In 2016–17, Australian public hospitals reported 1,502 cases of hospital-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) at a rate of 0.76 cases per 10,000 days of patient care. All states and territories had rates below the national benchmark of 2.0 cases per 10,000 days of patient care. Between 2012–13 and 2015–16, rates of SAB decreased from 0.94 to 0.74 cases per 10,000 days of patient care; this increased to 0.76 in 2016–17.