The Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit carried out 251 multiple organ‐retrieval procedures between January 1986 and December 1994:53% were in the Sydney metropolitan area, 22% in country New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, 21% interstate and 4% in New Zealand; mean total procurement times were, respectively, 4 hours 57 minutes, 6 hours 58 minutes, 9 hours 20 minutes and 12 hours 20 minutes. Donor operation times steadily decreased over the nine years. One‐year patient and graft survival rates were 77.1 % and 70.3%,respectively; primary non‐function occurred in only one case. The importance of coordination of donor organ procurement and efficient organ retrieval to the success of transplantation programs is discussed.