Letters that led to ‘one of the best things to happen in Australian history’ unveiled

The letters that led to the introduction of Australia’s tough gun control laws have today been put on public display.

• Scroll down to see some of the letters

Letters written by Walter Mikac, whose wife Nanette and daughters Alannah and Madeline were among the 35 people killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in the days following the awful mass shooting are on display at the National Museum of Australia.

Mr Mikac told Neil Mitchell writing the letters was “therapy in some ways”, and he “really didn’t anticipate what the significance of the whole situation was going to entail”.

“It was therapy in some ways for me, but I really didn’t anticipate what the significance of the whole situation was going to entail,” Mr Mikac told Neil Mitchell.

Neil Mitchell says the gun control laws that ensued are “one of the best things to happen in Australian history”.

Press PLAY below to hear how rereading the letters impacted Mr Mikac