Australia

This article is about the country. For the continent, see Australia (continent). For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Australasia, Austrasia, or Austria.

Commonwealth of Australia
Anthem: "Advance Australia Fair"
Capital	Canberra 35°18′29″S 149°07′28″E
Largest city	Sydney (metropolitan) Melbourne (urban)
National language	English
Religion (2021)	43.9% Christianity 38.9% no religion 3.2% Islam 2.7% Hinduism 2.4% Buddhism 1.7% other 7.2% unanswered
Demonyms	Australian Aussie (colloquial)
Government	Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Charles III
• Governor-General	Sam Mostyn
• Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Independence  from the United Kingdom
• Federation	1 January 1901
• Balfour Declaration	15 November 1926
• Statute of Westminster Adoption Act	9 October 1942
• Australia Acts	3 March 1986
Area
• Total	7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi) (6th)
• Water (%)	1.79 (2015)
Population
• 2025 (December) estimate	Neutral increase 27,801,023 (54th)
• 2021 census	Neutral increase 25,890,773
• Density	3.7/km2 (9.6/sq mi) (237th)
GDP (PPP)	2026 estimate
• Total	Increase $2.099 trillion (22nd)
• Per capita	Increase $74,755 (26th)
GDP (nominal)	2026 estimate
• Total	Increase $2.124 trillion (12th)
• Per capita	Increase $75,648 (13th)
Gini (2020)	Positive decrease 32.4 medium inequality
HDI (2023)	Increase 0.958 very high (7th)
Currency	Australian dollar ($) (AUD)
Time zone	UTC+8; +9.5; +10 (AWST, ACST, AEST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+10.5; +11 (ACDT, AEDT)
	DST not observed in Qld, WA and NT
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Calling code	+61
ISO 3166 code	AU
Internet TLD	.au

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km² (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast.

The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from Southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period. By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke more than 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Australia's written history commenced with Dutch exploration of most of the coastline in the 17th century. British colonisation began in 1788 with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales. By the mid-19th century, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and five additional self-governing British colonies were established, each gaining responsible government by 1890. The colonies federated in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. This continued a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, and culminating in the Australia Act 1986.

Australia is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, and a federation comprising six states and ten territories. Its population of almost 29 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Canberra is the nation's capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne, each with a population of more than five million. Australia's culture is diverse, and the country has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world. It has a highly developed economy and one of the highest per capita incomes globally. Its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade relations are crucial to the country's economy. It ranks highly for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.

Australia is a middle power, and has the world's fourteenth-highest military expenditure. It is a member of international groups including: the United Nations, the G20, the OECD, the World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community and the Commonwealth of Nations. Australia also participates in the defence, intelligence and security alliances ANZUS, AUKUS and Five Eyes. It is a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

Etymology

Main article: Name of Australia

The name Australia (pronounced /əˈstreɪliə/ in Australian English) is derived from the Latin Terra Australis Incognita ('unknown southern land'), a name used for a hypothetical continent in the Southern Hemisphere since ancient times. Several 16th-century cartographers used the word Australia on maps, but not to identify modern Australia.

When the Dutch began visiting and mapping Australia in the 17th century, they called the continent New Holland. The name Australia was popularised by the explorer Matthew Flinders, who circumnavigated the continent in 1803. However, when his account of his voyage was published in 1814, the name Terra Australis was used.

Governor of New South Wales Lachlan Macquarie officially recommended the name Australia to replace New Holland in December 1817. The British Admiralty adopted the name in 1824, and the British Parliament used it in legislation in 1828. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office used the new name in The Australia Directory of 1830. The name "Commonwealth of Australia" for the new federation of the six former colonies was formalised in the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK).

Colloquial names for Australia include "Oz", "Straya" and "Down Under".

History

Main article: History of Australia

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Australian history.

Indigenous prehistory

Main articles: Prehistory of Australia and Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians comprise two broad groups:

• Aboriginal Australians, who are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, including Tasmania
• Torres Strait Islanders, who are a distinct Melanesian people of Torres Strait Islands

Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. It is uncertain how many waves of immigration may have contributed to these ancestors of modern Aboriginal Australians. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is possibly the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Australia. The oldest human remains found are the Lake Mungo remains, which have been dated to approximately 42,000 years ago.

Aboriginal Australian culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. At the time of first European contact, Aboriginal Australians belonged to wide range of societies, with diverse economies spread across at least 250 different language groups. Estimates of the Aboriginal population before British settlement range from 300,000 to 3 million. Aboriginal Australians cultures were (and remain) deeply connected with the land and the environment, with stories of The Dreaming maintained through oral tradition, songs, dance and paintings. Certain groups engaged in fire-stick farming, fish farming, and built semi-permanent shelters. These practices have variously been characterised as "hunter-gatherer", "agricultural", "natural cultivation" and "intensification".

Torres Strait Islander people first settled their islands at least 2,500 years ago. Culturally and linguistically distinct from mainland Aboriginal peoples, they were seafarers and obtained their livelihood from seasonal horticulture and the resources of their reefs and seas. Agriculture also developed on some islands and villages appeared by the 1300s. By the mid-18th century in northern Australia, contact, trade and cross-cultural engagement had been established between local Aboriginal groups and Makassan trepangers, visiting from present-day Indonesia.

European exploration and colonisation

Main articles: European maritime exploration of Australia, European land exploration of Australia, and History of Australia (1788–1850)

In 1606 the crew of the Dutch ship, Duyfken, captained by Willem Janszoon, made the first documented European landing in Australia and contact with Aboriginal Australians. Later that year, Luís Vaz de Torres sailed to the north of Australia through Torres Strait, along New Guinea's southern coast. Abel Tasman's voyage of 1642 was the first known European expedition to reach Van Diemen's Land. On his second voyage of 1644, he mapped the north coast of Australia south of New Guinea. Following Tasman's voyages, the Dutch were able to make almost complete maps of Australia's northern and western coasts and much of its southern and south-eastern Tasmanian coasts. They named the continent New Holland.

In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named "New South Wales" and claimed for Great Britain. In 1786, the British government announced its intention to establish a penal colony in New South Wales. On 26 January 1788, the First Fleet commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip, arrived at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson. A camp was established and the Union Flag raised and the date later became Australia's national day.

Most early settlers were convicts, transported for petty crimes and assigned as labourers or servants to "free settlers" (willing immigrants). Once emancipated, convicts tended to integrate into colonial society. Aboriginal resistance, convict rebellions and bushranging were sometimes suppressed under martial law. The 1808 Rum Rebellion, carried out by officers of the New South Wales Corp, led to a temporary military junta. During the next two decades, social and economic reforms, together with the establishment of a Legislative Council and Supreme Court, saw the penal colony transition to a civil society.

The indigenous population declined for 150 years following European settlement, mainly due to infectious disease. British colonial authorities did not sign any treaties with Aboriginal groups. As settlement expanded, tens of thousands of Indigenous people and thousands of settlers were killed in frontier conflicts, which many historians argue included acts of genocide by settlers. Settlers dispossessed surviving Indigenous peoples of most of their land.

Colonial expansion

Main articles: History of Australia (1788–1850) and History of Australia (1851–1900)

In 1803, a settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania), and in 1813, Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, opening the interior to European settlement. The British claim was extended to the whole Australian continent in 1827 when Major Edmund Lockyer established a settlement on King George Sound (modern-day Albany). The Swan River Colony (present-day Perth) was established in 1829, evolving into the largest Australian colony by area, Western Australia. Separate colonies were carved from New South Wales: Tasmania in 1825, South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. South Australia and Victoria were founded as free colonies – they never accepted transported convicts. Growing opposition to the convict system culminated in its abolition in the eastern colonies by the 1850s. Initially a free colony, Western Australia accepted convicts from 1850 to 1868.

The six colonies individually gained responsible government between 1855 and 1890, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs. The colonial parliaments progressively extended voting rights to adult men from 1856, with women's suffrage on equal terms following between the 1890s and 1900s. Some colonies introduced racial restrictions on voting from 1885.

In the mid-19th century, explorers such as Burke and Wills charted Australia's interior. A series of gold rushes beginning in the early 1850s led to an influx of new migrants from China, North America and continental Europe, as well as outbreaks of bushranging and civil unrest; the latter peaked in 1854 when Ballarat miners launched the Eureka Rebellion against gold licence fees. The 1860s saw the rise of blackbirding, where South Sea Islanders were coerced or abducted into indentured labour, mainly by Queensland colonists.

From 1886, Australian colonial governments began removing many Aboriginal children from their families and communities, justified on the grounds of child protection and forced assimilation policies. The Second Boer War (1899–1902) marked the largest overseas deployment of Australia's colonial forces.

Federation to the World Wars

Main article: History of Australia (1901–1945)

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, constitutional conventions and referendums, resulting in the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia as a nation under the new Australian Constitution.

From 1901, Australia was a self-governing dominion within the British Empire. It was one of the founding members of the League of Nations in 1920, and the United Nations in 1945. The Statute of Westminster 1931 ended the ability of the UK to legislate for Australia at the federal level without Australia's consent. Australia adopted it in 1942, but it was backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed during World War II.

The Australian Capital Territory was formed in 1911 as the location for the future federal capital of Canberra. While it was being constructed, Melbourne served as the temporary capital from 1901 to 1927. The Northern Territory was transferred from South Australia to the Commonwealth in 1911. Australia took over the administration of the Territory of Papua (previously British New Guinea) in 1905 and of the Territory of New Guinea (formerly German New Guinea) in 1920. The two were unified as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea in 1949 and gained independence from Australia in 1975.

In 1914, Australia joined the Allies in the First World War, and took part in the fighting on several fronts. Of the 324,000 men who served overseas, about 60,000 were killed and another 152,000 were wounded. Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli in 1915 as the "baptism of fire" that forged the new nation's identity. The beginning of the campaign is commemorated annually on Anzac Day, a date which rivals Australia Day as the nation's most important.

From 1939 to 1945, Australia joined the Allies in fighting the Second World War. Australia's armed forces fought in the Pacific, European and Mediterranean and Middle East theatres. The shock of Britain's defeat in Singapore in 1942, followed soon after by the bombing of Darwin and other Japanese attacks on Australian soil, led to a widespread belief in Australia that a Japanese invasion was imminent, and a shift from the United Kingdom to the United States as Australia's principal ally and security partner. Since 1951, Australia has maintained a mutual security alliance with the United States under the ANZUS treaty.

Post-war and contemporary eras

Main article: History of Australia (1945–present)

In the three decades following World War II, Australia experienced significant increases in living standards, leisure time and suburban development. Governments encouraged a large wave of immigration from across Europe and called these migrants "New Australians". High immigration was justified to Australians using the slogan "populate or perish", and from the 1960s the White Australia policy was gradually relaxed.

A member of the Western Bloc during the Cold War, Australia participated in the Korean War and the Malayan Emergency during the 1950s and the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1973. Tensions over communist influence in society led to unsuccessful attempts by the Menzies Government to ban the Communist Party of Australia, and a bitter split in the Labor Party in 1955.

As a result of a 1967 referendum, the federal government gained the power to legislate with regard to Aboriginal Australians, and Aboriginal Australians were fully included in the census. Pre-colonial land interests (referred to as native title in Australia) were recognised in law for the first time when the High Court of Australia held in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) that Australia was not terra nullius ('land belonging to no one') at the time of European settlement.

Following the abolition of the last vestiges of the White Australia policy in 1973, Australia's demography and culture transformed as a result of a large and ongoing wave of non-European immigration, mostly from Asia. During the late 20th century, Australia increased its foreign policy ties within the Asia–Pacific region. The Australia Acts of 1986 severed the remaining constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom while maintaining the monarch in her independent capacity as Queen of Australia. In a 1999 constitutional referendum, 55% of voters rejected abolishing the monarchy and becoming a republic.

Following the September 11 attacks in the United States, Australia joined the United States in fighting the Afghanistan War from 2001 to 2021 and the Iraq War from 2003 to 2009. The nation's trade relations also became increasingly oriented towards East Asia in the 21st century, with China becoming the nation's largest trading partner by a large margin.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 2020 lockdowns and other restrictions on public gatherings and movement across the national and state borders were implemented by the Federal, state and territory governments. Following the rollout of vaccines in 2021, these restrictions were gradually eased. In October 2023, Australia declared that COVID-19 was no longer a communicable disease incident of national significance.

Geography

Main articles: Geography of Australia and Environment of Australia

General characteristics

Australia consists of the mainland Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, numerous smaller offshore islands, and the remote offshore territories of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. Australia also claims about 42% of Antarctica as the Australian Antarctic Territory, but this claim is only recognised by four other countries.

Mainland Australia lies between latitudes 9° and 44° south, and longitudes 112° and 154° east. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for more than 2,300 km (1,400 mi).

The mainland is the world's smallest continent and the country is the sixth-largest by total area. Australia is sometimes considered the world's largest island and is often dubbed the "island continent". It has 35,877 km (22,293 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands), and claims an exclusive economic zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Most of Australia is arid or semi-arid. In 2021, Australia had 10% of the global permanent meadows and pastureland. Forest cover is about 17% of Australia's land area. The Australian mainland is relatively flat, with an average height of 325 metres (1,066 ft) compared with 870 metres (2,850 ft) for all continents. The Great Dividing Range runs along most of eastern Australia, dividing the central lowlands from the eastern highlands. At 2,228 m (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain on the mainland. Taller are Mawson Peak, at 2,745 m (9,006 ft), on Heard Island, and, in the Australian Antarctic Territory, Mount McClintock and Mount Menzies, at 3,492 m (11,457 ft) and 3,355 m (11,007 ft) respectively.The Murray-Darling is the major river system, draining most of inland New South Wales and Southern Queensland towards Lake Alexandrina and the sea in South Australia. There are also smaller coastal river systems, inland drainage systems such as the Lake Eyre system, and salt lake systems in central and western Australia. Australia's rivers have the lowest discharge into the sea of any continent. The mainland's flat, arid profile also makes its rivers slow-moving, resulting in a build up of salt on the land. Salinisation adversely affects Australia's soil which is, on average, poor in nutrients compared with world standards.

Australia's population is concentrated on the coastal fringes. About 95% of the population lives within 100 km of the coast; the world average is 39%. Australia's population density is 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is one of the lowest in the world. However, there is a large concentration of the population in cities along the temperate south-eastern coastline, and population density exceeds 38 inhabitants per square kilometre in central Melbourne.

Geology

Main article: Geology of Australia

Formerly part of the Rodinia and Gondwana supercontinents, Australia completely separated from Antarctica about 35 million years ago and continued drifting northwards. When the Last Glacial Period ended, rising sea levels separated the Australian mainland from New Guinea about 8,000 years ago and from Tasmania about 6,000 years ago.

Australia lies well within the Australian tectonic plate. The mainland is relatively stable geologically, with no major mountain building, active volcanoes or tectonic faults. However, the Australian plate is moving north-northeast at a rate of about 6 to 7 cm a year and is currently in collision with the Eurasian plate and Pacific plate. The resulting intratectonic stresses lead to relatively high seismic activity for a geologically stable landmass. There were 18 earthquakes with a moment magnitude of greater than 6 between 1901 and 2017. The Newcastle earthquake of 1989 was Australia's deadliest, killing 13 people. There were active volcanoes on the eastern mainland as recently as 4,600 years ago, and this is reflected in Aboriginal place names and creation stories. Currently, volcanism occurs in the remote Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

The Australian continental crust was created in three cycles from the oldest Archaean cratons in the west to the younger orogenic formations in the east (built about 541 million to 252 million years ago). The oldest Australian surface rocks date to the Archaean period. Some in Western Australia are older than 3.7 billion years and others in South Australia are over 3.1 billion years old. The oldest zircon crystals on Earth, dating back 4.4 billion years, have been found in Western Australia. However, about 80% of Australia is covered by sedimentary rocks and regolith that are less than 250 million years old.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Australia

The Australian climate ranges from wet tropical in the northeast and northwest to arid in the centre. The coastal south is temperate and humid with winter freezing and snow in the southeastern highlands and Tasmania. The climate is influenced by Australia's position in the "horse latitudes", which tends to bring arid conditions. Overall, the Australian mainland is the driest inhabited continent, with an average annual rainfall of 470 millimetres (19 in). About 70% of the country is arid or semi-arid, and about 18% is desert.

The climate is also influenced by various systems such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode. Australia has unusual variability in rainfall within years and between years, leading to frequent droughts and flooding. Cyclones and rain depressions are common in tropical Australia. The summer monsoon brings significant rainfall to northern Australia, while low pressure systems bring winter rainfall in the south. The hottest regions are in the northwest of the country and the coolest in the southeast. Bushfire conditions are common in southern Australia.

Climate change from increased greenhouse gas emissions has led to a 1.5 °C rise in Australian temperatures since 1910 and an increase in extreme heat and heavy rainfall events. There has been a reduction in rainfall from April to October in southern Australia since 1970 and a longer bushfire season since the 1950s. Rainfall has increased in northern Australia since the 1970s. The number of tropical cyclones has fallen since 1982 and alpine snow has decreased since the late 1950s. Sea levels are rising around Australia and the surrounding oceans are becoming more acidic.

Biodiversity

Australia is one of 17 megadiverse countries. Because of its long geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is unique. About 94% of its amphibians, 93% of its reptiles and flowering plants, 69% of its mammals and 46% of its birds are endemic. Australia has a wide range of ecosystems of which 89 regions and 419 subregions are recognised in the Australian bioregion framework.

In January 2025, there were 168,386 named species on the Australian National Species List. However, it is estimated that 70% of Australian species have not been discovered and classified and that there may be 600,000 Australian native species. In general, knowledge of vertebrates and flowering plants is better than for invertebrates and fungi. It is estimated that less than 10% of Australia's fungi and insects have been named.

About 10% of the world's known plant species are found in Australia. Many of these have adapted to the arid climate, variable rainfall and nutrient-poor soil. Deserts and xeric shrubland cover about 70% of the mainland. Acacia, banksia and eucalypts have spread over much of Australia. Many plants have hard and long-living leaves, and are rich in carbon, poor in nutrients, and well adapted to bushfires.

