Training for general practice in Australia has undergone a 60-year evolutionary process punctuated by revolutionary events. The discipline of general practice has also evolved significantly over this period. Today's Australian general practice training program strongly resembles its ancestors, with adaptations that better suit its regionalised environment. General practice training has been affected frequently by political and professional forces. Many of these forces were powered by the government's need for general practice training to deliver immediate workforce solutions, and the profession's struggle to respond. Pressure on general practitioners to train increasing numbers of clinical learners is challenging traditional apprenticeship models. The Australian general practice training program needs to continue to evolve if it is to remain successful within its volatile environment.