Cambrian rocks in South Australia occur in the Stansbury, Arrowie, eastern Officer and Warburton Basins. The succession in the Stansbury and Arrowie Basins can be divided into three sequence sets (supersequences), C1, C2 and C3. Sequence set C1 can be divided into five third-order sequences: C1.0, C1.1A, C1.1B, C1.2 and C1.3. Trilobites from the Stansbury and Arrowie Basins are restricted largely to the lower part of the succession. Four trilobite zones are recognized: 'Abadiella huoi' (latest Atdabanian–earliest Botoman), 'Pararaia tatei', 'Pararaia bunyerooensis' and 'Pararaia janeae' Zones (all Botoman). Trilobites higher in the succession are known from only a few horizons and in part correlate with the upper Lower Cambrian Lungwangmiaoan Stage of China, equivalent to the top Toyonian. 'Pagetia sp.' has been reported in the Coobowie Formation of the Stansbury Basin, thus suggesting an early Middle Cambrian age. The Cambrian faunas of the Warburton Basin range in age from early Middle Cambrian (Late Templetonian) to very Late Cambrian, although the richest faunal assemblages are late Middle Cambrian ('Ptychagnostus punctuosus to Goniagnostus nathorsti' Zones). Conodonts, including 'Cordylodus proavus', occur in a Datsonian fauna. The Arrowie Basin contains the most complete and best studied archaeocyath succession in the Australia–Antarctica region. The 'Warriootacyathus wilkawillensis', 'Spirillicyathus tenuis' and 'Jugalicyathus tardus' Zones from the lower Wilkawillina Limestone (Arrowie Basin) and equivalents are correlated with the Atdabanian. Botoman archaeocyathids occur higher in the Wilkawillina Limestone. The youngest (Toyonian) archaeocyath fauna in Australia occurs in the Wirrealpa Limestone (Arrowie Basin). Brachiopods and molluscs of the Arrowie and Stansbury Basins can be divided into four biostratigraphic assemblages. Several informal Early Cambrian SSF biostratigraphic assemblages are recognized. Probable tabulate-like corals occur in the Botoman Moorowie Formation. Seven informal acritarch assemblages occur in the Early Cambrian of the Stansbury and Arrowie Basins. Trace fossils may mark the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary. Only two of several tuffaceous horizons from the Stansbury and Arrowie Basins have been dated (i) a date of 522.0 ± 2.1 Ma from the Heatherdale Shale of the Stansbury Basin, about 400m above latest Atdabanian archaeocyathids and (ii) a date of 522.0 ± 1.8 Ma from the lower part of the Billy Creek Formation in the Arrowie Basin. Neither date is regarded as reliable.

An assemblage of bivalved arthropods from the Memmema Formation on 'Angorichina' Station in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia contains six bradoriid species, one phosphatocopid, and the spine of 'Isoxys'. The assemblage includes several species that facilitate correlation with the Stansbury Basinof South Australia, but also with faunas from other Cambrian palaeocontinents, including Antarctica, China and Laurentia. One new taxon, 'Spinospitella coronata' gen.et sp.nov. is described. This species is represented by both complete shields and numerous characteristic spines and fragments, fuelling a general discussion on the possible identification of bradoriid remains among the numerous problematic 'small shelly fossils' of the Lower and Middle Cambrian.

A diverse, well preserved fossil assemblage consisting of micro- and macro-sized molluscs, sponge spicules, chancelloriid sclerites, hyolithelminth tubes, tommotiids, protoconodonts and lobopodian sclerites from the Third Plain Creek Member (Pararaia bunyerooensis Zone) of the Mernmerna Formation in the eastern Flinders Ranges, Arrowie Basin, South Australia is described. Molluscs are represented by hyoliths, helcionellids and a single bivalve species. The enigmatic helcionellid taxon Marocella mira is formally described for the first time from the Arrowie Basin and forms the basis of a new helcionellid family, the Marocellidae. Sclerites of the lobopodian Microdictyon jinshaense Zhang and Aldridge are described for the first time outside South China. Whilst many of the taxa are biostratigraphically long ranging, several species in the assemblage facilitate correlation across the Arrowie Basin, with the neighbouring Stansbury Basin to the south, and also with faunas from other Cambrian palaeocontinents, including Antarctica, South China and Laurentia.

A new assemblage of early Cambrian bivalved arthropods (Bradoriida) is described from the Arrowie Syncline in the northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The well preserved, largely endemic fauna comprises a total of six taxa (including five new species): 'Jiucunella phaseloa' sp. nov., 'Jixinlingella daimonikoa' sp. nov., 'Mongolitubulus anthelios' sp. nov., 'Neokunmingella moroensis' sp. nov., 'Phasoia cf. spicata' (Öpik, 1968), and 'Sinskolutella cuspidata' sp. nov. This assemblage is derived from a carbonate sedimentary package representing a high energy, shallow water archaeocyath-Renalcis biohermal facies of Terreneuvian, Stage 2 age which transitions up-section to a more restricted, low energy, intra-shelf lagoonal environment that correlates with a Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3 age. The new taxon 'J. phaseloa' sp. nov., has a first appearance datum (FAD) in shallow water biohermal facies of the Hideaway Well Member of the Wilkawillina Limestone at a level 47 m below the FAD of 'Pelagiella subangulata' which is taken to approximate the base of Series 2, Stage 3 in South Australia. Along with 'Liangshanella circumbolina', this makes 'J. phaseloa' sp. nov. amongst the oldest bivalved arthropods in South Australia and potentially greater Gondwana. The presence of 25 bradoriid taxa from the early Cambrian of South Australia suggests East Gondwana represents a major centre of origin for the Bradoriida.