The PIRLS 2021 Encyclopedia: Education Policy and Curriculum in Reading presents a profile of reading and language instruction in Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 countries and benchmarking systems. The focus of this country chapter is Australia. It begins with an overview of the school education system in Australia. Described are the education levels from preschool through to secondary, Australia’s reading and literacy policy, and the use and impact of PIRLS in Australia. The next section focuses on the language/reading curriculum in primary grades. This is followed by a description of the teacher education and ongoing professional development requirements and programs for teachers specific to reading. How student progress in reading is monitored is briefly outlined. Finally, the authors discuss the educational challenges and innovations arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.