Dragon Boat Racing was brought to Australian shores in 1980. The Penang Tourist Development Corporation invited the WA Surf Life Saving Association to send a dragon boat racing team to the Penang Festival.

The following year, in 1981, the Hong Kong Tourist Association invited WA and NSW to send teams to what was then considered the unofficial Dragon Boat World Championships on Hong Kong Harbor.

Then in 1984, Sydney held the inaugural Sydney Dragon Boat Festival at Farm Cove. The Western Australia Dragon Boat Association formed in 1985. All states followed suit and formed State Associations.

Today, Dragon Boat races are held all over Australia - from Broome to Brisbane, from Perth to Sydney and from Adelaide to Darwin. Australian Clubs tour regularly overseas and have been sighted at least once at all the major international festivals.

The Australian Dragon Boat Federation (AusDBF) is the national body overseeing dragon boat racing in Australia. It was formed in 1997.

In 2003, the AusDBF successfully won the bid to host 2007 IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Sydney. During the 2007 World Championships, the Australian Team won 27 medals.