Cardiac surgery is a relatively young specialty and is undergoing many changes presently. The advent of catheter‐based technology, minimally invasive surgery and better information regarding the roles of cardiac surgery in the management of common cardiac disease is changing the way we provide services. In Australia, attention must be turned to the way cardiac surgical services are provided to enable delivery of modern procedures. This has implications for the provision of training. We explore the face of modern cardiac surgery and how this may be taken up in Australia.