About two-thirds of the world's 330 species of marsupials are native to Australia. Australian placental mammals (overwhelmingly bats, rats and mice) also make up almost 47% of the world's land mammal species. Australia has about 10% of the world's known reptile species. There are also about 320,500 invertebrate species, of which insects are the largest class, accounting for more than 75% of all animal species. Australia has over 15,000 known species of fungi, although it is possible that tens of thousands more exist.

Australia's wildlife show many adaptations to their environments. As the leaves of most plants are poor in nutrients, Australia has a high proportion of birds, insects and marsupials, such as the honey possum, that feed on nectar and pollen. The koala is an exception, specialising in feeding on eucalyptus leaves. Nutritionally poor flora and variable rainfall also favour animals with lower energy requirements, including snakes, lizards, and hopping marsupials such as the kangaroo and wallaby. There is, however, evidence of convergent evolution of Australia's marsupials and the placental mammals of other continents living in similar environments. For example, the extinct thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) had similarities with the placental wolf, marsupial moles with the golden moles of Africa, and hopping mice with the hopping rodents of other arid regions.

There were major extinctions of Australia's vertebrates, including its megafauna, about 46 thousand years ago, and there is an ongoing scientific debate over the role of human activity and climate change in these extinctions. The contraction of the range of the Tasmanian tiger and Tasmanian devil to that island about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago is also consistent with changes on the mainland including an increasing human population, the introduction of the dingo, and the greater use of fire and new stone tool technologies.

Over the past two centuries, Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent. Overall, 100 Australian species are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild. In June 2021, over 1,000 animal and plant species were listed by Australian governments as endangered or critically endangered. The major threats to endangered species are landscape change, ecosystem disruption, introduced species such as the feral cat and red fox, and climate change.

The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is the legal framework for the protection of threatened species. The National Reserve System is Australia's network of protected areas. As at 30 June 2022, it covered over 22% of Australia's land mass. Australia's Strategy for Nature 2024–2030 is the national biodiversity plan that aims to reverse biodiversity loss in Australia by 2030 and meet the county's obligations under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and other international agreements.

Government and politics

Main articles: Australian Government, Politics of Australia, and Monarchy of Australia

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy and a federation. The country has maintained its mostly unchanged constitution alongside a stable liberal democratic political system since Federation in 1901. It is one of the world's oldest federations, in which power is divided between the federal and state governments. The Australian system of government combines elements derived from the political systems of the United Kingdom (a fused executive, constitutional monarchy and strong party discipline) and the United States (federalism, a written constitution and strong bicameralism with a Senate in which states have equal representation), resulting in a distinct hybrid.

Federal government power is partially separated between three groups:

• Legislature: the bicameral Parliament, comprising the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Representatives
• Executive: the Australian Government, led by the prime minister (the leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the House of Representatives), their chosen Cabinet and other ministers; formally appointed by the governor-general
• Judiciary: the High Court and other federal courts

Following elections on 3 May 2025, the prime minister is Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party. Charles III reigns as King of Australia and is represented in Australia by the governor-general at the federal level and by the governors at the state level, who by section 63 of the Constitution and convention act on the advice of their ministers. Thus, in practice the governor-general acts as a legal figurehead for the actions of the prime minister and the Cabinet. The governor-general may in some situations exercise reserve powers: powers exercisable in the absence of, or contrary to, ministerial advice. When these powers may be exercised is governed by convention and their precise scope is unclear. The most notable exercise of these powers was the dismissal of the Whitlam government in the constitutional crisis of 1975.

In the Senate (the upper house), there are 76 senators: twelve each from the states and two each from the mainland territories (the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory). The House of Representatives (the lower house) has 150 members elected from single-member electoral divisions, commonly known as "electorates" or "seats", allocated to states on the basis of population, with each of the current states guaranteed a minimum of five seats. The lower house has a maximum term of three years, but this is not fixed and governments usually dissolve the house early for an election at some point in the 6 months before the maximum. Elections for both chambers are generally held simultaneously with senators having overlapping six-year terms except for those from the territories, whose terms are not fixed but are tied to the electoral cycle for the lower house. Thus, only 40 of the 76 places in the Senate are put to each election unless the cycle is interrupted by a double dissolution.

Elections

Main article: Elections in Australia

Australia's electoral system uses preferential voting for the House of Representatives and all state and territory lower house elections (with the exception of Tasmania and the ACT which use the Hare-Clark system). The Senate and most state upper houses use the proportional system which combines preferential voting with proportional representation for each state. Voting and enrolment is compulsory for all enrolled citizens 18 years and older in every jurisdiction. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms the government and its leader becomes prime minister. The governor-general appoints the prime minister and may dismiss one who has lost the confidence of parliament or acts illegally. As Australia is a Westminster parliamentary democracy with a powerful and elected upper house, its system has sometimes been called a "Washminster mutation", or semi-parliamentary.

There are two major political groups that have usually formed government federally: the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition which is a grouping of the Liberal Party and its minor partner, the National Party. At the state level of government, the relationship between the Nationals and the Liberal Party differs, with the parties merged in Queensland and the Northern Territory (federal parliamentarians, however, sit in either the Liberal or National party room); in coalition in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia; and in competition with the Liberals in South Australia and Tasmania. Within Australian political culture, the Labor Party is considered centre-left and the Coalition is considered centre-right. Independent members and several minor parties have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses. The Australian Greens have been the third largest party by both vote and membership since 2004.

States and territories

Main article: States and territories of Australia

Australia has six states – New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (Vic), Queensland (Qld), Western Australia (WA), South Australia (SA) and Tasmania (Tas) – and two mainland self-governing territories – the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT).

The states have the general power to make laws except in the few areas where the constitution grants the Commonwealth (the federal level of government) exclusive powers. The Commonwealth can only make laws on topics listed in the constitution but its laws prevail over those of the states to the extent of any inconsistency. Since Federation, the Commonwealth's power relative to the states has significantly increased due to the increasingly wide interpretation given to listed Commonwealth powers – and because of the states' heavy financial reliance on Commonwealth grants.

Each state and major mainland territory has its own parliament – unicameral in the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland, and bicameral in the other states. The lower houses are known as the Legislative Assembly (the House of Assembly in South Australia and Tasmania); the upper houses are known as the Legislative Council. The head of the government in each state is the premier and in each territory the chief minister. The King is represented in each state by a governor. At the Commonwealth level, the King's representative is the governor-general.

The Commonwealth government directly administers the internal Jervis Bay Territory and the external territories: the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, the Heard Island and McDonald Islands, the Indian Ocean territories (Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands), Norfolk Island, and the Australian Antarctic Territory. The remote Macquarie Island and Lord Howe Island are part of Tasmania and New South Wales respectively.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Australia

Australia is a middle power, whose foreign relations has three core bi-partisan pillars: commitment to the US alliance, engagement with the Indo-Pacific and support for international institutions, rules and co-operation. Through the ANZUS pact and its status as a major non-NATO ally, Australia maintains a close relationship with the US, which encompasses strong defence, security and trade ties. In the Indo-Pacific, the country seeks to increase its trade ties through the open flow of trade and capital, while managing the rise of Chinese power by supporting the existing rules-based order. Regionally, the country is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community, the ASEAN+6 mechanism and the East Asia Summit. Internationally, the country is a member of the United Nations (of which it was a founding member), the Commonwealth of Nations, the OECD and the G20. This reflects the country's generally strong commitment to multilateralism.

Australia is a member of several defence, intelligence and security groupings including the Five Eyes intelligence alliance with the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand; the ANZUS alliance with the United States and New Zealand; the AUKUS security treaty with the United States and United Kingdom; the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the United States, India and Japan; the Five Power Defence Arrangements with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore; and the Reciprocal Access defence and security agreement with Japan.

Australia has pursued the cause of international trade liberalisation. It led the formation of the Cairns Group and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Beginning in the 2000s, Australia entered into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership multilateral free trade agreements as well as bilateral free trade agreements with the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, with the most recent deal signed in 2023 with the UK.

Australia maintains a deeply integrated relationship with neighbouring New Zealand, with free mobility of citizens between the two countries under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement and free trade under the Closer Economic Relations agreement. The most favourably viewed countries by the Australian people in 2021 include New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and South Korea. It also maintains an international aid program under which some 75 countries receive assistance. Australia ranked fourth in the Center for Global Development's 2021 Commitment to Development Index.

The power over foreign policy is highly concentrated in the prime minister and the national security committee, with major decision such as joining the 2003 invasion of Iraq made without prior Cabinet approval. Similarly, the Parliament does not play a formal role in foreign policy and the power to declare war lies solely with the executive government. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade supports the executive in its policy decisions.

Military

Main article: Australian Defence Force

The two main institutions involved in the management of Australia's armed forces are the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence, together known as "Defence". The Australian Defence Force is the military wing, headed by the chief of the defence force, and contains three branches: the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force. In 2021, it had 84,865 currently serving personnel (including 60,286 regulars and 24,581 reservists). The Department of Defence is the civilian wing and is headed by the secretary of defence. These two leaders collective manage Defence as a diarchy, with shared and joint responsibilities. The titular role of commander-in-chief is held by the governor-general; however, actual command is vested in the chief of the Defence Force. The executive branch of the Commonwealth government has overall control of the military through the minister of defence, who is subject to the decisions of Cabinet and its National Security Committee. Major Australian intelligence agencies include the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (foreign intelligence), the Australian Signals Directorate (signals intelligence) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (domestic security).

In 2022, defence spending was 1.9% of GDP, representing the world's 13th-largest defence budget. In 2024, the ADF had active operations in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific (including security and aid provisions); was contributing to UN forces in relation to South Sudan, Syria–Israel peacekeeping, and North Korea; and domestically was assisting in natural disaster relief and assisting in preventing asylum-seekers from entering the country.

Human rights

Australia has generally strong protections for civil and political rights, and the country has signed up to a wide range of international rights treaties. Important documents protecting human rights include the Constitution, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and the Age Discrimination Act 2004. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the nation since 2017. Unlike other comparable Western democracies, Australia does not have a single federal charter of rights in the Constitution or under legislation; however, the ACT, Victoria, and Queensland have state-based ones.

International organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have expressed concerns in areas including asylum-seeker policy, Indigenous deaths in custody, the lack of entrenched rights protection, and laws restricting protesting.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Australia

Further information: Economic history of Australia and Tourism in Australia

Australia's mixed-market economy is highly developed and rich in natural resources. It is the world's twelfth largest by nominal terms and the twenty-third largest by PPP. As of 2021, Australia has the second-highest amount of wealth per adult, after Luxembourg, and the thirteenth-highest financial assets per capita, as well as one of the highest per capita incomes globally. It has a labour force of some 14.6 million, with an unemployment rate of 4.2% as of December 2025. According to the Australian Council of Social Service, the poverty rate of Australia exceeds 13.6% of the population, encompassing over 3.2 million. It also estimated that there were 774,000 (17.7%) children under the age of 15 living in relative poverty. The Australian dollar is the national currency, which is also used by three island states in the Pacific: Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Australian government debt, about $963 billion in June 2022, exceeds 45.1% of the country's total GDP and is the world's eighth-highest. Australia had the second-highest level of household debt in the world in 2020, after Switzerland. Its house prices are among the highest in the world, particularly in large urban areas. The large service sector accounts for about 71.2% of total GDP, followed by the industrial sector (25.3%), while its agriculture sector makes up 3.6% of total GDP. Australia is the world's 24th-largest exporter and 21st-largest importer. China is Australia's largest trading partner, accounting for roughly 40% of the country's exports and 17.6% of its imports. Other major export markets include Japan, the United States and South Korea.

Australia has high levels of competitiveness and economic freedom and was ranked tenth in the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2022. As of 2022, it is ranked twelfth in the Index of Economic Freedom. It attracted 9.5 million international tourists in 2019 and was ranked thirteenth among the countries of Asia-Pacific in 2019 for inbound tourism. The 2021 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Australia seventh-highest in the world out of 117 countries. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $45.7 billion.

Energy

Main articles: Energy policy of Australia, Electricity sector in Australia, and Renewable energy in Australia

In 2021–22, Australia's generation of electricity was sourced from black coal (37.2%), natural gas (18.8%), solar (13.3%), brown coal (12%), wind (11.1%), hydro (6.5%), bio-energy (1.2%) and others (1.7%). Total consumption of energy in this period was sourced from oil (37.3%), coal (28.4%), gas (27.4%) and renewables (7%). From 2012 to 2022, the energy sourced from renewables has increased 5.7%, while energy sourced from coal has decreased 2.6%. The use of gas also increased by 1.5%, and the use of oil stayed relatively stable with a reduction of only 0.2%.

In 2020, Australia produced 27.7% of its electricity from renewable sources, exceeding the target set by the Commonwealth government in 2009 of 20% renewable energy by 2020. A new target of 82% renewable energy by 2030 was set in 2022, and a target for net zero emissions by 2050 was set in 2021.

Science and technology

In 2019, Australia spent $35.6 billion on research and development, allocating about 1.79% of GDP. A 2022 study by the industry lobby group, The Tech Council of Australia, stated that the Australian technology sector combined contributes $167 billion a year to the economy and employs 861,000 people. In 2022, startup ecosystems in Sydney and Melbourne were valued at $34 billion. Australia ranked 22nd in the Global Innovation Index 2025.

With only 0.3% of the world's population, Australia contributed over 4% of the world's published research in 2020, making it one of the top 10 research contributors in the world. CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, contributes 10% of all research in the country, while the rest is carried out by universities. Australian achievements include the invention of atomic absorption spectroscopy, the essential components of Wi-Fi technology, and the development of the first commercially successful polymer banknote. As of 2026, 14 Australian scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry or medicine, and two have been awarded the Fields Medal.

Facilities supporting space exploration include the Square Kilometre Array and Australia Telescope Compact Array radio telescopes, telescopes such as the Siding Spring Observatory, and ground stations such as the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Australia

The population of Australia is estimated to be 27,801,023 as of December 2025. It is the 54th most populous country in the world and the most populous Oceanian country.

Australia has a population density of 3.4 persons per square kilometre of total land area, which makes it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. The population is heavily concentrated on the east coast, and in particular in the south-eastern region between South East Queensland to the north-east and Adelaide to the south-west.

Australia is also highly urbanised, with 67% of the population living in the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (metropolitan areas of the state and mainland territorial capital cities) in 2018. Metropolitan areas with more than one million inhabitants are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2021, the average age of the population was 39 years.

Cities

Main articles: List of cities in Australia by population and List of cities in Australia

Australia has five cities (including their suburbs) that have populations larger than one million people. The majority of Australia's population lives near coastlines.

Largest populated areas in Australia 2023 data from Australian Bureau of Statistics
Rank		State	Pop.	Rank		State	Pop.
1	Sydney	NSW	5,450,496	11	Wollongong	NSW	313,745
2	Melbourne	VIC	5,207,145	12	Geelong	VIC	302,046
3	Brisbane	QLD	2,706,966	13	Hobart	TAS	253,654
4	Perth	WA	2,309,338	14	Townsville	QLD	186,734
5	Adelaide	SA	1,446,380	15	Cairns	QLD	160,933
6	Gold Coast–Tweed Heads	QLD&NSW	735,213	16	Darwin	NT	150,736
7	Newcastle–Maitland	NSW	526,515	17	Toowoomba	QLD	149,817
8	Canberra–Queanbeyan	ACT&NSW	503,402	18	Ballarat	VIC	116,390
9	Sunshine Coast	QLD	407,859	19	Bendigo	VIC	104,883
10	Central Coast	NSW	354,803	20	Albury-Wodonga	NSW&VIC	100,095

Ancestry and immigration

Main article: Immigration to Australia

Between 1788 and the Second World War, the vast majority of settlers and immigrants came from the British Isles (principally England, Ireland and Scotland), although Australia had significant immigration from China and Germany during the 19th century. Following Federation in 1901, the white Australia policy was strengthened, restricting further migration from these areas. However, this policy was relaxed following WW2, and in the decades following, Australia received a large wave of immigration from across Europe, with many more immigrants arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe than in previous decades. Following the end of the White Australia policy in 1973, Australia adopted multiculturalism as policy, culminating in the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Subsequently, there has been a large and continuing wave of immigration from across the world, with Asia being the largest source of immigrants in the 21st century.

Today, Australia has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population. Immigrants account for 30% of the population, the highest proportion among major Western nations. In 2022–23, 212,789 permanent migrants were admitted to Australia, with a net migration population gain of 518,000 people inclusive of non-permanent residents. Most entered on skilled visas, however the immigration program also offers visas for family members and refugees.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics asks each Australian resident to nominate up to two ancestries each census and the responses are classified into broad ancestry groups. At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated ancestry groups as a proportion of the total population were: 57.2% European (including 46% North-West European and 11.2% Southern and Eastern European), 33.8% Oceanian, 17.4% Asian (including 6.5% Southern and Central Asian, 6.4% North-East Asian, and 4.5% South-East Asian), 3.2% North African and Middle Eastern, 1.4% Peoples of the Americas, and 1.3% Sub-Saharan African. At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated individual ancestries as a proportion of the total population were:

• English (33%)
• Australian (29.9%)
• Irish (9.5%)
• Scottish (8.6%)
• Chinese (5.5%)
• Italian (4.4%)
• German (4%)
• Indian (3.1%)
• Aboriginal (2.9%)
• Greek (1.7%)
• Filipino (1.6%)
• Dutch (1.5%)
• Vietnamese (1.3%)
• Lebanese (1%)

At the 2021 census, 3.8% of the Australian population identified as being Indigenous – Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.

Language

Main article: Languages of Australia

English has no legal status in Australia but it is the de facto official and national language due to its widespread established use. Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling. General Australian serves as the standard dialect. The Australian sign language known as Auslan was used at home by 16,242 people at the time of the 2021 census.

At the 2021 census, English was the only language spoken in the home for 72% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home were Mandarin (2.7%), Arabic (1.4%), Vietnamese (1.3%), Cantonese (1.2%) and Punjabi (0.9%).

