 It was the forty third Australian Grand Prix held and it was the Golden Anniversary AGP with the first being run in 1928.It also doubled as Round 2 of the 1978 Australian Drivers' Championship.John McCormack started on pole in his McLaren M23 alongside Kiwi Graham McRae in his own designed and built McRae GM3, complete with a unique clear perspex cockpit cover allowing people to see McRae at work in the car.