Arid shrublands comprise a wide array of mainly Acacia-dominated habitats, and along with Triodia hummock grasslands, they epitomise the physical and ecological character of Australia's deserts and rangelands. They include some of the most widespread vegetation communities in Australia as well as some of the most localised, and together they support a high diversity of distinctive arid biota. Underscoring the dynamics of arid shrubland ecology are the low, but highly-erratic delivery of rainfall in space and time; the redistribution of limiting soil resources; a diversity of biotic interactions, as well as significant top-down pressure from herbivore and fire consumption. Uniting the floristic components of this almost continent-wide vegetation grouping is a spectrum of well-known drought-avoidance and drought-tolerance traits; but increasingly, research is pointing to a high level of specialisation, particularly at early-life phases, that underpins coexistence and ecosystem stability. Mirroring global rangeland trends, Australia's arid shrublands have been extensively utilised for pastoral production, and the impacts of recurrent drought, overgrazing, pest herbivores, shrub proliferation and clearing, spread of pasture grasses and changed fire regimes, collectively manifest as significant land management challenges, some of which will be exacerbated by climate change. Increasing opportunities for land use diversification in inland Australia will potentially facilitate improved shrubland management and conservation in the upcoming decades. For this to occur though, adaptive management frameworks need to be strengthened through ongoing investment in rangeland monitoring systems that provide accurate reporting and feedback on land condition and biodiversity trends.