This breed was developed by Truda Straede in Australia commencing in 1976, hence its name. The breed was developed by crossing the Burmese, Abyssinian, and miscellaneous domestic short-haired cats to create a short-haired cat with a spotted coat. The name was changed from "Spotted Mist" to "Australian Mist" in 1998, when cats with marbled coats, rather than spots, were accepted as part of the breed.