More than 250 Australian Aboriginal languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact. The National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS) for 2018–19 found that more than 120 Indigenous language varieties were in use or being revived, although 70 of those in use were endangered. The 2021 census found that 167 Indigenous languages were spoken at home by 76,978 Indigenous Australians – Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Djambarrpuyngu (a Yolŋu language) and Pitjantjatjara (a Western Desert language) were among the most widely spoken. NILS and the Australian Bureau of Statistics use different classifications for Indigenous Australian languages.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Australia

Australia has no state religion; section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits federal legislation that would establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion. However, the states still retain the power to pass religiously discriminatory laws.

At the 2021 census, 38.9% of the population identified as having no religion, up from 15.5% in 2001. The largest religion is Christianity (43.9% of the population). The largest Christian denominations are the Catholic Church (20% of the population) and the Anglican Church of Australia (9.8%). Non-British immigration since the Second World War has led to the growth of non-Christian religions, the largest of which are Islam (3.2%), Hinduism (2.7%), Buddhism (2.4%), Sikhism (0.8%), and Judaism (0.4%).

In 2021, just under 8,000 people declared an affiliation with traditional Aboriginal religions. In Australian Aboriginal mythology and the animist framework developed in Aboriginal Australia, the Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral totemic spirit beings formed The Creation. The Dreaming established the laws and structures of society and the ceremonies performed to ensure continuity of life and land.

Health

Australia's life expectancy of 83 years (81 years for males and 85 years for females) is the fifth-highest in the world. It has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, while cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease, responsible for 7.8% of the total mortality and disease. Ranked second in preventable causes is hypertension at 7.6%, with obesity third at 7.5%. Australia ranked 35th in the world in 2012 for its proportion of obese women and near the top of developed nations for its proportion of obese adults; 63% of its adult population is either overweight or obese.

Australia spent about 9.91% of its total GDP to health care in 2021. It introduced a national insurance scheme in 1975. Following a period in which access to the scheme was restricted, the scheme became universal once more in 1981 under the name of Medicare. The program is nominally funded by an income tax surcharge known as the Medicare levy, currently at 2%. The states manage hospitals and attached outpatient services, while the Commonwealth funds the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (subsidising the costs of medicines) and general practice.

Education

Main article: Education in Australia

School attendance, or registration for home schooling, is compulsory throughout Australia. Education is primarily the responsibility of the individual states and territories; however, the Commonwealth has significant influence through funding agreements. Since 2014, a national curriculum developed by the Commonwealth has been implemented by the states and territories. Attendance rules vary between states, but in general children are required to attend school from the age of about 5 until about 16. In some states (Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales), children aged 16–17 are required to either attend school or participate in vocational training, such as an apprenticeship. According to the 2022 PISA evaluations, Australian 15-year-olds ranked ninth in the OECD for reading and science and tenth for maths. However, less than 60% of Australian students achieved the National Proficiency Standard – 51% in maths, 58% in science and 57% in reading.

Australia has an adult literacy rate that was estimated to be 99% in 2003. However, a 2011–2012 report for the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 44% of the population does not have high literary and numeracy competence levels, interpreted by others as suggesting that they do not have the "skills needed for everyday life".

Australia has 37 government-funded universities and three private universities, as well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at the higher education level. The OECD places Australia among the most expensive nations to attend university. There is a state-based system of vocational training, known as TAFE, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople. About 58% of Australians aged from 25 to 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications and the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is the highest among OECD countries. 38% of Australia's population has attained a higher education qualification, which is among the highest percentages in the world.

Australia has the highest ratio of international students per head of population in the world by a large margin, with 812,000 international students enrolled in the nation's universities and vocational institutions in 2019. Accordingly, in 2019, international students represented on average 26.7% of the student bodies of Australian universities. International education therefore represents one of the country's largest exports and has a pronounced influence on the country's demographics, with a significant proportion of international students remaining in Australia after graduation on various skill and employment visas. Education is Australia's third-largest export, after iron ore and coal, and contributed more than $28 billion to the economy in the 2016–17 financial year.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Australia

Contemporary Australian culture is diverse and reflects the country's Indigenous traditions, British and Irish heritage, and post-1945 history of multicultural immigration. The culture of the United States has also been influential. The evolution of Australian culture since British colonisation has given rise to distinctive cultural traits.

Many Australians identify egalitarianism, mateship, irreverence and a lack of formality as part of their national identity. These find expression in Australian slang, as well as Australian humour, which is often characterised as dry, irreverent and ironic. New citizens and visa holders are required to commit to "Australian values", which are identified by the Department of Home Affairs as including: a respect for the freedom of the individual; recognition of the rule of law; opposition to racial, gender and religious discrimination; and an understanding of the "fair go", which is said to encompass the equality of opportunity for all and compassion for those in need. What these values mean, and whether Australians uphold them, has been debated since before Federation.

Arts

Main articles: Australian art, Australian literature, Theatre of Australia, Dance in Australia, and Music of Australia

Australia has more than 100,000 Aboriginal rock art sites, and traditional designs, patterns and stories infuse contemporary Indigenous Australian art, "the last great art movement of the 20th century" according to critic Robert Hughes; its exponents include Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Early colonial artists showed a fascination with the unfamiliar land. The impressionistic works of Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and other members of the 19th-century Heidelberg School – the first "distinctively Australian" movement in Western art – gave expression to nationalist sentiments in the lead-up to Federation. While the school remained influential into the 1900s, modernists such as Margaret Preston and Clarice Beckett, and, later, Sidney Nolan, explored new artistic trends. The landscape remained central to the work of Aboriginal watercolourist Albert Namatjira, as well as Fred Williams, Brett Whiteley and other post-war artists whose works, eclectic in style yet uniquely Australian, moved between the figurative and the abstract.

Australian literature grew slowly in the decades following European settlement though Indigenous oral traditions, many of which have since been recorded in writing, are much older. In the 19th century, Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson captured the experience of the bush using a distinctive Australian vocabulary. Their works are still popular; Paterson's bush poem "Waltzing Matilda" (1895) is regarded as Australia's unofficial national anthem. Miles Franklin is the namesake of Australia's most prestigious literary prize, awarded annually to the best novel about Australian life. Its first recipient, Patrick White, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973. Australian Booker Prize winners include Peter Carey, Thomas Keneally and Richard Flanagan. Australian public intellectuals have also written seminal works in their respective fields, including feminist Germaine Greer and philosopher Peter Singer.

In the performing arts, Aboriginal peoples have traditions of religious and secular song, dance and rhythmic music often performed in corroborees. At the beginning of the 20th century, Nellie Melba was one of the world's leading opera singers, and later popular music acts such as the Bee Gees, AC/DC, INXS and Kylie Minogue achieved international recognition. Many of Australia's performing arts companies receive funding through the Australian government's Australia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each state, and a national opera company, Opera Australia, well known for its famous soprano Joan Sutherland. Ballet and dance are represented by The Australian Ballet and various state companies. Each state has a publicly funded theatre company.

Media

Main articles: Cinema of Australia, Television in Australia, Media of Australia, and Censorship in Australia

The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), the world's first feature-length narrative film, spurred a boom in Australian cinema during the silent film era. After World War I, Hollywood monopolised the industry, and by the 1960s, Australian film production had effectively ceased. With the benefit of government support, the Australian New Wave of the 1970s brought provocative and successful films, many exploring themes of national identity, such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, Wake in Fright and Gallipoli, while Crocodile Dundee and the Ozploitation movement's Mad Max series became international blockbusters. In a film market flooded with foreign content, Australian films delivered a 7.7% share of the local box office in 2015. The AACTAs are Australia's premier film and television awards, and notable Academy Award winners from Australia include Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger.

Australia has two public broadcasters (the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the multicultural Special Broadcasting Service), three commercial television networks, several pay-TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Each major city has at least one daily newspaper, and there are two national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. In 2024, Reporters Without Borders placed Australia 39th on a list of 180 countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (19th) and the United Kingdom (23rd), but ahead of the United States (55th). This relatively low ranking is primarily because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia; most print media are under the control of News Corp Australia (59%) and Nine Entertainment (23%).

Cuisine

Main article: Australian cuisine

Most Indigenous Australian groups subsisted on a diet of native fauna and flora, otherwise called bush tucker. It has increased in popularity among non-Indigenous Australians since the 1970s, with examples such as lemon myrtle, the macadamia nut and kangaroo meat now widely available.

The first colonists introduced British and Irish cuisine to the continent. This influence is seen in dishes such as fish and chips, and in the Australian meat pie, which is related to the British steak pie. Also during the colonial period, Chinese migrants paved the way for a distinctive Australian Chinese cuisine.

Post-war migrants transformed Australian cuisine, bringing with them their culinary traditions and contributing to new fusion dishes. Italians introduced espresso coffee and, along with Greeks, helped develop Australia's café culture, of which the flat white and avocado toast are now considered Australian staples. Pavlovas, lamingtons, Vegemite and Anzac biscuits are also often called iconic Australian foods.

Australia is a leading exporter and consumer of wine. Australian wine is produced mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country. The nation also ranks highly in beer consumption, with each state and territory hosting numerous breweries.

Sport and recreation

Main article: Sport in Australia

The most popular sports in Australia by adult participation are: swimming, athletics, cycling, soccer, golf, tennis, basketball, surfing, netball and cricket.

Australia is one of five nations to have participated in every Summer Olympics of the modern era, and has hosted the Games twice: 1956 in Melbourne and 2000 in Sydney. It is also set to host the 2032 Games in Brisbane. Australia has also participated in every Commonwealth Games, hosting the event in 1938, 1962, 1982, 2006 and 2018.

The Australian national cricket team competed against England in both the first Test match (1877) and the first One Day International (1971), and against New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International (2004), winning all three games. It has also won the men's Cricket World Cup a record six times.

Australia has professional leagues for four football codes, whose relative popularity is divided geographically. Originating in Melbourne in the 1850s, Australian rules football attracts the most television viewers in all states except New South Wales and Queensland, where rugby league holds sway, followed by rugby union. Soccer, while ranked fourth in television viewers and resources, has the highest overall participation rates.

The surf lifesaving movement originated in Australia in the early 20th century, following the relaxation of laws prohibiting daylight bathing on Australian beaches. The volunteer lifesaver is one of the country's icons.

Armed forces

Article XV squadrons

Article XV squadrons were Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand air force squadrons formed from graduates of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (1939) during World War II.

Beating retreat

Beating Retreat is a military ceremony dating to 17th-century England and was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle.

Australian Air Corps

The Australian Air Corps (AAC) was a temporary formation of the Australian military that existed in the period between the disbandment of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) of World War I and the establishment of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in March 1921. Raised in January 1920, the AAC was commanded by Major William Anderson, a former AFC pilot.

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three services: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Eastern Area Command (RAAF)

Eastern Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. It was formed in May 1942, and controlled units located in New South Wales and southern Queensland.

No. 1 Aircraft Depot RAAF

No. 1 Aircraft Depot (No. 1 AD) was a maintenance unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Formed in July 1921 at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, it relocated to the nearby RAAF Laverton in March 1926. As well as servicing aircraft and other equipment, in its early years, the depot supported survey flights in Australia and the Pacific region.

No. 1 Squadron RAAF

No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. It is controlled by No. 82 Wing, part of Air Combat Group, and is equipped with Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.

No. 1 Wing RAAF

No. 1 Wing was an Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing active during World War I and World War II. The wing was established on 1 September 1917 as the 1st Training Wing and commanded the AFC's pilot training squadrons in England until April 1919, when it was disbanded.

No. 33 Squadron RAAF

No. 33 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) strategic transport and air-to-air refuelling squadron. It operates Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transports from RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. The squadron was formed in February 1942 for service during World War II, operating Short Empire flying boats and a variety of smaller aircraft.

No. 34 Squadron RAAF

No. 34 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) VIP transport squadron. It operates Boeing 737 Business Jets and Dassault Falcon 7Xs from Defence Establishment Fairbairn in Canberra. The squadron was formed in February 1942 for standard transport duties during World War II, initially flying de Havilland DH.84 Dragons in Northern Australia.

No. 36 Squadron RAAF

No. 36 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) strategic airlift squadron. It operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft from RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. The squadron has seen active service flying transport aircraft during World War II, the Korean War, the Indonesia–Malaysia Konfrontasi, the Vietnam War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

No. 450 Squadron RAAF

No. 450 Squadron was a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) that operated during World War II. Established at RAAF Station Williamtown, New South Wales, in February 1941, it was the first Australian Article XV squadron formed under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

No. 77 Squadron RAAF

No. 77 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. It is controlled by No. 81 Wing, part of Air Combat Group, and equipped with Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II multi-role stealth fighters.

North-Eastern Area Command

North-Eastern Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. For most of its existence it controlled units based in central and northern Queensland as well as Papua New Guinea.

North-Western Area Command

North-Western Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. Its wartime sphere of operations included the Northern Territory, adjacent portions of Queensland and Western Australia, and the Dutch East Indies.

Western Area Command (RAAF)

Western Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. It was formed in January 1941, and controlled RAAF units located in Western Australia.

10th Battalion (Australia)

The 10th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force during World War I. Among the first units raised in Australia during the war, the battalion was recruited from South Australia in August 1914 and formed part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division.

12th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 12th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted unit of the Australian Army. It was raised in New South Wales in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for service during the First World War. After fighting at Gallipoli as reinforcements, the regiment served in the Sinai and Palestine campaign against the Ottoman Empire, seeing action in several notable battles including Beersheba, the capture of Jerusalem, Megiddo and the capture of Damascus.

15th Battalion (Australia)

The 15th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in 1914 as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force from Queensland and Tasmanian recruits, the battalion fought during the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front during the First World War.

1st Armoured Brigade (Australia)

The 1st Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Greta, New South Wales from volunteers for the Second Australian Imperial Force and was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division.

2/10th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/10th Battalion ("The Adelaide Rifles") was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for overseas service as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) during World War II. Formed in October 1939, it was the first 2nd AIF unit raised from the state of South Australia during the war; after completing a period of training in Australia, the battalion embarked for overseas service.

2/14th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/14th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Part of the 21st Brigade, 7th Division, the battalion was raised from Second Australian Imperial Force volunteers drawn mainly from the state of Victoria.

2/15th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/15th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Formed in May 1940 primarily from Queensland volunteers, the battalion saw action in North Africa in 1941–1942 as part of the 20th Brigade, which was part of the 7th Division before being reassigned to the 9th Division.

2/17th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/17th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in April 1940 in New South Wales, it formed part of the 20th Brigade, and was eventually allocated to the 9th Division. After completing basic training in Australia, the unit was deployed to the Middle East.

2/18th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/18th Battalion was an Australian Army infantry unit that served during World War II. Formed in June 1940, the battalion was assigned to the 22nd Brigade, which formed part of the Australian 8th Division. After completing basic training, the 2/18th was sent to Singapore and Malaya to strengthen the defences of the British colonies in February 1941 against a possible Japanese attack.

2/1st Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II as part of the 6th Division. When it was formed on 14 December 1939, its component companies were spread across several Australian states, but it was later concentrated at Ingleburn, New South Wales, where it completed basic training in the early months of the war.

2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force that was raised for service overseas during the Second World War. Formed in mid-1940 in Sydney, from personnel drawn from the states of Queensland and New South Wales, the battalion was allocated to the Australian 9th Division.

2/3rd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/3rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during the Second World War as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), it was formed in October 1939 in Sydney and was attached to the 16th Brigade, 6th Division, the first formation raised as part of the 2nd AIF during the war.

2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was formed in June 1940 as part of the 7th Division and served in Egypt, Syria, the Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea during World War II. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Blackburn when it was raised, the battalion was primarily a South Australian unit, although it had sub-units formed in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.

2/43rd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/43rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in July 1940 in South Australia as part of the 24th Brigade, the battalion was initially part of the 8th Division, until the 24th Brigade was re-allocated to the 9th Division in late 1940.

2/48th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/48th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. Raised in Adelaide in South Australia in August 1940, the battalion formed part of the 26th Brigade and was initially assigned to the 7th Division, although it was later transferred to the 9th Division in 1941 when it was deployed to the Middle East.

2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion was an Australian Army unit raised for service with the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) during the Second World War. Formed in late 1940 as part of the 8th Division, the battalion was established to provide direct fire support to the division's infantry brigades.

2/5th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/5th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that operated during World War II. It was raised at Melbourne, Victoria, on 18 October 1939 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), attached to the 17th Brigade of the 6th Division.

2/7th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/7th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army raised for service during World War II. Formed as part of the 6th Division shortly after the outbreak of the war as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the 2/7th Battalion's initial personnel were recruited primarily from the state of Victoria, although later reinforcements were drawn from most other Australian states.

2/9th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/9th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in Queensland as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) shortly after the outbreak of the war, it formed part of the 18th Brigade and over the course of the war it was attached to the 6th, 9th and 7th Divisions due to several re-organisations.

4th Armoured Brigade (Australia)

The 4th Armoured Brigade was an armoured formation of the Australian Army established during the Second World War. It was formed in February 1943 to provide armoured support for infantry units operating in the South West Pacific Area.

Australian Army during World War II

The Australian Army was the largest service in the Australian military during World War II. Prior to the outbreak of war the Australian Army was split into the small full-time Permanent Military Forces (PMF) and the larger part-time Militia.

Australian contribution to UNTAG

The Australian Services Contingent was the Australian Army contribution to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) peacekeeping mission to Namibia in 1989 and 1990. Australia sent two contingents of over 300 engineers each to assist the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Martti Ahtisaari, in overseeing free and fair elections in Namibia for a Constituent Assembly in what was the largest deployment of Australian troops since the Vietnam War.

South Australian Mounted Rifles

The South Australian Mounted Rifles (SAMR) was a mounted infantry unit of the Colony of South Australia that served in the Second Boer War. The first contingent of South Australian Mounted Rifles was raised in 1899, followed by a second contingent in 1900.

11th Battalion (Australia)

The 11th Battalion was an Australian Army battalion that was among the first infantry units raised during World War I for the First Australian Imperial Force. It was the first battalion recruited in Western Australia, and following a brief training period in Perth, the battalion sailed to Egypt where it undertook four months of intensive training.

