Since the designation of the Australian Antarctic Territory pre-dated the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, Australian laws that relate to Antarctica date from more than two decades before the Antarctic Treaty era.
由于在《南极条约》签署之前，澳大利亚就指定了“澳大利亚南极领地”，因此澳大利亚的许多有关南极的法律早在《南极条约》时代开始的二十多年前就已经订立。