gas product approval scheme in the 1960’s through which suppliers and manufacturers approved their gas products prior to selling them to the market. This ensured only compliant gas appliances and components were available in the Australian community in accordance with AGA gas product Standards/Codes. The compliance and safety of gas products was critical to provide assurance and confidence of gas and the use of gas to the Australian community.
Today the AGA gas product approval scheme is called “The AGA Product Certification Scheme for Type-Tested Gas Products” which covers tens of thousands of currently certified brands and models.
In order to cater for AGA member needs, AGA’s Certification services broadened from the early 2000’s to cover gas cylinders, plumbing products and gas cylinder test stations. These Certification Schemes require detailed on-site quality auditing and in some cases, 100% inspection at the manufacturer’s premises during every production run!
Underpinning AGA’s safety certification schemes is its state of the art laboratory based in Melbourne with collectively over 350 years’ experience in testing gas appliances and components for compliance with Australian Safety Standards. Laboratory testing is extensive and includes such things as combustion analysis, delayed ignition, temperature hazards and energy labelling.
AGA’s NATA scope of accreditation includes cookers, water heaters, space heaters, laundry dryers, refrigerators, ducted heaters, barbecues, patio heaters, camping products, commercial catering equipment, as well as a whole range of gas components and controls and more.
Each AGA certified appliance is affixed with either an AGA badge or an AGAMark when sold since the approval scheme was developed in the early 1960’s. These safety symbols have been affixed to domestic and commercial gas appliances in Australian homes and businesses for more than 60 years and are well recognised by consumers and industry practitioners alike.
Since 1925 up to the 1980’s, AGA helped make the Australian community aware of the benefits of gas with promotional slogans such as “Safe, Clean, Efficient Natural Gas”. AGA also produced promotional videos featuring gas and the use of gas appliances. These videos were exhibited to the Australian public on national TV as well as commercial slots at cinemas and drive-ins. Go to www.aga.asn.au/best-in-our-street to view one of the promotional videos AGA produced in 1955.
Moreover, cookbooks such as “The Australian Gas Cookbook” were published by AGA’s Australian Gas Cookbook Committee to promote 100’s of recipes for dishes using gas cookers.
There was no shortage of promotional material nationally about the industry. Through these initiatives, AGA brought stakeholders together and helped achieve what we call “social connectivity”. This is important because, unlike electricity, gas is a fuel of choice i.e. consumers choose to have a gas connected to enjoy the benefits it offers. Through AGA, and for many years the industry invested heavily to get to a point where consumers felt that gas was a safe fuel choice supported by a very committed and safety conscious industry.
In early 2004, AGA participated in a survey of the gas safety records of the major developed economies around the world, including the major economies of Europe, Nth America and some of the countries in the Asian region such as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Results of this survey showed that Australia enjoyed a gas safety record that was the envy of most countries and was amongst the best in the world. This was a notable achievement given the length of transmission pipelines, the scale of natural gas distribution networks and the LP Gas supply network throughout Australia’s vast rural areas.
As the gas industry evolved, so did AGA’s role in protecting Australians.
From the early 2000s, our members were expanding into new sectors and they asked us to bring our reputation for safety and rigour with them.
AGA responded by extending its certification services beyond gas to include:
* Plumbing products, under the WaterMark Certification Scheme, ensuring taps, fittings and pipes meet strict safety and performance requirements.
* Test Stations, certifying facilities that refill and retest gas cylinders—critical infrastructure that helps avoid dangerous refilling practices and ensures cylinders remain safe throughout their lifecycle.
* Cylinder Certification, covering the full range from barbecue gas bottles to large-scale industrial cylinders, providing confidence in structural integrity, compliance and ongoing performance.
What started as a small testing body for gas appliances has now become a trusted certification partner across multiple essential industries ensuring that whether it flows through a pipe, sits under a barbecue or fuels a forklift, it is safe and compliant.
As Australia’s energy future began shifting, AGA shifted with it.
We recognised the need for more advanced testing beyond gas and beyond compliance. We invested heavily in new laboratories and capabilities, transforming our Braeside facility into the largest product performance testing laboratory in Australia.
Today, we test:
* Gas appliances like heaters, cooktops and barbecues,
* Whitegoods including dishwashers, washing machines, fridges, dryers and freezers,
* Plastics pipes
These services help manufacturers meet mandatory energy labelling requirements and help consumers choose products that are safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
Whether it heats, cools, spins or steams, if it is in your home, there is a good chance it has been through our labs.
After decades of testing and certification, we asked ourselves a question:
What if we could train the next generation to carry the same commitment to safety, compliance and technical excellence?
So, in 2025, we launched the AGA Training Institute—a state-of-the-art educational centre designed to deliver practical, real-world training in:
* Gas safety and appliance installation,
* Type B gas services,
* Electrical disconnection and reconnection,
* Compliance, auditing and inspection.
Located in Melbourne and equipped with modern test bays, real appliances and hands-on learning stations, the AGA Training Institute is helping upskill tradespeople and technical professionals across Australia.
It is our latest investment in community safety and a clear signal that AGA is here not just to test, but to teach, upskill and empower the industry.
