It was the seventh Tasman Series, beginning on 3 January and ending on 22 February after seven races.
It was also the first year in which stock production engines of up to five litres cubic capacity were allowed, in short, Formula 5000.
Entries arrived from both Europe and the United States, although not of the same quality of the earlier Tasman Formula era.
Traditional 2.5 litre Tasman cars, like Lawrence's Ferrari, continued to race along with the 1.6 litre cars that filled much of the lower end of the grids during the Tasman era.
The Bay Park International, held on 28 December 1969, one week before the first round, was a non-championship event.