14th/32nd Battalion (Australia)

The 14th/32nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. It was formed in September 1942 by the amalgamation of the 14th and 32nd Battalions and was assigned to the 6th Brigade, 4th Division in Geraldton, Western Australia.

1st Armoured Regiment (Australia)

1st Armoured Regiment (1AR) is an armoured regiment of the Australian Army and is the senior regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC). Formed as an armoured unit in the Australian Regular Army on 7 July 1949, the regiment squadrons served during the Vietnam War operating Centurion tanks.

1st Parachute Battalion (Australia)

The 1st Parachute Battalion was a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during the Second World War, it was formed in early 1943 from volunteers for airborne training. Despite achieving a high level of readiness, the battalion did not see action during the war and was disbanded in early 1946.

2/31st Battalion (Australia)

The 2/31st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was raised in June 1940 and was assigned to the 25th Brigade, 7th Division. It initially served in the United Kingdom where it undertook defensive duties before being moved to the Middle East in 1941.

2/33rd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/33rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army during the Second World War. It was formed as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force in the United Kingdom in June 1940 as the "72nd Battalion" to create the 25th Brigade, which eventually became part of the 7th Division.

2/6th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/6th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War. Raised in October 1939 as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the battalion formed part of the 6th Division and was among the first troops raised by Australia during the war.

23rd Battalion (Australia)

The 23rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I and formed part of the 6th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division.

26th Battalion (Australia)

The 26th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in April 1915 for service in World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), it was assigned to the 7th Brigade and consisted of personnel recruited from the states of Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria.

27th Battalion (Australia)

The 27th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was initially raised in 1915 as part of the all-volunteer First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I. During the conflict, the battalion saw action briefly at Gallipoli before later fighting on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918.

28th Battalion (Australia)

The 28th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in early 1915 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during the First World War and formed part of the 7th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division.

29th Battalion (Australia)

The 29th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. First formed in 1915 for service during the First World War as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), it fought in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in late 1918 to provide reinforcements for other heavily depleted Australian units.

2nd Armoured Brigade (Australia)

The 2nd Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Puckapunyal, Victoria, from Second Australian Imperial Force volunteers. It was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division in July 1941, with the intention of deploying it to the Middle East.

2nd Battalion (Australia)

The 2nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was initially raised for service during the First World War as part the Australian Imperial Force and saw action at Gallipoli before being sent to the Western Front in mid-1916, where it spent the next two-and-a-half years taking part in the fighting in the trenches of France and Belgium.

2nd Commando Regiment (Australia)

The 2nd Commando Regiment (2 Cdo Regt) is a special forces unit of the Australian Army and is part of Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when the 4th Battalion RAR (Commando) was renamed.

31st/51st Battalion (Australia)

The 31st/51st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. Raised for service as part of the Militia in 1943 through the amalgamation of two previously existing battalions, the 31st/51st Battalion undertook garrison duties in Dutch New Guinea in 1943–44 before taking part in the Bougainville Campaign in 1944–45.

32nd Battalion (Australia)

The 32nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was first raised in 1915 as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force for service during the First World War, and was initially made up of personnel from South Australia and Western Australia.

39th Battalion (Australia)

The 39th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in February 1916 for service during World War I as part of First Australian Imperial Force, with personnel being drawn mainly from the state of Victoria.

3rd Division (Australia)

The 3rd Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. Existing during various periods between 1916 and 1991, it is considered the "longest serving Australian Army division". It was first formed during World War I, as an infantry division of the Australian Imperial Force and saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium.

3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 3rd Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised for service during the First World War as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in Victoria in March 1916, the battalion subsequently undertook further training in the United Kingdom before arriving in France in late 1916.

49th Battalion (Australia)

The 49th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. Raised as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion fought along the Western Front between mid-1916 and late 1918, before being disbanded in early 1919.

61st Battalion (Australia)

The 61st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1917 during the First World War but was disbanded the same year without seeing active service. Later it was re-raised as a part of the Militia in 1938 in Brisbane, Queensland.

6th Battalion (Australia)

The 6th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1914 for service during the First World War, the battalion fought at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. The battalion was disbanded in 1919 but was re-raised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Force, and adopted the title of "Royal Melbourne Regiment" in 1935.

6th Division (Australia)

The 6th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was raised briefly in 1917 during World War I, but was broken up to provide reinforcements before seeing action. It was not re-raised until the outbreak of World War II, when it was formed as a unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF).

7th Battalion (Australia)

The 7th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in 1914 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion was completely recruited from the state of Victoria and formed the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division.

Australian Army Reserve

The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the Australian Military Forces.

Australian Army during World War I

The Australian Army was the largest service in the Australian military during World War I. The First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was the Army's main expeditionary force and was formed from 15 August 1914 with an initial strength of 20,000 men, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany.

Australian Voluntary Hospital

The Australian Voluntary Hospital was a military hospital staffed by Australian expatriates in England that served on the Western Front between 1914 and 1916. For most of the first year of the war, although not an Australian Army unit, it was an Australian presence on the Western Front.

Central Area Command (RAAF)

Central Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. It was formed in March 1940, and covered the central portion of New South Wales. Headquartered at Sydney, Central Area Command was responsible for air defence, aerial reconnaissance and protection of the sea lanes within its boundaries.

First Australian Imperial Force

The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 15 August 1914 following Britain's declaration of war on Germany, with an initial strength of one infantry division and one light horse brigade.

Governor's Body Guard of Light Horse

The Governor's Body Guard of Light Horse was a military unit maintained in the Colony of New South Wales between 1801 and 1834, and reputedly the "first full-time military unit raised in Australia". It was established by Governor Philip Gidley King by drawing men from the New South Wales Corps, the British garrison in the colony.

New Guinea Air Warning Wireless

The New Guinea Air Warning Wireless, also known as the "New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company", "NGAWW", or "The Spotters", was a unique signals unit of the Australian Army formed in January 1942 in Port Moresby, Territory of Papua, during World War II, to provide early warning of Japanese air attack, and subsequently providing surveillance of shipping and ground-based troops. During the first month of operations 16 stations were established, with positions set up along the Papuan coast as well as in the mountains near Port Moresby.

New Guinea Volunteer Rifles

The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR) was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was initially raised as a unit of the Militia from white Australian and European expatriates in New Guinea upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, before being activated for full-time service following the Japanese landings in early 1942.

No. 3 Aircraft Depot RAAF

No. 3 Aircraft Depot (No. 3 AD) was a maintenance unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Formed in March 1942 at RAAF Station Amberley, Queensland, its prime function initially was the assembly and despatch of combat aircraft from the United States; it also performed salvage operations.

No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF

No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron (5ACS) was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) construction squadron. The unit was first formed in July 1942 and served in the New Guinea Campaign and Borneo Campaign during World War II.

Northern Area Command (RAAF)

Northern Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. It was formed in May 1941, and covered northern Australia and Papua. Headquartered at Townsville, Queensland, Northern Area Command was responsible for air defence, aerial reconnaissance and protection of the sea lanes within its boundaries.

Northern Command (RAAF)

Northern Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. Established in April 1944, it evolved from No. 9 Operational Group, which had been the RAAF's primary mobile formation in the South West Pacific theatre since September 1942, but had lately become a garrison force in New Guinea.

Royal Australian Regiment

The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1945 as a three battalion regiment made up of the 65th, 66th and 67th infantry battalions; however, since then its size has fluctuated as battalions have been raised, amalgamated or disbanded in accordance with the Australian government's strategic requirements.

Southern Area Command (RAAF)

Southern Area Command was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. It was formed in March 1940, and initially controlled units located in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and southern New South Wales.

103rd Medium Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

The 103rd Medium Battery is an artillery battery unit of the Royal Australian Artillery. The battery was formed in 1916, known as the 103rd Field (Howitzer) Battery and served during World War I. Its successors have fought in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War and the battery is currently part of the 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, based in Darwin, Northern Territory, as part of the 1st Brigade.

10th Brigade (Australia)

The 10th Brigade, more commonly referred to as the Long-Range Fires Brigade is a fires brigade of the Australian Army that was re-raised in January 2024 to operate the Army's High Mobility Rocket System (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).

10th Division (Australia)

The 10th Division was a division of the Australian Army, which served briefly during World War II. It was initially formed on 15 April 1942 from the Militia units of the Newcastle Covering Force. However, personnel shortages led to the division being disbanded in August that year.

10th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 10th Light Horse Regiment is a "mounted infantry" regiment of the Australian Army Reserve, raised in Western Australia (WA).

11th Brigade (Australia)

The 11th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade which currently comprises most Australian Army Reserve units located in Queensland. The brigade was first formed in early 1912 following the introduction of the compulsory training scheme.

11th Division (Australia)

The 11th Division was an Australian Army unit formed during World War II by the renaming of Milne Force in December 1942. Predominately a Militia formation, the division's main role during the war was as a base command headquarters, although elements saw action in New Guinea against Japanese forces during the Finisterre Range campaign and in New Britain.

11th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 11th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in August 1914, and assigned to the 4th Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment

The 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment (11/28 RWAR) is a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Located in Western Australia, it is one of the two battalions of the Royal Western Australia Regiment which forms the infantry component of the 13th Brigade.

12th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 12th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in May 1942 as part of the 6th Australian Armoured Brigade. It was originally a Citizens Military Force unit which was converted from the 18th Motor Regiment, formerly the 18th Machine Gun Regiment and previously the 18th Light Horse Regiment (Adelaide Lancers).

12th Battalion (Australia)

The 12th Battalion was an infantry battalion originally raised for the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. The battalion was recruited from Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia and formed part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division.

12th Brigade (Australia)

The 12th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. Formed in 1912 as a Militia formation, it was later re-raised in 1916 as part of the all volunteer First Australian Imperial Force that was raised for overseas service during the First World War.

13th Battalion (Australia)

The 13th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised for the 1st Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, it was formed just six weeks after the start of the war. Along with the 14th, 15th and 16th Battalions which were recruited from New South Wales, it formed the 4th Brigade.

13th Brigade (Australia)

The 13th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1912 as a Militia formation in Victoria, the brigade was re-raised as a First Australian Imperial Force unit during World War I and fought on the Western Front.

13th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 13th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment. During World War I the unit was formed in early 1916 as the 13th Field Artillery Brigade, and fought as part of the 5th Division in Egypt, the Sinai and on the Western Front.

13th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 13th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in March 1915, and eventually assigned as the mounted regiment for the Australian Corps.

14th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 14th Armoured Regiment was a unit of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in May 1942 as part of the 6th Australian Armoured Brigade. It was originally a Militia unit which originated from the 17th Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment.

14th Battalion (Australia)

The 14th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1914 as part of the Australian Imperial Force for service in World War I, the battalion served at Gallipoli initially before being sent to France where it served in the trenches along the Western Front until the end of the war, when it was disbanded.

14th Brigade (Australia)

The 14th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1912 as a Militia formation, it was later re-raised in 1916 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I, the brigade was assigned to the 5th Division and served on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918 before being disbanded.

14th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 14th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry or light horse unit of the Australian Army. The unit takes its lineage from units raised as part of the colonial forces of the state of Queensland in 1860 and served during the Second Boer War and World War I. In 1930 it was amalgamated with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment to become the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry), a unit that continues to exist as part of the Australian Army today.

15th Brigade (Australia)

The 15th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1912 as a Militia formation, the brigade was later re-raised in 1916 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. The brigade took part in the fighting on the Western Front in France and Belgium during 1916–1918 before being disbanded in 1919.

15th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 15th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in Palestine in 1918, from soldiers that had been serving with the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, and assigned to the 5th Light Horse Brigade.

16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment

The 16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment (16 RWAR) is an Australian Army infantry battalion located in Western Australia and one of the two battalions of the Royal Western Australia Regiment.

16th Brigade (Australia)

The 16th Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Australian Army. First raised in 1912 as a Militia formation to provide training under the compulsory training scheme, the brigade was later re-raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. Its existence was short-lived, as it was disbanded after about six months, before it could be committed to the fighting on the Western Front.

16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is the Australian Army's only ground-based air defence (GBAD) unit. It also provides sense, warn and locate, ground liaison, and joint terminal attack control capabilities. Part of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery (RAA), the regiment is responsible for protecting a wide range of military assets during both wartime and peacetime, ranging from Army units in the field to providing point defence to the Royal Australian Navy's support ships and air defence to Royal Australian Air Force air bases.

171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron

The 171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron (171 SOAS) is an Australian Army helicopter squadron that provides aviation support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron is being equipped with the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.

17th Battalion (Australia)

The 17th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although its numerical designation was bestowed upon it during World War I, the 17th Battalion can trace its lineage back to 1860, when a unit of the New South Wales Volunteer Rifles was raised in St Leonards, New South Wales.

17th Brigade (Australia)

The 17th Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Australian Army. First raised in 1912 as a Militia formation to provide training under the compulsory training scheme, the brigade was later re-raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. Established in 1917 in the United Kingdom, it was broken up and disbanded without seeing action, and its personnel used as reinforcements for other formations.

17th Construction Squadron (Australia)

The 17th Construction Squadron is an Australian Army sub-unit consisting of personnel drawn mainly from the Royal Australian Engineers. Originally formed in 1949, the squadron is currently part of the 6th Engineer Support Regiment and is based at RAAF Base Amberley.

17th Light Horse Regiment

The 17th Light Horse Regiment (Prince of Wale's Light Horse) was a Citizens Military Force (CMF) unit of the Australian Light Horse, formed during the 1912 reorganisation of the Australian Army. The regiment traces its origins back to the militia cavalry regiments raised in the colony of Victoria, such as the Royal Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, the Prince of Wales's Light Horse Hussars and the Sandhurst Cavalry Troop.

18th Battalion (Australia)

The 18th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. During World War I, the battalion was raised in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force, attached to the 5th Brigade, of the 2nd Division. It was sent initially to Gallipoli, where it suffered many casualties before it was withdrawn from the line and sent to France and Belgium, where it served at the Western Front as part of the Australian Corps and took part in most of the major battles between 1916 and 1918.

18th Brigade (Australia)

The 18th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. The brigade briefly existed as a Militia formation prior to the First World War, but this was short-lived. During the Second World War, the brigade was raised on 13 October 1939 and was one of the first three infantry brigades of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) to be formed.

18th Light Horse Regiment

The 18th Light Horse Regiment (Adelaide Lancers) was a Citizens Military Force unit of the Australian Light Horse, formed during the post-World War I reorganisation of the Australian Army. The regiment traces its origins back to the militia cavalry regiments raised in the colony of South Australia, such as the Adelaide Cavalry Squadron, the Adelaide Mounted Rifles and the South Australian Mounted Rifles.

19th Battalion (Australia)

The 19th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although the unit's numerical designation was bestowed upon it during World War I, the unit can trace its origins back to 1860 when a Volunteer Rifle corps was raised in South Sydney.

19th Brigade (Australia)

The 19th Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army that was raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for service during World War II. It was briefly raised in 1912 as a Militia formation providing training as part of the compulsory training scheme.

1st Armoured Division (Australia)

The 1st Armoured Division was an armoured formation of the Australian Army, raised in 1941 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War II. While the Division was originally to be deployed to North Africa in late 1941, it was retained in Australia following the outbreak of the Pacific War.

1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia)

The 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (1 APC Sqn) was an armoured unit of the Australian Army raised for service during the Vietnam War. Raised in 1965, the unit was deployed to South Vietnam in May 1966 to join the 1st Australian Task Force.

1st Australian Civil Affairs Unit

The 1st Australian Civil Affairs Unit (1 ACAU) was raised in 1967 to coordinate the Australian Army's contribution to the US and allied Pacification Program during the Vietnam War, operating in Phuoc Tuy Province. Although other Australian units also conducted civic action projects in South Vietnam at various times, 1 ACAU had the primary responsibility for them once it was deployed.

1st Australian Task Force

The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was a brigade-sized formation which commanded Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based in a rubber plantation at Nui Dat, 8 km north of Bà Rịa in Phuoc Tuy Province and consisted of two and later three infantry battalions, with armour, aviation, engineers and artillery support.

1st Battalion (Australia)

The 1st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although its numerical name was designated during the First World War, the 1st Battalion can trace its lineage back to 1854, when a unit of the Volunteer Rifles was raised in Sydney.

1st Brigade (Australia)

1st Brigade is a combined arms formation of the Australian Army. Formed in 1903 as a militia formation based in New South Wales, it was reconstituted as part of the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 for service during World War I, the brigade fought at Gallipoli and on the Western Front before being disbanded in mid-1919.

1st Division (Australia)

The 1st Division, also known as the 1st (Australian) Division, is a division headquartered in Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane. The division was first formed in 1914 for service during the First World War as a part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).

1st Health Battalion (Australia)

The 1st Health Battalion (1 HB) is a unit of the 2nd Health Brigade. It is headquartered at the Robertson Army Barracks in Darwin. Formally having sub-units located in Darwin, Townsville and Brisbane, the then 1st Close Health Battalion (1CHB) was raised as 1 HB and fell under the command of the reestablished 2nd Health Brigade in 2022; with the existing Sub-Units being absorbed into 4th Health Battalion (Australia), and 2nd Health Battalion (Australia), respectively.

1st Independent Company (Australia)

The 1st Independent Company was one of twelve independent or commando companies raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1941, No. 1 Independent Company served in New Ireland, New Britain and New Guinea in the early stages of the war in the Pacific, taking part in a major commando raid on Salamaua in June 1942.

1st Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 1st Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force. It was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war.

1st Motor Brigade (Australia)

The 1st Motor Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during the interwar years and the early part of World War II. Initially raised in 1921 as the 1st Cavalry Brigade in Queensland, it was a part time formation of the Militia.

1st New Guinea Infantry Battalion

The 1st New Guinea Infantry Battalion (1 NGIB) was a battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. One of four infantry battalions raised in New Guinea, 1 NGIB was formed in March 1944. In late 1944, the battalion began deploying company-sized elements in support of combat operations on Bougainville, New Britain and on mainland New Guinea.

1st Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 1st Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised for service during the First World War as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in Egypt in March 1916, the battalion subsequently served on the Western Front in France and Belgium, after being transferred to the European battlefields shortly after its establishment.

