( CNN ) -- For five days , same-sex couples could get married in Australia 's capital city of Canberra . Those who did were the first in the country to do so . But that fleeting window was slammed shut Thursday by the Australian High Court , which ruled that a recent local law legalizing same-sex marriage was invalid . That means that the marriages of the couples who took advantage of the law to tie the knot -- 27 according to local media -- will be annulled . `` This is devastating for those couples who married this week and for their families , '' said Rodney Croome , the national director of the advocacy group Australian Marriage Equality . `` However , this is just a temporary defeat . '' The Australian court 's decision is the latest setback for gay rights in the Asia-Pacific region . On Wednesday , India 's top court ruled that sex between consenting homosexual partners is illegal in the country , prompting dismay from human rights groups . Australian gay rights activists said their fight would now shift to lobbying the national parliament to change federal legislation . The high court said Thursday that the federal Marriage Act , which does n't permit same-sex marriage , takes precedence over the law passed by the legislative assembly in Canberra , also known as the Australian Capital Territory . The lawmakers in the ACT , which has a population of about 380,000 people , would have been aware that their same-sex marriage law would n't be allowed to override federal law . But their move has succeeded in fostering renewed debate on the issue in Australia . The activists ' goal of changing the federal Marriage Act appears to be a stern challenge , though . Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his conservative coalition oppose same-sex marriage . That 's despite public pressure from his family . `` Sad news that the ACT same-sex marriage law has been overturned , '' tweeted Abbott 's lesbian sister , Christine Forster . `` Focus now firmly on federal parliament , '' wrote Forster , who is a lcouncil member in Sydney . Earlier this year , Australian neighbor New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage . CNN 's John Raedler contributed to this report .
A law in Canberra , Australia , allowing same - sex marriage is declared invalid . A court says a federal act , which does n't permit same - sex marriage , takes precedence . Activists say the decision is ` ` devastating '' for the people who got married . They plan to lobby the Australian parliament to change federal legislation .