Australian Hearing Services
Australian Hearing · Hearing Australia
1 February 1992 – present
Previously National Acoustic Laboratories (1973–1992).
Commonwealth statutory authority providing hearing assessments, hearing aids and rehabilitation to children, young adults, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other eligible Australians, with hearing research through its National Acoustic Laboratories division.
Names over time
- Acoustic Research Laboratory1942–1947
- Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories1947–1973
- National Acoustic Laboratories1973–1992
- Australian Hearing Services1992–present
How it came into existence
Established on 1 February 1992 under the Australian Hearing Services Act 1991, taking over the hearing services and research of the National Acoustic Laboratories.
- Hearing services
- Hearing research
Reconstituted as a statutory authority; the National Acoustic Laboratories name continued for its research division
Legislation: Australian Hearing Services Act 1991
Changes during its life
- 1997The Commonwealth Hearing Services Program introduced vouchers for eligible adults, opening adult services to private providers while Australian Hearing kept community service obligations for children and other special groups.
- 26 October 2004Moved from the Health and Ageing portfolio to the new Human Services portfolio.
- 2019Adopted the trading name Hearing Australia, replacing Australian Hearing.
Main functions
- Hearing services for children and young people
- Hearing services for eligible adults under the Hearing Services Program
- Hearing assessment, hearing aid fitting and rehabilitation
- Outreach hearing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Hearing research through the National Acoustic Laboratories
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
- Type of body
- Corporate Commonwealth entity
- Portfolio
- Health, Disability and Ageing
- Accountable authority
- Board – Australian Hearing Services Act 1991 sections 7, 13 and 14 with reference to sections 31(2) and 46 notes (membership section 15)
- ABN
- 80 308 797 003
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- List of Commonwealth entities and companies under the PGPA Act, 1 July 2026 (Department of Finance) (as Australian Hearing Services (Hearing Australia))
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to the latest release (30 June 2026))