Back then, the average time from diagnosis to death was just two years. But almost three decades on, the 55-year-old is living proof of how far the fight against HIV has come.

In his younger years, Mr Basham was politically active in the gay community and he has become a voice for HIV-positive people in the ACT and has dedicated much of his life to raising awareness of and education about the illness.

Mr Basham said while there had been much progress when it came to treatment and awareness of HIV, the fight against the incurable virus was far from over.

Experts and activists such as John Rule of the National Association of People with HIV Australia agree.

Mr Rule said an HIV diagnosis was still incredibly difficult to deal with but advances in treatment had made it a manageable health condition. But there continued to be stigma and discrimination around HIV even after 30 years, he said.

"HIV is still a problem, it still exists in our community and there needs to be an awareness about this and there needs to be investment and support from all people including government to help keep this message going," Mr Rule said.

Professor Sharon Lewin, the head of the department of Infectious Diseases Unit at Alfred Hospital and Monash University and local co-chair for the International Aids 2014 conference, said there was still no cure or vaccine for HIV.

"Australia has one of the lowest rates of HIV in the world and this is because of fairly aggressive policies that were introduced at the beginning of the epidemic," she said.

"We still have 35,000 people living with HIV in Australia, we had 1200 new infections last year – the highest number of new infections ever.

"We still can't be complacent about our successes in the past and we need to have a new and revised approach to try and reduce infections like many other parts of the world are seeing."

In the ACT, diagnoses of HIV have more than doubled in the past five years, according to ACT Health figures. There were 11 new diagnoses in 2009-10, 10 in 2010-11, 15 in 2011-12, 21 in 2012-13 and 26 this financial year.

Canberra Sexual Health Centre director Sarah Martin said life expectancy of people with HIV who were receiving treatment was now near normal.

She said it was still important to promote messages of prevention. She encouraged anyone who could be at risk to be tested.

"HIV is arguably much less visible than it was two or three decades ago when people were still becoming very ill and dying and I think there's not the same level of fear, so prevention messages today are much more complicated," she said.

"Whilst treatment for HIV is very effective, HIV still changes life enormously and prevention is still very important."

Mr Basham said there needed to be ongoing investment in research and organisations supporting people with HIV and AIDS.

NAPHWA previewed an exhibition about the history of HIV in Australia as seen through the eyes of people with the illness at an event at Parliament House on Wednesday night.

The exhibition would be officially unveiled at next month's International Aids Conference, Mr Rule said.

"The message of the exhibition is that people living with HIV have been central and vital in responding to the HIV epidemic in Australia," he said.

The event heard from experts about the 30-year response to HIV and current priorities.

"I think it's important that the eye is not taken off the ball in the sense that we have had the success over the past 30 years and it has required investment and leadership from government," Mr Rule said.

"We need continued support of the clinical and research programs that help us understand more about HIV and also there is a need for the health system to operate in a way that continues to support the health management of people living with HIV."