1st Royal New South Wales Lancers

The 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers was an Australian Army light cavalry (reconnaissance) regiment. Its complicated lineage includes the New South Wales Lancers which was first formed as a colonial unit in 1885 as the New South Wales Cavalry, and subsequently saw action in the Second Boer War, and later during First World War at Gallipoli and Palestine as the 1st Light Horse Regiment.

1st/19th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment

The 1st/19th Battalion, The Royal New South Wales Regiment (1/19 RNSWR) is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It is one of four battalions of the Royal New South Wales Regiment and is currently a Reserve unit attached to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division.

2/10th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/10th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. Formed for service during World War II, the regiment was raised in 1941, but was disbanded in late 1944 having never been deployed overseas.

2/10th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/10th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944, the unit saw action late in the war against the Japanese during the Aitape–Wewak campaign. During this campaign the squadron carried out a number of tasks including long-range patrols, flank protection and area defence.

2/10th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/10th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed in mid-1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. The regiment was deployed to Malaya in 1941, taking part there in the military actions against the Japanese, and then deployed to Singapore in early 1942.

2/11th Armoured Car Regiment (Australia)

The 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment was an Australian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of World War II. The regiment was formed in mid-1941 and was intended to be deployed to the Middle East. In late 1941, in response to the growing threat posed by Japan's entry into the war in the Pacific, it was employed in a defensive role to guard against a possible invasion of mainland Australia.

2/11th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/11th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which saw service during World War II. Raised shortly after the outbreak of war in 1939, the 2/11th was formed from Second Australian Imperial Force volunteers who were recruited mainly from the state of Western Australia.

2/11th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/11th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944, the unit saw action late in the war against the Japanese during the Borneo campaign in 1945. As a part of this campaign the squadron undertook landings on Labuan Island and at Brunei Bay.

2/11th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/11th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. Formed in Victoria in mid-1940, the regiment was deployed to the Middle East in 1941 and subsequently took part in the fighting against the Vichy French in the Syria–Lebanon Campaign.

2/12th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/12th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during World War II. Raised in late 1939 as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the battalion's initial recruits were drawn primarily from the states of Queensland and Tasmania.

2/12th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/12th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944 following a re-organisation of Australia's military forces, the unit participated in the Borneo campaign in 1945 but played only a limited role before hostilities ended.

2/12th Field Ambulance

The 2/12th Field Ambulance was an Australian military unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving during World War II. During their six years of service, over 200 soldiers were killed, the highest figure for a non-combatant unit in Australian history.

2/12th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/12th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force for overseas during World War II. Recruited in the state of Victoria in early 1940, the 2/12th was initially formed as a medium artillery regiment, but was later converted to a field regiment due to a lack of medium guns.

2/13th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/13th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. Formed in April 1940 from volunteers drawn primarily from New South Wales, as part of the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division, the battalion served in North Africa in 1941–1942, after being reassigned to the 9th Division.

2/14th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/14th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery unit that served during the Second World War. Raised in late 1940 as part of the 8th Division, the regiment remained in Australia as a garrison force in Darwin when the division's infantry brigades were sent to various places around Southeast Asia to meet the threat posed by Japan.

2/15th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/15th Field Regiment was an Australian Army field artillery regiment that served during the Second World War. Raised in late 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), the regiment was assigned to the 8th Division.

2/16th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/16th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, serving during World War II. Attached to the 21st Brigade that was assigned to the 7th Division, the 2/16th was raised in 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force from volunteers drawn mainly from the state of Western Australia.

2/19th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/19th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which was raised for service during the Second World War as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. After being formed in mid-1940, the battalion was allocated to the 22nd Brigade, which was part of the 8th Division.

2/1st Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia)

The 2/1st Anti-Tank Regiment was an Australian Army anti-tank artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. Formed in November 1939, it was sent to the United Kingdom in mid-1940, but was broken up and converted into infantry.

2/1st Battalion (Australia)

The 2/1st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force at the start of World War II, the battalion was deployed to the Middle East in early 1940 and subsequently took part in the early fighting in the North African campaign, taking part in battles around Bardia and Tobruk before later being sent to Greece in early 1941.

2/1st Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/1st Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment raised as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. Formed in October 1939, the regiment was assigned to the 6th Division.

2/1st Medium Regiment (Australia)

The 2/1st Medium Regiment was an artillery regiment of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in 1940 as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the regiment undertook garrison duties in Australia, Nauru and on Ocean Island, and served in the Middle East.

2/1st Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 2/1st Pioneer Battalion was a pioneer (military) battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in early 1940, the battalion served throughout the war, seeing action in North Africa, particularly around Tobruk in 1941, before being brought back to Australia in 1942.

2/20th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/20th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in mid-1940 as part of the 8th Division, the battalion was recruited from Second Australian Imperial Force volunteers drawn from the state of New South Wales.

2/21st Battalion (Australia)

The 2/21st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised during Second World War as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, it was formed on 11 July 1940 at Trawool in central Victoria, as part of the 23rd Brigade of the 8th Division.

2/22nd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/22nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for service during World War II, the battalion formed part of the 23rd Brigade, attached to the 8th Division.

2/23rd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/23rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. Formed in June 1940 from primarily volunteers from Albury, New South Wales, the battalion served in North Africa in 1941–1942 as part of the 26th Brigade, which was assigned to the 7th Division, before being reassigned to the 9th Division.

2/24th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/24th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. A unit of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), it was formed in July 1940 from primarily Victorian volunteers and was known as "Wangaratta's Own" because of the time the battalion spent in the town during its formative period prior to deployment overseas.

2/25th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/25th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. Raised in 1940, from volunteers drawn primarily from the state of Queensland, after completing its training the battalion undertook garrison duties in Darwin before deploying to the Middle East in mid-1941, as part of the 24th Brigade.

2/26th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/26th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in late 1940 for service during the Second World War, the battalion undertook garrison duties in Malaya and Singapore prior to the start of the Pacific War.

2/27th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/27th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in May 1940 as part of the 7th Division from volunteers from the state of South Australia, the battalion was assigned to the 21st Brigade.

2/28th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/28th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. Formed in mid-1940 from Western Australian volunteers, the battalion served in North Africa in 1941–42 as part of the 24th Brigade, which was assigned to the 9th Division.

2/29th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/29th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. Formed in October 1940, the battalion served in Malaya as part of the 27th Brigade, which was assigned to the 8th Division.

2/2nd Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia)

The 2/2nd Anti-Tank Regiment was an Australian Army anti-tank artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War. Formed in 1940 in Brisbane, Queensland, the regiment was assigned to the 7th Division and was deployed to North Africa in 1940, and subsequently undertook defensive duties in Egypt in 1941, before taking part in the Syria–Lebanon campaign.

2/2nd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/2nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army raised for service as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. Raised in October 1939, the battalion was deployed to the Middle East and in early 1941 took part in the first ground action undertaken by Australian troops during the war during the Battle of Bardia before helping to capture Tobruk.

2/2nd Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/2nd Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. It was initially designated No. 2 Independent Commando Company, and served in Timor, New Guinea and New Britain during World War II, taking part in the Battle of Timor in June 1942 as part of Sparrow Force.

2/2nd Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/2nd Field Regiment was an Australian Army field artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War. Assigned to the 6th Division, the regiment was formed from Second Australian Imperial Force volunteers.

2/2nd Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion was one of four pioneer battalions raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. Raised in 1940, the battalion served in the Middle East during the Syria–Lebanon Campaign against the Vichy French in mid-1941, fighting mainly as infantry.

2/30th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/30th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Raised in late 1940 as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), the battalion formed part of the 27th Brigade, which was assigned to the 8th Division.

2/32nd Battalion (Australia)

The 2/32nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. Formed in June 1940 from surplus Australian troops who had been sent to the United Kingdom shortly after the Fall of France, the battalion was originally designated the "71st Battalion", before being redesignated.

2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia)

The 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment was an Australian Army anti-tank artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. It was formed in July 1940, and was assigned to the 8th Division, but was later reassigned to the 9th Division.

2/3rd Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/3rd Commando Squadron was one of twelve independent or commando companies and squadrons formed by the Australian Army for service during World War II. Raised in October 1941 as the 2/3rd Independent Company, it served in New Caledonia and New Guinea before being amalgamated into the 2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment and adopting the name 2/3rd Commando Squadron in 1943.

2/3rd Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/3rd Field Regiment was an Australian Army field artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War. Formed in 1939 and assigned to the 6th Division, the regiment was deployed to the United Kingdom to defend against a possible invasion in 1940 before being sent to North Africa, where it briefly saw action prior to being sent to Greece and Crete in 1941.

2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion was a pioneer battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. Formed in 1940, the battalion served in the Middle East where it fought in Syria and Palestine before taking part in the fighting around El Alamein.

2/40th Battalion

The 2/40th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in mid-1940 from personnel recruited from Tasmania, the battalion was assigned to the 23rd Brigade, which formed part of the 8th Division. After completing basic training, the 2/40th was sent to Darwin to form part of the defensive garrison there as tensions with the Japanese grew throughout 1941.

2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia)

The 2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment was an Australian Army anti-tank artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. It was formed in November 1940, and was assigned to the 8th Division.

2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in November 1942 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force by amalgamating a number of previously existing armoured units and was disbanded in September 1946 after seeing action in New Guinea and Bougainville Island, where it provided individual squadron-group sized elements which operated in support of infantry operations against the Japanese.

2/4th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/4th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. Deploying to the Middle East in early 1940, the battalion took part in the early fighting in North Africa in early 1941 along with the rest of the 6th Division, before being sent to Greece and then Crete, where it was heavily engaged and suffered heavy losses.

2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/4th Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies and commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in August 1941, it was disbanded not long after due to conceptual problems, but it was quickly reformed following the entry of Japan into the war in December 1941.

2/4th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/4th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed on 2 May 1940, as part of the 7th Division during World War II. The regiment was involved in campaigns in North Africa, Syria–Lebanon, Salamaua–Lae, the Finisterre Ranges and Borneo.

2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 2/4th Pioneer Battalion was a unit of the Australian Army raised for service during the Second World War. A pioneer unit, the battalion undertook both infantry and engineer tasks. Despite being raised early in the war, the battalion did not see action until the final months, taking part in the Borneo campaign where, as part of the 1st Beach Group, it fought against the Japanese in support of the 9th Division.

2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/5th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War II, the regiment was formed in 1941 and disbanded at the end of the war in 1945 without having been deployed outside of Australia.

2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/5th Commando Squadron was one of twelve independent companies and or commando squadrons of the Australian Army formed for service during World War II. Initially formed in 1942 as the "2/5th Independent Company", the 2/5th served in New Guinea, taking part in a major commando raid on Salamaua in June 1942.

2/5th Field Regiment

The 2/5th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed in May 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for service during World War II. Assigned to the 7th Division, the regiment undertook defensive duties in Egypt during the North African campaign in early 1941, before taking part in the Syria–Lebanon campaign.

2/6th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/6th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Raised in 1941 the Regiment took part in the Battle of Buna–Gona in 1942–43, however, it did not see further action during the war and was disbanded in September 1945.

2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment

The 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment was a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War and was later converted into a commando unit. Formed at Ingleburn, New South Wales, in November 1939, it was originally raised as an armoured reconnaissance regiment attached to the 6th Division.

2/6th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/6th Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in May 1942 as the 2/6th Independent Company, the 2/6th's main role was to conduct irregular type warfare including small scale raiding, sabotage, long-range patrolling and reconnaissance operations rather than the traditional commando type direct action operations.

2/7th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/7th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War II in October 1941, it was initially intended to serve in the Middle East, however due to the changing nature of the war and manpower shortages, the regiment never saw service outside of Australia before being disbanded in January 1944.

2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia)

The 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment was one of three commando regiments raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. It was originally raised as the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment in 1940 and in this guise it served in North Africa and the Middle East at the beginning of the war, before it was brought back to Australia and sent to New Guinea in late 1942 to serve against the Japanese.

2/7th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/7th Commando Company was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in May 1942, as the 2/7th Independent Company, the 2/7th served in New Guinea in 1943 during the Salamaua–Lae campaign before being redesignated as the 2/7th Commando Squadron when it was combine with two other commando squadrons to become part of the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment.

2/7th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/7th Field Regiment was an Australian Army field artillery regiment that served during the Second World War. Formed in mid-1940 and assigned to the 9th Division, the regiment was deployed to North Africa, where it saw action around Tobruk in 1941 and in the First and Second Battles of El Alamein in 1942.

2/8th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/8th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. It was raised for service during World War II, being formed in July 1941. It deployed to New Guinea in 1943 but did not see any action before being disbanded in February 1944.

2/8th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/8th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force at Melbourne, Victoria on 30 October 1939, the 2/8th was initially attached to the 17th Brigade, 6th Division.

2/8th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/8th Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in July 1942 as the 2/8th Independent Company, the 2/8th spent the early years of the war performing garrison duties in the Northern Territory.

2/8th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/8th Field Regiment was an Australian Army field artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force.

2/9th Armoured Regiment (Australia)

The 2/9th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War II, the regiment was formed in August 1941 and spent most of the war in Australia. It was disbanded in early 1946 after seeing action in the Borneo campaign late in the war.

2/9th Cavalry Commando Regiment

The 2/9th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment was one of three commando regiments raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. It was originally raised in 1940 as an armoured cavalry unit as part of the 8th Division, before being transferred to the 9th Division.

2/9th Commando Squadron (Australia)

The 2/9th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944, the unit saw action late in the war against the Japanese during the Aitape–Wewak campaign taking part in number of long range patrol operations across the Torricelli Range in New Guinea before being used in an amphibious landing near Wewak in May 1945.

2/9th Field Regiment (Australia)

The 2/9th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force in July 1940 for operations during World War II. Assigned to the 1st Australian Corps, the regiment was sent to the Middle East in mid-1941, and served in Palestine, Egypt, and Syria before returning to Australia in 1942.

20th Battalion (Australia)

The 20th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in early 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force, it was attached to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division that served during World War I. The battalion first saw action during the Gallipoli campaign, before being evacuated in December 1915.

20th Brigade (Australia)

The 20th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. First raised in 1912 as a Militia formation to provide training under the compulsory training scheme, the brigade was later re-raised on 7 May 1940 as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force for service during the World War II.

20th Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 20th Pioneer Battalion was an Australian Army pioneer unit that served in New Guinea during World War II. A Militia unit, the battalion was originally formed as a light horse regiment in 1918. Through the 20th Light Horse Regiment, the unit drew lineage back to early Victorian colonial forces, raised in 1885.

21st Battalion (Australia)

The 21st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1915 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I and formed part of the 6th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division.

21st Brigade (Australia)

The 21st Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. It was briefly raised in 1912 as a Militia formation providing training as part of the compulsory training scheme. Later, it was re-formed in April 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the unit was raised for service during World War II.

21st Construction Regiment (Australia)

The 21st Construction Regiment (21 CR) was a construction engineer regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Part of the 5th Brigade, the regiment was formed in 1950 and was based in New South Wales where it provided support to the 2nd Division.

22nd Battalion (Australia)

The 22nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I and formed part of the 6th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division.

22nd Brigade (Australia)

The 22nd Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. It was briefly raised in 1912 as a Militia formation providing training as part of the compulsory training scheme. Later, during World War II, the brigade was raised as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force in April 1940.

22nd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 22nd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery was an artillery regiment of the Australian Army. Formed in 1916 as a howitzer brigade assigned to the 2nd Division, the unit served on the Western Front during World War I until it was disbanded in early 1917.

23rd Brigade (Australia)

The 23rd Brigade was a brigade of the Australian Army. It was briefly raised in 1912 as a Militia formation providing training as part of the compulsory training scheme. Later, it was re-formed in July 1940 for service during the Second World War, the brigade was initially a formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force assigned to the 8th Division; however, after its sub units were captured by the Japanese in 1942 it was reformed with Militia battalions and was mainly used in a garrison role around Darwin, in the Northern Territory, until late in the war when it was committed to the fighting against the Japanese on Bougainville.

23rd Light Horse Regiment

The 23rd Light Horse Regiment (Barossa) was a Citizens Military Force (CMF) unit of the Australian Light Horse, formed during the 1912 reorganisation of the Australian Army. The regiment traces its origins back to the militia cavalry units raised in the colony of South Australia, specifically the South Australian Mounted Rifles.

23rd Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 23rd Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery was an Australian Army artillery regiment of the Australian Army. Raised in 1948 as a Citizen Military Forces anti-tank unit designated the 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, it was converted to a field artillery regiment in the 1950s.

24th Battalion (Australia)

The 24th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1915 for service during World War I as part of the 1st Australian Imperial Force, it was attached to the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division and served during the Gallipoli campaign and in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium.

24th Brigade (Australia)

The 24th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. Formed on 1 July 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the unit was raised for service during World War II. Originally formed as part of the 8th Australian Division the brigade was subsequently transferred to the newly created 9th Australian Division in December.

25th Battalion (Australia)

The 25th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. Raised in early 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion fought at Gallipoli and in the trenches along the Western Front, before being disbanded in early 1919.

25th Brigade (Australia)

The 25th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War. Raised in July 1940 and consisting of three infantry battalions, the 25th Brigade initially served in the United Kingdom, where it formed part of the garrison tasked with defending against a possible German invasion.

25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment

The 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (25/49 RQR) is a Reserve light infantry battalion in the Australian Army, based in the state of Queensland. Although it was officially formed in 1997, the unit can trace its lineage back to units that were formed in 1875 as part of the colonial defence force of the state of Queensland.

26th Brigade (Australia)

The 26th Brigade was an Australian Army infantry brigade of World War II. Formed in mid-1940, the brigade was assigned to the 7th Division initially, but later transferred to the 9th Division. It was primarily recruited from Victoria and South Australia.

27th Brigade (Australia)

The 27th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. The brigade was the last Second Australian Imperial Force infantry brigade raised for service during World War II. Initially assigned to the 9th Division, the brigade was transferred to the 8th Division shortly after it was raised.

28th Brigade (Australia)

The 28th Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in April 1941, the brigade consisted of Militia units who were assigned to carry out defensive duties on the New South Wales Central Coast.

