This article reflects on the history of interest assessment in Australia in the last 45 years. In it the author would like to review some aspects of the history of interest assessment in Australia from his personal perspective as a user and researcher. He suggests that the present state of interest assessment in Australia using inventories is fragmented and the diversity is likely to be a source of invalidity in career guidance. He believes that there are sufficient concerns with inventoried interest assessment to issue a caveat against its widespread use unless further research and development is undertaken. Certainly there needs to be some professional leadership and guidance so that the present range of interest inventories is reduced to an approved group for everyday use. (Contains 4 tables.)