The Paleocene‐Miocene deposits of the Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia contain a rich fauna of brachiopods, but only two species, Tegulorhynchia boongeroodaensisWestralicrania allani, both from the Paleocene, have previously been described.One new genus, Giraliathyris, and eight new species are described herein. They are Giraliathyris mcnamari, G. kaitrinae, G. jubileensis, Liothyrella longorum, Victorithyris decapello, V. cardabiaensis, V. blakeorum, V. tulkiensis, Diedrothyris cf. johnstonianaParaldingia timi. A Terebratulina species and two species of indeterminate genera are also described. Basiliola (Rhynchonellida) and Cancellothyris (Terebratulida) are recorded for the first time from the upper Paleocene of Australia. These, together with VictorithyrisDiedrothyrisLiothyrella and Paraldingia, represent the oldest records of these genera. It is suggested that their early occurrence, together with those known from the Antarctic Peninsula, indicates a southern origin for this fauna and a high latitude, southern circum‐Indo‐Atlantic faunal province is proposed. Subsequently the brachiopod fauna spread northwards towards lower latitudes and west to east around southern Australia, before and during the development of the circum‐polar current during the Oligocene.