29th Brigade (Australia)

The 29th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II. Formed in late 1941 as part of the Militia, the brigade was initially formed for home defence in response to Japan's entry into the war.

29th/46th Battalion (Australia)

The 29th/46th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was formed in August 1942 by the amalgamation of two previously existing Militia battalions, the 29th and 46th, which were merged following a decision by the Australian government to release manpower from the military back into industry to meet the nation's increased production requirements.

2nd Armoured Division (Australia)

The 2nd Armoured Division was an armoured formation of the Australian Army during World War II. Originally raised in 1921 as the 2nd Cavalry Division, based in Victoria and South Australia, the formation had been converted into a motor division in early 1942, before adopting the armoured designation later in the year.

2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 2nd Battalion (Amphibious), The Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR (Amphib)) is an amphibious reconnaissance battalion of the Australian Army part of the 1st Division Amphibious Task Group based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.

2nd Brigade (Australia)

The 2nd Health Brigade (2HB) is an Australian Army brigade. The 2nd Brigade was formed in 1903 as a militia infantry formation based in Victoria, the brigade later served during the First World War as part of the Australian Imperial Force, allocated to the 1st Division.

2nd Cavalry Regiment (Australia)

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2 CAV) is an armoured cavalry regiment of the Australian Army. Formed in 1965 as the "1st Cavalry Regiment", it is the second most senior regiment in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. In 1970, the regiment was redesignated as the "2nd Cavalry Regiment", to differentiate it from the 1st Armoured Regiment.

2nd Division (Australia)

The 2nd (Australian) Division is a Reserve division that is headquartered in Randwick Barracks, Sydney. The primary role of the Division is homeland defence. Its formations are geographically dispersed across Australia and include the 4th Brigade in Victoria and Tasmania, the 5th Brigade in New South Wales, the 9th Brigade in South Australia, the 11th Brigade in Queensland and the 13th Brigade in Western Australia.

2nd Light Horse Brigade

The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in New South Wales.

2nd Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 2nd Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and by December as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade had moved overseas.

2nd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 2nd Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force. It was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war.

2nd Motor Brigade (Australia)

The 2nd Motor Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during the interwar years and World War II. Initially raised in 1921 as the 2nd Cavalry Brigade in New South Wales, it was a part-time formation of the Militia.

2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalion

The 2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalion (2 NGIB) was a battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. One of four infantry battalions raised in New Guinea, 2 NGIB was formed in September 1944. Formed late in the war, the battalion played only a minor role in the Allied campaign in New Guinea, supporting the 6th Division during the final stages of the Aitape–Wewak campaign.

2nd Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 2nd Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised for service during the First World War as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in Egypt in March 1916, the battalion subsequently served on the Western Front in France and Belgium, after being transferred to the European battlefields shortly after its establishment.

2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment

The 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (2/17 RNSWR) is a reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Currently part of the 5th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division, the unit currently consists of a headquarters, signals platoon and three rifle companies spread out across a number of depots throughout the state of New South Wales.

30th Battalion (Australia)

The 30th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally formed in 1915 during the First World War as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and saw service on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919.

30th Brigade (Australia)

The 30th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. Formed in December 1941, as part of the Militia, the unit was raised for service during the Second World War. Established in response to Japan's entry into the war, the brigade's subordinate units were established in several Australian states.

31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment

The 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (31 RQR) was a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although it was officially formed as 31 RQR in 1965 the battalion can trace its lineage back to units formed in 1881 as part of the colonial defence forces of the state of Queensland.

31st Brigade (Australia)

The 31st Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in January 1942, amidst concerns of a Japanese invasion of Australia, the brigade was tasked with defending the eastern New South Wales coast around Botany Bay and Cronulla.

32nd Brigade (Australia)

The 32nd Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. A militia formation, the brigade was formed at Broadmeadow, New South Wales, in January 1942, as part of the Newcastle Covering Force and then the 10th Division.

33rd Battalion (Australia)

The 33rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in 1916, the battalion fought on the Western Front during World War I. It was disbanded after the war, but later re-raised as a part-time unit based in New South Wales.

33rd Brigade (Australia)

The 33rd Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army established at the end of World War II. Formed in August 1945 at Morotai Island, it consisted of three Australian Imperial Force infantry battalions that were raised for occupation duties in the Dutch East Indies following Japan's surrender.

34th Battalion (Australia)

The 34th Battalion was an infantry unit of 1st Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which was established in World War I for overseas service. Formed in Australia in 1916, the battalion fought on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919.

34th Brigade (Australia)

The Australian 34th Brigade was an Australian Army brigade. The brigade was formed in late 1945 following the end of World War II as part of the Australian contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan.

35th Battalion (Australia)

The 35th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in late 1915 for service during the First World War, the battalion saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in 1919.

36th Battalion (Australia)

The 36th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. Throughout World War I the battalion served on the Western Front as part of the 9th Brigade, attached to the 3rd Division.

37th Battalion (Australia)

The 37th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during the World War I and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium and was disbanded in 1918.

37th/52nd Battalion (Australia)

The 37th/52nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in 1930 from two previously existing Militia battalions, the battalion remained on the Australian order of battle until 1937. During World War II it was revived in 1942 and subsequently saw active service with the 4th Brigade against the Japanese in the Huon Peninsula and New Britain campaigns.

38th Battalion (Australia)

The 38th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1916 for service overseas during World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the battalion was recruited from the state of Victoria and formed part of the 10th Brigade, 3rd Division.

3rd Armoured Division (Australia)

The 3rd Armoured Division was an armoured unit of the Australian Army during World War II. Originally raised in 1921 as the 1st Cavalry Division, the formation had been converted into a motor division in early 1942, before adopting the armoured designation in November 1942.

3rd Army Tank Brigade

The 3rd Army Tank Brigade was an armoured brigade of the Australian Army during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in May 1942 and disbanded in September 1943 without seeing combat.

3rd Battalion (Australia)

The 3rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I, the battalion formed part of the 1st Brigade, attached to the 1st Division.

3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is the armoured infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade (Armoured Amphibious). 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, South Vietnam, Rifle Company Butterworth, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

3rd Brigade (Australia)

The 3rd Brigade is a combined arms brigade of the Australian Army. Initially raised in 1903 as part of the post-Federation Australian Army, it was removed from the order of battle in 1906 following the restructure of the field force.

3rd Light Horse Brigade

The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in Victoria.

3rd Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 3rd Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and by December as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade had moved overseas.

3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 3rd Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army. Originally formed in March 1918 for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force, it was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war.

3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion

The 3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion (3 NGIB) was a battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. One of four infantry battalions raised in New Guinea to fight against the Japanese, 3 NGIB was formed in June 1945, and spent the remainder of the war training.

3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment (Australia)

The 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment is an armoured unit within the Australian Army's Royal Australian Armoured Corps. Formed in 1981 with the amalgamation of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and the 4th Cavalry Regiment, from 1986 to 2014 the unit consisted of an independent squadron, B Squadron 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment, within the 3rd Brigade in Townsville, Queensland.

40th Battalion (Australia)

The 40th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in 1916 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion was recruited completely from Tasmania as part of the 10th Brigade, 3rd Division.

41st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment

The 41st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment, (41 RNSWR), is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. An Army Reserve unit, it is one of four battalions of the Royal New South Wales Regiment and is attached to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division.

42nd Battalion (Australia)

The 42nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the First World War, it was established at Enoggera in December 1915, forming part of the 11th Brigade in the 3rd Division.

43rd Battalion (Australia)

The 43rd Battalion was an Australian Army infantry unit that was originally formed during the First World War as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force. Raised in early 1916, the battalion subsequently fought in the trenches of the Western Front from late 1916 until the end of the war in November 1918.

44th Battalion (Australia)

The 44th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1916 for overseas service during World War I, the battalion fought in the trenches along the Western Front in France and Belgium between late 1916 and 1918, before disbanding at the conclusion of hostilities.

45th Battalion (Australia)

The 45th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War I, the battalion served in the trenches on the Western Front in France and Belgium from mid-1916 until the end of hostilities in November 1918.

46th Battalion (Australia)

The 46th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1916 for service during the First World War, the battalion served on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919. It was re-raised as a part-time unit of the Citizens Forces in 1921 and in 1927 adopted the title of the "Brighton Rifles", before becoming part of the Militia in 1929.

47th Battalion (Australia)

The 47th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during the First World War. The battalion then took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium, before being disbanded in early 1918 to provide reinforcements for other Australian units that were suffering from a manpower shortage following the German spring offensive.

48th Battalion (Australia)

The 48th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during World War I and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium, before being disbanded in early 1919.

48th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

The 48th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery was an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The battery traced its lineage back to a unit that was formed for service during the First World War. Assigned to the 9th Brigade, it was located at Keswick Barracks in South Australia until mid-2013 when it was amalgamated with the Launceston-based 16th Field Battery, to form the 6th/13th Light Battery.

4th Battalion (Australia)

The 4th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion formed part of the 1st Brigade, attached to the 1st Division.

4th Brigade (Australia)

The 4th Brigade is a brigade-level formation of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1912 as a Militia formation, the brigade was re-raised for service during World War I, elements of the brigade served at Gallipoli and in the trenches on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919.

4th Division (Australia)

The Australian 4th Division was formed in the First World War during the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) infantry brigades in February 1916. In addition to the experienced 4th Brigade (previously in the original New Zealand and Australian Division) were added the new 12th and 13th Brigades (spawned from the battalions of the 4th and 3rd Brigades respectively).

4th Light Horse Brigade

The 4th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) serving in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in Victoria and Tasmania.

4th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 4th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in August 1914, as the divisional cavalry regiment for the 1st Division. The regiment fought against the forces of the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Western front, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 4th Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army. Originally formed in March 1918 for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force, it was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war.

4th New Guinea Infantry Battalion

The 4th New Guinea Infantry Battalion (4 NGIB) was a battalion of the Australian Army. One of four infantry battalions raised in New Guinea, 4 NGIB was formed in the final stages of World War II to fight against the Japanese.

4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 4th Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised for service during the First World War as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in Egypt in March 1916, the battalion subsequently served on the Western Front in France and Belgium, after being transferred to the European battlefields shortly after its establishment.

4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is an artillery unit of the Australian Army. Currently it provides close artillery support to the 3rd Brigade and is based at Chau Pha Lines, Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, Queensland.

50th Battalion (Australia)

The 50th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Egypt in early 1916 for service during World War I, drawing a cadre of experienced personnel from the 10th Battalion. After the unit's formation, it was transferred to Europe where it took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium.

51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment

The 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (51 FNQR) is an Australian Army Reserve Regional Force Surveillance Unit headquartered at Porton Barracks in Cairns, Queensland. The battalion's primary role is to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance tasks in support of border security operations.

52nd Battalion (Australia)

The 52nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 as part of the Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I. After training in Egypt, the battalion took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium, including major battles at Mouquet Farm, Messines, Polygon Wood, Dernancourt and Villers-Bretonneux.

53rd Battalion (Australia)

The 53rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in 1916 for service during World War I the battalion served on the Western Front until the end of the war, before being briefly amalgamated with the 55th Battalion and then eventually disbanded in 1919.

54th Battalion (Australia)

The 54th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during World War I and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium before being amalgamated with the 56th Battalion in late 1918 following the German spring offensive that reduced the numbers in both battalions.

55th Battalion (Australia)

The 55th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in 1916 for service during World War I in the AIF the battalion served on the Western Front until the end of the war, before being briefly amalgamated with the 53rd Battalion and then being disbanded in 1919.

55th/53rd Battalion (Australia)

The 55th/53rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which saw active service during World War II. First formed in 1919 during the demobilisation of the Australian Imperial Force, the battalion was an amalgamation of two other units, the 55th and 53rd Battalions.

56th Battalion (Australia)

The 56th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during the World War I and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium before being amalgamated with the 54th Battalion in late 1918 following the German spring offensive reduced the numbers in both battalions.

57th Battalion (Australia)

The 57th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in early 1916 for service during World War I, the battalion served on the Western Front until the end of the war, when it was disbanded. In 1921, it was re-raised as a part-time unit in Victoria, known as "The Merri Regiment".

57th/60th Battalion (Australia)

The 57th/60th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. It was formed in 1930 as part of the Militia by the amalgamation of the 57th Battalion and the 60th Battalion.

58th Battalion (Australia)

The 58th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1916 for overseas service during World War I and saw action on the Western Front from June 1916 until the end of the war. Following the end of hostilities it was disbanded in 1919; however, in 1921 the battalion was re-raised as part of the part-time Citizens Force (later known as the Militia) and remained in existence until 1942 when it was amalgamated with the 59th Battalion to form the 58th/59th Battalion.

58th/59th Battalion (Australia)

The 58th/59th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. Raised in 1942 as part of the Militia through the amalgamation of the 58th and 59th Battalions, it formed part of the 15th Brigade, assigned to the 3rd Division.

59th Battalion (Australia)

The 59th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Initially raised for service during World War I, the battalion fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium between 1916 and 1918, before being disbanded in 1919.

5th Aviation Regiment (Australia)

The 5th Aviation Regiment (5 Avn Regt) is an Australian Army aviation unit. Formed in 1987 after the Army took over responsibility for operating helicopters from the Royal Australian Air Force, the regiment is based at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland.

5th Battalion (Australia)

The 5th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in Victoria as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I, the battalion formed part of the 2nd Brigade, attached to the 1st Division.

5th Brigade (Australia)

5th Brigade is a brigade of the Australian Army. Originally raised as a militia formation in 1912, the 5th Brigade was re-raised for overseas service in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War.

5th Division (Australia)

The 5th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army which served during the First and Second World Wars. The division was formed in February 1916 as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force infantry brigades.

5th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 5th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in August 1914, and assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

5th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 5th Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army. Originally formed in March 1918 for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force, it was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war.

5th Motor Brigade

The 5th Motor Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during the interwar years and World War II. A formation of the part-time Militia, the brigade was formed in 1921 as the 5th Cavalry Brigade. At this time, it consisted of three light horse regiments based in Victoria.

5th Pioneer Battalion (Australia)

The 5th Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised for service during the First World War as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in Egypt in March 1916, the battalion subsequently served on the Western Front in France and Belgium, after being transferred to the European battlefields shortly after its establishment.

60th Battalion (Australia)

The 60th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised for service during World War I in 1916 and took part in the fighting on the Western Front for two-and-a-half years. Following the end of the war it was disbanded before being re-raised in 1921 as a part-time unit of the Citizen Force.

62nd Battalion (Australia)

The 62nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was first raised in 1917 during World War I but was disbanded before seeing active service. During World War II the battalion was re-raised in 1942 as a unit of the Militia and was tasked with undertaking garrison duty in Dutch New Guinea, where they defended Merauke from possible Japanese attack.

6th Armoured Brigade (Australia)

The 6th Australian Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in May 1942, by the conversion of the 6th Motor Brigade and was assigned to the 2nd Motor Division. The brigade also absorbed units of the 5th Motor Brigade in June 1942.

6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.

6th Brigade (Australia)

The 6th Combat Support Brigade was an Australian Army brigade. First formed in 1912 as a Militia formation to provide training under the compulsory training scheme, the brigade was re-raised during the First World War as an infantry unit of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force.

6th Cavalry Brigade (Australia)

The 6th Cavalry Brigade was a militia or Citizens Military Force (CMF) formation of the Australian Army based in South Australia. It originated from the 6th Light Horse Brigade and was later converted to the 6th Motor Brigade and eventually to the 6th Armoured Brigade.

6th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 6th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

6th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II. Formed in late 1942 from the machine gun companies of several infantry battalions, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion undertook training on the New South Wales south coast before being deployed to New Guinea where they took part in the Markham and Ramu Valley – Finisterre Range campaign, defending the airfield at Gusap, and undertaking patrols.

6th Motor Brigade (Australia)

The 6th Motor Brigade was a militia formation of the Australian Army, which was formed during World War II. Formed in February 1942 from the previously existing 6th Cavalry Brigade, the brigade undertook defensive duties in Victoria before being converted into an armoured formation in May 1942.

724 Squadron RAN

724 Squadron was a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Fleet Air Arm (formerly Australian Navy Aviation Group) naval air squadron. The squadron was formed for the first time in the RAN in 1955 and was last disbanded in 1984.

725 Squadron RAN

725 Squadron is a naval aviation squadron of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Fleet Air Arm. The squadron was originally created in August 1943 as part of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It initially served as a fleet requirements unit, was rerolled in August 1945 as a target towing unit, then was disbanded in December 1945.

7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (7 RAR) was a regular infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1965 as part of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War and it eventually served two tours in Vietnam in 1967 and 1971.

7th Brigade (Australia)

7th Brigade is a combined arms formation or brigade of the Australian Army. The brigade was first raised in 1912 as a Militia formation, although it was re-formed as part of the First Australian Imperial Force in early 1915 for service during World War I. It subsequently saw action at Gallipoli and on the Western Front during the war.

7th Division (Australia)

The 7th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). The division was raised on the British establishment of nine infantry battalions per division and consisted of two new brigades and three of the original 12 battalions of the 6th Division forming the third brigade.

7th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 7th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in October 1914, and assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

7th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 7th Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II. Formed in late 1942 from the machine gun companies of several infantry battalions, the 7th Machine Gun Battalion undertook defensive duties around Port Moresby and Milne Bay during the New Guinea campaign before taking part in the defence of Wau airfield during the Battle of Wau in early 1943.

7th Signal Regiment (Australia)

The 7th Signal Regiment is an Australian Army signals intelligence (SIGINT) unit. Drawing lineage from the Australian Special Wireless Group (ASWG), which was raised during World War II, the regiment's history includes service in the Allied campaigns in Greece, on Crete and in Syria before taking part in the fighting against the Japanese in New Guinea.

7th/21st Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 7th/21st Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army. Initially formed in 1936 through the amalgamation of two previously existing light horse regiments, the 7th/21st was formed as a part time unit in the state of New South Wales.

851 Squadron RAN

851 Squadron was a naval air squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The squadron operated over two distinct periods, initially between 1954 and 1958 and then between 1968 and 1984, mainly in an anti-submarine warfare training and as well later in transport roles and a Fleet Requirements Unit, predominantly based at, New South Wales.

8th Battalion (Australia)

The 8th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Initially raised in 1914 for the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War the battalion was completely recruited from Victoria and formed part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division.

8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8 RAR) was an Australian Army Regular infantry battalion. The battalion was formed in July 1966 as part of an expansion of the Australian Army in the mid-1960s due to the perceived threat of Communism in southeast Asia.

8th Brigade (Australia)

8th Brigade is an Australian Army Reserve training formation. It is headquartered in Sydney, and has subordinate units in various locations around New South Wales and the rest of Australia. These units are tasked with delivering basic and initial employment training to Reserve soldiers.

8th Division (Australia)

The 8th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army, formed during World War II as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. The 8th Division was raised from volunteers for overseas service from July 1940 onwards.

8th Field Ambulance (Australia)

The 8th Field Ambulance was a medical unit of the Australian Army. It was originally formed for service during World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force, and served mainly on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918, before disbanding in early 1919.

8th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 8th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted rifles regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and assigned to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles

The 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles (8th/13th VMR) was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Formed in 1948, the regiment initially operated M3 Grant medium tanks, but was later re-equipped with Centurion tanks in the late 1950s.

8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8/9 RAR) is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally formed in 1973 by linking together both the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment.

9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (9 RAR) was a Regular light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion was raised in November 1967 and deployed to South Vietnam as part of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War in November 1968. 9 RAR served a year-long tour of duty based out of Nui Dat conducting operations mainly in Phuoc Tuy Province as part of the 1st Australian Task Force.

9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment

The 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (9 RQR) is a Reserve light infantry battalion of the Australian Army, raised and based in the state of Queensland. It is part of the Royal Queensland Regiment and is currently attached to the 11th Brigade of the 2nd Division. 9 RQR can trace its history as far back as 1867 with the establishment Queensland Volunteer Rifle Corps, although it was not until 1911 that it was designated as the "9th Battalion".

9th Brigade (Australia)

The 9th Brigade is a Reserve formation of the Australian Army headquartered at Keswick Barracks in Keswick, South Australia, with elements located in New South Wales and South Australia. The brigade was first raised in 1912 in New South Wales following the introduction of the compulsory training scheme.

9th Division (Australia)

The 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was the fourth division raised for the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). The distinctions of the division include it being:.

9th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 9th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted rifles regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in October 1914, and assigned to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan.

9th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 9th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is an artillery regiment of the Australian Army. It draws lineage from an artillery unit raised in 1903, which provided personnel to artillery units raised for service during World War I seeing action on the Western Front.

A Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

A' Field Battery is an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The unit has been in existence since 1871, having originally been raised as part of the New South Wales colonial defence force. As part of several different larger formations, the battery has served in many conflicts including the Sudan Campaign, the Second Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, Confrontation, and the Vietnam War.

Adelaide Universities Regiment

Adelaide Universities Regiment (AUR) is an officer training unit of the Australian Army headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia. Currently AUR maintains a cadre staff of trained Regular and Reserve personnel who oversee and administer the training of Reserve officer cadets.

Airborne forces of Australia

Airborne forces raised by Australia have included a number of conventional and special forces units. During the Second World War the Australian Army formed the 1st Parachute Battalion; however, it did not see action. In the post-war period Australia's parachute capability was primarily maintained by special forces units.

Anzac Strike Wing

The Anzac Strike Wing was a former wing of the Royal Air Force, active during the final two years of the Second World War as part of Coastal Command's anti-shipping campaign in the North Sea. Also known as the Leuchars Wing, the Langham Wing, and the Dallachy Wing, after the stations from which it operated, the wing's constituent units were squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force respectively.

Australian Army

The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is led by the Chief of Army (CA), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) who commands the ADF.

Australian Army Training Team Vietnam

The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) was a specialist unit of military advisors of the Australian Army that operated during the Vietnam War. Raised in 1962, the unit was formed solely for service as part of Australia's contribution to the war, providing training and assistance to South Vietnamese forces.

Australian Commonwealth Horse

The Australian Commonwealth Horse (ACH) was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901. Over 4,400 men enlisted in the ACH in three contingents, with troops and squadrons raised in each state and combined to form battalions.

Australian Cycling Corps

The Australian Cycling Corps was formed in Egypt in 1916 as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), and fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium during World War I. They were used mainly as despatch riders, while also conducting reconnaissance and patrolling.

Australian Defence Force Academy

The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military academy that provides military and academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as well as international trainee officers from a variety of countries. In 2016, the academy began accepting civilian students in its undergraduate courses.

Australian Defence Force School of Special Operations

The Australian Defence Force School of Special Operations is an Australian Army training unit part of the Defence Special Operations Training and Education Centre (DSOTEC) responsible for the recruitment, selection, training, education and trade management of all Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) personnel. It is based at Holsworthy Barracks, New South Wales.

Australian Embassy Guard Platoon, Saigon

The Australian Embassy Guard Platoon, Saigon was an Australian Army unit assigned to protect the Australian embassy in South Vietnam. The platoon was established in March 1972 as the Guard and Escort Platoon, and was redesignated in December that year.

Australian First Tactical Air Force

The Australian First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and naval units fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area.

Australian Flying Corps

The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until 1914 that it began flight training.

Australian Instructional Corps

The Australian Instructional Corps (AIC) was a corps of the Australian Army that existed between 1921 and 1955. Tasked with providing training to soldiers serving in Australia's part-time military force, the corps consisted of Permanent force warrant officers and senior non commissioned officers from all arms of service, who were posted to Citizen Force units as cadre staff, filling various regimental and training appointments.

Australian Machine Gun Corps

The Australian Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the Australian Army which was formed for service during World War I. It was established in early 1916 as part of a reorganisation of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in Egypt as preparations were made to transfer the bulk of the AIF's infantry divisions to Europe to participate in the Western Front fighting.

Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force

The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) was a small volunteer force of approximately 2,000 men, raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of World War I to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guinea in the south-west Pacific. The German wireless installations were ordered to be destroyed because they were used by Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) Maximilian von Spee's East Asia Squadron of the Imperial German Navy, which threatened merchant shipping in the region.

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign.

Australian commandos

The name commando has been applied to a variety of Australian special forces and light infantry units that have been formed since 1941–42. The first Australian "commando" units were formed during the Second World War, where they mainly performed reconnaissance and long-range patrol roles during Australia's campaigns in New Guinea and Borneo, although other units such as M and Z Special Units performed more clandestine roles.

Chief of Air Force (Australia)

The chief of Air Force (CAF) is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), responsible to the chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the secretary of Defence. The rank associated with the position is air marshal (three-star).

First Australian Army

The First Australian Army was a field army of the Australian Army, during World War II. The formation's headquarters was raised in April 1942 from the existing 1st Australian Corps headquarters, assuming command of all Allied troops in Queensland.

Fleet Command (Australia)

The Fleet Command is responsible for the command, operations, readiness, training and force generation of all ships, submarines, aircraft squadrons, diving teams, and shore establishments of the Royal Australian Navy. Fleet Command is headquartered at in Sydney, and is led by the Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT), also referred to as Fleet Commander Australia (FCAUST), which is a rear admiral (two-star) appointment.

I ANZAC Corps

The I ANZAC Corps (First Anzac Corps) was a combined Australian and New Zealand army corps that served during World War I.

II ANZAC Corps Mounted Regiment

The II ANZAC Corps Mounted Regiment was a combined mounted unit made up of Australian and New Zealand troops during the First World War. The regiment served on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918. For the most part, the regiment undertook rear area duties, although it undertook more mobile operations in early 1917 during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.

Jungle division

The Jungle division was a military organisation adopted in early 1943 by the Australian Army during the Second World War. This organisation was a much lighter version of the standard British-pattern infantry division used during previous campaigns in the deserts of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre fighting the Germans and Italians in 1940 and 1941 and was optimised to meet the needs of jungle warfare against the Japanese in the South West Pacific Area.

Land Warfare Centre (Australia)

The Land Warfare Centre (LWC) is an Australian Army training establishment that is responsible for the provision of promotion courses to commissioned and non commissioned officers (NCOs) in an "all corps" setting. It was originally established during World War II at Canungra, Queensland, as the Jungle Training Centre to prepare troops for combat in the South West Pacific Area.

Mentoring Task Force One

Mentoring Task Force One (MTF-1) was a combined arms battle group formed by the Australian Army for deployment as part of Operation Slipper during the War in Afghanistan. Formed in 2009 from the 7th Brigade, the unit consisted of infantry, engineers, cavalry, artillery and logistic elements from 55 different units, but was predominately based on the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR).

NORFORCE

The NORFORCE (North-West Mobile Force) is an infantry regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Formed in 1981, the regiment is one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units (RFSUs) employed in surveillance and reconnaissance of the remote areas of Northern Australia.

No. 11 Group RAAF

No. 11 Group was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) group formed at Morotai in the last weeks of World War II to command the RAAF's garrison units in the region. The group was established at the end of July 1945 but was not yet fully active when the war ended on 14 August.

No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF

No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight (No. 16 AOP Flight) was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) unit that saw action in World War II supporting Australian Army operations. It was formed in October 1944 and disbanded in June 1947.

No. 2 Squadron RAAF

No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron that operates from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales. From its formation in 1916 as part of the Australian Flying Corps, it has flown a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C).

No. 200 Flight RAAF

No. 200 Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force special duties flight of World War II. The flight was formed in February 1945 to support the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) and saw action over Borneo and the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) from March that year until the end of the war in August.

No. 3 Squadron RAAF

No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter squadron, headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales. Established in 1916, it was one of four combat squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps during World War I, and operated on the Western Front in France before being disbanded in 1919.

No. 31 Squadron RAAF

No. 31 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airbase support squadron. It was formed in August 1942 and disbanded in July 1946 after seeing action against the Japanese in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II.

No. 32 Squadron RAAF

No. 32 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force unit based at RAAF East Sale in Victoria. It currently flies training and transport operations. The squadron was raised in February 1942 for service during World War II. Equipped with Lockheed Hudsons, the squadron was tasked with anti-submarine, anti-shipping operations, bombing and reconnaissance missions in New Guinea.

No. 4 Squadron RAAF

No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron composed of the air force special forces Combat Controllers, aircrew who operate the Pilatus PC-21 aircraft and instructors for the Australian Defence Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course.

No. 42 Wing RAAF

No. 42 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing responsible for supporting the service's Boeing E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. It was first formed in February 1943, and commanded RAAF radar stations in north Queensland and the south coast of Dutch New Guinea until being disbanded in October 1944.

No. 451 Squadron RAAF

No. 451 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force army cooperation and fighter squadron of World War II. It was formed at Bankstown, New South Wales, on 12 February 1941 and began flying operations on 1 July as part of the North African Campaign in Egypt and Libya.

No. 452 Squadron RAAF

No. 452 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) air traffic control unit. It was established in 1941 as a fighter squadron, in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II. The squadron flew Supermarine Spitfires for the entire war, initially over the United Kingdom and Nazi-occupied Europe.

No. 453 Squadron RAAF

No. 453 Squadron is an air traffic control unit of the Royal Australian Air Force. It was established at Bankstown, New South Wales, in 1941 as a fighter squadron, in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme for overseas service with the Royal Air Force during World War II.

No. 455 Squadron RAAF

No. 455 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) torpedo bomber squadron during World War II and became famous as part of the "Anzac Strike Wing" that was formed from Australian and New Zealand squadrons. Raised in early 1941, mainly from Australian personnel, the squadron served over Europe during the war, operating from various bases in the United Kingdom; it also briefly sent a detachment to the Soviet Union in 1942.

No. 456 Squadron RAAF

No. 456 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) night fighter squadron, operational over Europe during World War II. Formed in mid-1941, the squadron was the RAAF's only night fighter squadron. It was also the first RAAF unit to use a roundel featuring a red kangaroo in a blue circle, on some parts of its aircraft.

No. 458 Squadron RAAF

No. 458 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron that operated during World War II. It was formed in Australia under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme. The squadron flew various versions of Vickers Wellington bombers, first in Europe and later in the Middle East.

No. 459 Squadron RAAF

No. 459 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron that operated during World War II. It was formed in early 1942 and served as a maritime patrol and bomber unit in the Mediterranean theatre until early 1945, operating mainly Lockheed Hudson aircraft.

No. 460 Squadron RAAF

No. 460 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force intelligence unit active within the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO). It was first formed as a heavy bomber squadron during World War II on 15 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 October 1945 after seeing extensive combat over Europe.

No. 462 Squadron RAAF

No. 462 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron which forms part of the Australian Defence Force's Cyber Command. The squadron was first formed on 6 September 1942 in Fayid, Egypt as a heavy bomber unit and saw combat in this role in the Mediterranean area until it was disbanded in March 1944.

No. 463 Squadron RAAF

No. 463 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force heavy bomber squadron during World War II. The squadron was formed in the United Kingdom in late 1943 from personnel and aircraft allocated from No. 467 Squadron RAAF.

No. 464 Squadron RAAF

No. 464 Squadron RAAF is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) unit responsible for public relations. It was originally formed in the United Kingdom during 1942 as a bomber unit. It comprised personnel from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the Netherlands, the squadron served in the light bomber role, undertaking operations over France and the Low Countries, from bases in England.

No. 466 Squadron RAAF

No. 466 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bomber squadron during World War II. Formed in the United Kingdom in late 1942, the squadron undertook combat operations in Europe until the end of the war, flying heavy bomber aircraft.

No. 467 Squadron RAAF

No. 467 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force bomber squadron, active over North West Europe during World War II. Formed in November 1942 as an Article XV Squadron in Britain, the squadron was notionally an Australian squadron under the command of the Royal Air Force, and consisted of a mixture of personnel from various Commonwealth nations.

No. 5 Squadron RAAF

No. 5 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force training, army co-operation and helicopter squadron. The squadron was formed in 1917 as a training unit of the Australian Flying Corps in Britain, readying pilots for service on the Western Front.

No. 76 Squadron RAAF

No. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flight training squadron. Established in 1942, it operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft in the South West Pacific theatre during World War II. Following the end of hostilities it re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs and formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until disbanding in 1948.

No. 9 Operational Group RAAF

No. 9 Operational Group was a major Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) formation providing fighter, ground-attack and anti-shipping support to the Allies in the South West Pacific theatre during World War II. Established in September 1942, it acted as a mobile striking force independent of the RAAF's static area commands.

No. 9 Squadron RAAF

No. 9 Squadron is a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The squadron was formed in early 1939 and saw active service in World War II as a fleet co-operation unit providing aircrews for seaplanes operating off Royal Australian Navy cruisers.

Northern Territory Force

Northern Territory Force was an Australian Army force responsible for protecting the Northern Territory during World War II. Most units assigned to the Northern Territory Force were based near Darwin and were responsible for defending the important naval and air bases in and around the town against a feared Japanese invasion.

Papuan Infantry Battalion

The Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) was a unit of the Australian Army raised in the Territory of Papua for service during the Second World War. Formed in early 1940 in Port Moresby to help defend the territory in the event of a Japanese invasion, its soldiers were primarily Papuan natives led by Australian officers and non-commissioned officers.

Proposed Australian and New Zealand Army

In early 1916, the Australian and New Zealand governments proposed the formation of a new field army, to be named the Australian and New Zealand Army, including all of the existing divisions of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF). However, the British government objected to the proposal, on the grounds that two corps (I ANZAC Corps and II ANZAC Corps), comprising six divisions, were insufficient for a field army.

RAAF Command

RAAF Command was the main operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. The command was formed in September 1942 and by April 1943 comprised 27 squadrons, including units from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Australia.

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally, the governor-general of Australia is the de jure commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force.

Royal Australian Army Dental Corps

The Royal Australian Army Dental Corps (RAADC) is a corps within the Australian Army. It was formed on 23 April 1943 during World War II as the Australian Army Dental Corps, before being granted the 'Royal' prefix in 1948.

Royal Australian Army Medical Corps

The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC) is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 through the amalgamation of medical units of the various Australian colonies and was first deployed to South Africa as a small detachment of personnel supporting the Australian Commonwealth Horse during the Second Boer War.

Royal Australian Engineers

The Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) is the military engineering corps of the Australian Army. The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps.

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is the Chief of Navy (CN), Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley. The Chief of Navy is also jointly responsible to the Minister for Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF).

Royal Australian Navy Submarine Force

The Royal Australian Navy Submarine Force (SUBFOR) is the submarine element of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The service currently forms the Navy's Submarine Force Element Group (FEG) and consists of six submarines.

Royal Australian Navy minesweeping after World War II

Following World War II the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was required to clear naval mines from the waters around Australia and New Guinea. Minesweeping in these areas began in December 1945 and was completed in August 1948.

Royal Pacific Islands Regiment

The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (RPIR) is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF). The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea during World War II to help fight against the Japanese.

Royal Queensland Regiment

The Royal Queensland Regiment (RQR) is a reserve light infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in Queensland. Part of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps, the regiment was established in 1960 following a reorganisation of Australia's part-time infantry regiments that saw the creation of six state-based regiments through the amalgamation of the previously existing regionally designated infantry battalions.

Second Army (Australia)

The Second Army was a field army of the Australian Army, during World War II. Raised in April 1942 from the existing HQ Home Forces, the formation remained in Australia throughout the war and was responsible for commanding forces in the Australian eastern states.

Second Australian Imperial Force

The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial strength of one infantry division and related auxiliary components.

South Australian Citizen Bushmen

The South Australian Bushmen (known as the South Australian Citizen Bushmen to distinguish them from the later South Australian Imperial Bushmen) was a mounted infantry squadron of the Colony of South Australia that served in the Second Boer War, the third contingent contributed by the colony.

Structure of the Australian Army

This article describes the current structure of the Australian Army. It includes the army's order of battle and the headquarters locations of major units. Members of the Australian Army also serve within joint units of the Australian Defence Force which fall outside the direct command of the Australian Army.

Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion

The Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army during the Second World War. Initially raised as a company-sized unit in 1941, it was expanded to a full battalion in 1942 and was unique in that almost all of its enlisted men were Torres Strait Islanders, making the battalion the only Indigenous Australian battalion ever formed by the Australian Army.

Uniforms of the Australian Army

The uniforms of the Australian Army have changed significantly over the past century, although the accoutrements worn over this period have remained relatively similar. The forces of the Australian colonies and the early forces of the Commonwealth post-Federation in 1901 closely followed the uniforms of the British Army.

Women in the Australian military

Women currently make up 19.2% of the ADF workforce. Women have served in Australian armed forces since 1899. Until World War II women were restricted to the Australian Army Nursing Service. This role expanded in 1941–42 when the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force established female branches in which women took on a range of support roles.

Z Special Unit

Z Special Unit was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist clandestine operation, direct action, long-range penetration, sabotage, and special reconnaissance unit that included British, Dutch, New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian members, predominantly operating on Borneo and the islands of the former Dutch East Indies.

102nd Medium Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

The 102nd Medium Battery was an artillery battery unit of the Royal Australian Artillery. The battery was formed in 1957, known as the 102nd Field Battery and served in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War before being disbanded in 1987.

11th Engineer Regiment (Australia)

The 11th Engineer Regiment (11ER) is an Australian Army Reserve engineer regiment trained for sapper/combat engineer and construction engineer operations. While 11 ER was formed on 1 January 2014 as a result of recent Australian Army modernisation efforts, 11 ER's lineage is traced back to early Queensland volunteer engineer units as early as 1879.

16th Aviation Brigade (Australia)

The 16th Aviation Brigade (16 Avn Bde) commands all the Australian Army aviation units and has technical control of the Army Aviation Training Centre reporting to Army Aviation Command. The Brigade was formed on 2 April 2002 by combining Headquarters Divisional Aviation (Operational Command) and Headquarters Aviation Support Group (Technical Command) and is headquartered in Enoggera Barracks, Queensland.

173rd Special Operations Aviation Squadron

The 173rd Special Operations Aviation Squadron (173 SOAS) is an Australian Army helicopter training squadron that provides support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron is being equipped with UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.

1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion

The 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was a First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) battalion of World War I. It was formed in June 1916 with the role of preparing soldiers for combat with the AIF's infantry battalions. From September that year until the battalion's disbandment in October 1917 it was used as a tunnelling unit.

1st Australian Tunnelling Company

The 1st Australian Tunnelling Company was one of the tunnelling companies of the Royal Australian Engineers during World War I. The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining involving the placing and maintaining of mines under enemy lines, as well as other underground work such as the construction of deep dugouts for troop accommodation, the digging of subways, saps (narrow trenches dug to approach enemy trenches), cable trenches, and underground chambers for signals and medical services.

1st Commando Regiment

The 1st Commando Regiment (1 Cdo Regt) is an Australian Army Reserve special forces unit and is part of Special Operations Command. The regiment has an integrated structure of regular (full-time) Australian Army soldiers and reserve (part-time) soldiers. 1st and 2nd Commando Companies were raised in 1955 and were combined with 126 Signal Squadron (SF) in 1981 to form the 1st Cdo Regt.

1st Intelligence Battalion (Australia)

The 1st Intelligence Battalion is an Australian Army unit responsible for collecting and analysing intelligence. It was formed in 1999.

20th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 20th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is an Australian Army regiment which was raised in 2006 as the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment.

2nd Australian Tunnelling Company

The 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company was one of the tunnelling companies of the Royal Australian Engineers during World War I. The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining involving the placing and maintaining of mines under enemy lines, as well as other underground work such as the construction of deep dugouts for troop accommodation, the digging of subways, saps (a narrow trench dug to approach enemy trenches), cable trenches and underground chambers for signals and medical services.

2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia)

The 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER) is an Australian Army combat engineer regiment located at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, Queensland. It is part of the Australian 7th Brigade, attached to Forces Command (Australia).

3rd Australian Tunnelling Company

The 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company was one of the tunnelling companies of the Royal Australian Engineers during World War I. The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining involving the placing and maintaining of mines under enemy lines, as well as other underground work such as the construction of deep dugouts for troop accommodation, the digging of subways, saps (a narrow trench dug to approach enemy trenches), cable trenches and underground chambers for signals and medical services.

3rd Health Battalion (Australia)

The 3rd Health Battalion (3 HB) is an Australian Army unit headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, foundered after the establishment of the 2nd Brigade (Australia) in 2022, providing Close Health, General Health and Health Support services to southern brigades and units of the Australian Army.

3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)

The 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles) (3/9 LH (SAMR)) is a Reserve light cavalry regiment of the Australian Army based in South Australia. It is constituted of a single squadron. It is part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC), the regiment is attached to the 9th Brigade, and currently operates Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle - Light (PMV-L) and G-wagon surveillance and reconnaissance vehicles (SRV). 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles) is currently under command of 1st Armoured Regiment.

4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) was an infantry battalion (later a special forces unit) of the Australian Army, forming part of the Royal Australian Regiment and eventually Special Operations Command. The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964, converted to a special forces unit on 1 February 1997, and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009.

5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR) was a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally established in 1965 it would serve two tours of South Vietnam before it was linked with the 7th Battalion to form the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in 1973.

5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment

The 5th/6th Battalion ("5/6 RVR") is one of two battalions of the Royal Victoria Regiment, and is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion traces its lineage back to many units that existed prior to Federation, as well as units that fought during World War I and World War II and the battalion carries the battle honours of these units as a mark of respect.

6th Engineer Support Regiment (Australia)

The 6th Engineer Support Regiment (6 ESR) is a specialised engineer regiment of the Australian Army. Established in early 2003, the regiment was formed by grouping several previously independent engineer squadrons – each providing different engineer support functions – together under a single headquarters.

7th Combat Service Support Battalion (Australia)

The 7th Combat Service Support Battalion (7 CSSB) is an Australian Army administration and logistics battalion which provides transport, supply and maintenance support services to units of the 7th Brigade. The battalion is made up of both Regular personnel and has recently been involved in deployments to Timor Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan.

817 Squadron RAN

817 Squadron was a naval air squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It was originally formed as part of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, as 817 Naval Air Squadron, for service during World War II and took part in combat operations in Norway, North Africa, Sicily and off the coast of France.

8th Operational Support Unit

The 8th Operational Support Unit (8OSU) is an Australian Army logistics unit that was raised in 2024. It forms part of the 2nd Division.

8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

The 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, was formed at the Holsworthy Barracks on 16 November 1973 through the amalgamation of the 8th Medium Regiment (RAA) and the 12th Field Regiment (RAA). The Regiment provides field artillery support to the 1st Brigade based in Darwin.

Airfield Defence Guards

Airfield Defence Guards (ADG) are a mustering of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) that are dedicated to the security and ground defence of airbases and other military aviation assets. Other duties include instructing other RAAF personnel, in skills such as the handling of small arms and infantry tactics.

Army Logistic Training Centre

The Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC) is an Australian Army training establishment that is part of Forces Command. Established on 1 December 1995, through the amalgamation of nine separate logistic, health and personnel services schools and the Army College of TAFE, ALTC is headquartered at Bandiana, Victoria, and was established in response to the need to provide more effective logistic training, which had been identified as a problem as early as 1981.

Australia Station

The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, whose rank varied over time.

Australian Air Force Cadets

The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), known as the Air Training Corps (AIRTC) until 2001, is a federally supported youth development program and organisation of the Royal Australian Air Force. Along with the Australian Army Cadets (AAC) and the Australian Navy Cadets (ANC), it is part of the Australian Defence Force Cadets.

Australian Army Legal Corps

The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that provide specific legal advice to commanders and general legal advice to all ranks. They must be admitted to practice as Australian Legal Practitioners.

Australian Army Nursing Service

The Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) was an Australian Army Reserve unit which provided a pool of trained civilian nurses who had volunteered for military service during wartime. The AANS was formed in 1902 by amalgamating the nursing services of the colonial-era militaries, and formed part of the Australian Army Medical Corps.

Australian Defence Force Helicopter School

The Australian Defence Force Helicopter School (ADFHS) was an Australian Defence Force unit responsible for training helicopter pilots. It was formed in 1990 and disbanded in 1998.

Australian Defence Organisation

The Australian Defence Organisation (ADO), also known as Defence, is an Australian Government organisation that consists of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Department of Defence (the Department, DoD; occaisionally Defence Australia), and other related organisations. Defence's mission and purpose is "to defend Australia and its national interests in order to advance Australia’s security and prosperity".

Australian Forestry Group UK

The Australian Forestry Group UK was an element of the Second Australian Imperial Force raised for forestry duties. Its constituent units were established in 1940 and 1941 in response to a request from the British Government for foresters to work in France.

Australian Regiment (1899–1900)

The Australian Regiment was a regiment of troops from the Australian colonies that served in the Second Boer War. It began its existence as infantry but was soon mounted due to the conditions of the war.

Australian Surface Fleet Review

The Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Review (or the Surface Fleet Review) was a 2024 independent review of the surface fleet of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), that was authorised as a result of the larger Defence Strategic Review. It considered and recommended actions the RAN needed to take to solidify Australia's war-fighting capabilities on the maritime front.

Australian Tank Corps

The Australian Tank Corps was gazetted in December 1927 and officially came into existence the following year. It received a small number of tanks in September 1929 and from this, Australia’s first armoured unit – the 1st Tank Section – was formed, as part of the Militia.

Chief of Navy (Australia)

The chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the secretary of defence. The rank associated with the position is vice admiral (3-star).

Deputy Chief of Army

The Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) is the second most senior appointment in the Australian Army, responsible to the Chief of Army (CA). The rank associated with the position is major general (2-star).

Fleet Air Arm (RAN)

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA), known formerly as the Australian Navy Aviation Group, is the division of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) responsible for the operation of aircraft. The FAA was founded in 1947 following the purchase of two aircraft carriers from the Royal Navy.

Future of the Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy, although a significant force in the Asia-Pacific region, is nonetheless classed as a medium-sized navy. Its fleet is based around two main types of surface combatant, with limited global deployment and air power capability.

History of the Royal Australian Navy

The history of the Royal Australian Navy traces the development of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788. Until 1859, vessels of the Royal Navy made frequent trips to the new colonies.

II ANZAC Corps

The II ANZAC Corps (Second Anzac Corps) was an Australian and New Zealand First World War army corps. Formed in early 1916 in Egypt in the wake of the failed Gallipoli campaign, it initially consisted of two Australian divisions, and was sent to the Western Front in mid-1916.

International Fleet Review 2013

The International Fleet Review 2013 was a review that took place on the week 3 to 11 October 2013, as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the entry of the first Royal Australian Navy fleet in Sydney Harbour, on 4 October 1913.

Joint Health Command (Australia)

The Joint Health Command (JHC) is responsible for the delivery of military medicine and joint healthcare services to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, including military psychiatry and rehabilitation services. The JHC is also responsible for providing strategic health policy, the development of the health preparedness of ADF personnel for operations, and the coordination of health units for deployment in support of operations.

New Guinea Force

New Guinea Force was a military command unit for Australian, United States and native troops from the Territories of Papua and New Guinea serving in the New Guinea campaign during World War II. Formed in April 1942, when the Australian First Army was formed from the Australian I Corps after it returned from the Middle East, it was responsible for planning and directing all operations within the territory up until October 1944.

No. 1 Training Group RAAF

No. 1 (Training) Group RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) group. It was formed in Melbourne in August 1941 as part of a reorganisation of the air force, and was disbanded after the war in January 1946.

No. 2 Training Group RAAF

No. 2 (Training) Group RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) group. It was formed in Sydney in August 1941 as part of a reorganisation of the air force, and was disbanded after the war in March 1946.

No. 4 Group RAAF

No. 4 (Maintenance) Group RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) group. It was formed in Melbourne in September 1942 as part of a reorganisation of the air force that saw maintenance functions transferred from area commands to dedicated functional groups.

No. 5 Group RAAF

No. 5 (Maintenance) Group RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) group of World War II. It was formed in June 1942 as part of a reorganisation of the air force that saw maintenance functions transferred from area commands to dedicated functional groups.

Nungarin Army Vehicle Workshop

The Nungarin Army Vehicle Workshop is a heritage listed building in Nungarin, Western Australia currently operating as the Nungarin Heritage Machinery & Army Museum.

Pilbara Regiment

The Pilbara Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Australian Army Reserve and is one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units employed in surveillance and reconnaissance of the remote areas of northern Australia. Most elements of the regiment are stationed in the Pilbara region of north-west Australia.

Queensland University Regiment

Queensland University Regiment (QUR) is a training unit of the Australian Army Reserve. Based in Queensland, the regiment is currently assigned to the 8th Brigade. The regiment's history can be traced back to 1932 when the University Rifles was formed.

Royal Australian Air Force Badge

The Royal Australian Air Force Badge is the heraldic emblem used to represent the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It features an Australian wedge-tailed eagle in flight superimposed on a circle, which is surmounted by the Tudor crown.

Royal Australian Air Force Ensign

The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign is used by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Air Force Cadets in Australia. It may also be flown on Air Force aircraft overseas. It is based on the Australian national flag, with the field changed to Air Force blue, and the southern cross tilted clockwise to make room for the RAAF roundel (which itself is a modified RAF roundel) inserted in the lower fly quarter.

Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service

The Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS) was a branch of the Royal Australian Air Force, which existed from 1940 to 1946, and from 1948 to 1977. Members served in World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Vietnam War.

Royal Australian Army Educational Corps

The Royal Australian Army Educational Corps (RAAEC) is a specialist corps within the Australian Army. Formed in 1949, the corps had its genesis in other services that existed within the Australian forces during World War I and World War II.

Royal Australian Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's first guns were landed from and a small earthen redoubt built, near the present-day Macquarie Place, to command the approaches to Sydney Cove.

Royal Australian Corps of Signals

The Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RASigs) is one of the 'arms' (combat support corps) of the Australian Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining, and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems.

Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train

The Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train was a unique unit of the Royal Australian Navy. It was active only during the First World War, where it served in the Gallipoli and the Sinai and Palestine Campaigns. The Train was formed in February 1915 and stood down in May 1917.

Royal New South Wales Regiment

The Royal New South Wales Regiment (RNSWR) is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in the state of New South Wales.

Royal Tasmania Regiment

The Royal Tasmania Regiment (RTR) is a Reserve infantry regiment within the Australian Army consisting of a single battalion. Formed in 1960 following a review of military formations in Australia, the Regiment can trace its lineage back to the late 19th Century and has served Australia in a number of conflicts including the Boer War, World War I and World War II.

Royal Western Australia Regiment

The Royal Western Australia Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army consisting of two battalions, the 11th/28th Battalion and the 16th Battalion. The regiment was raised in July 1960 as part of the reorganisation of the Australian Army Reserve through the amalgamation of the three existing infantry regiments in Western Australia.

Special Operations Engineer Regiment (Australia)

The Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) is a specialised unit of the Australian Army. The regiment forms part of the Special Operations Command. The unit was formed in 2002 as the Incident Response Regiment (IRR), they are deployed to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive incidents.

Special forces of Australia

The special forces of the Australian Defence Force are units of Special Operations Command and associated units of the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force that conduct and or support special operations to advance and protect the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. The special forces of Australia have a lineage to a variety of units raised in the Second World War such as the Independent and Commando Companies, Z Special Unit, Navy Beach Commandos, and the Coastwatchers.

Structure of the Australian Army during World War II

The structure of the Australian Army changed considerably during World War II. At the outbreak of war the Army comprised a small regular component and a large, but ill-trained and equipped, militia force. In September 1939 the government authorised the establishment of the Second Australian Imperial Force for overseas service; this force eventually reached a strength of four infantry divisions, an armoured division and various headquarters and support units.

University of New South Wales Regiment

The University of New South Wales Regiment (UNSWR) is, as of 2018, an Army Reserve Recruit training unit under the command of the 8th Brigade.

Warrant Officer of the Air Force

Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF) is the senior Warrant Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is a singular appointment, being it is only held by one person at any time. The special insignia for the WOFF-AF is the Australian Coat of Arms encircled by a wreath of Australian native flora.

Warrant Officer of the Navy

Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N) is the most senior sailor in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It is a singular appointment, being only held by one person at any time. The special insignia for the WO-N is the Australian coat of arms with a wreath around it.

Women's Cavalry Corps

The Women's Cavalry Corps was a privately organised military training organisation for women in Sydney during World War II. It was founded in August 1940 and appears to have become defunct in 1942.

Women's National Emergency Legion

The Women's National Emergency Legion (WNEL) was an Australian female auxiliary and training organisation of the World War II-era that was based in Brisbane. It was established in 1938 and provided volunteers with training in first aid and other skills which were seen as being relevant to Australia's war effort.

See also

• Outline of Australia

References

• File:Definition of Free Cultural Works logo notext.svg This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA IGO 3.0. Text taken from World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023​, FAO, FAO.

Bibliography

• Akami, Tomoko; Milner, Anthony (2013). "Australia in the Asia-Pacific Region". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 2: The Commonwealth of Australia. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107011540.
• Banivanua Mar, Tracey; Edmonds, Penelope (2013). "Indigenous and settler relations". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-1070-1153-3.
• Bernard, J. L. R. (1989). The Pocket Macquarie Dictionary (1st ed.). Jacaranda Press. ISBN 978-0701633578.
• Blewett, Richard, ed. (2012). Shaping a Nation: a Geology of Australia. Canberra: Australian National University. ISBN 978-1-921862-82-3.
• Broome, Richard (2019). Aboriginal Australians (5th ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin. ISBN 9781760528218.
• Christopher, Emma; Maxwell-Stewart, Hamish (2013). "Convict transportation in global context c. 1700–88". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-1070-1153-3.
• Coman, Brian J. (2007). A Loose Canon: Essays on History, Modernity and Tradition. Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9802-9362-3.
• COVID-19 Response Inquiry Panel (2024). Commonwealth Government COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. ISBN 978-1-925365-58-0.
• Curthoys, Ann; Mitchell, Jessie (2013). "The advent of self-government". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-1070-1153-3.
• Davison, Graeme; Hirst, John; Macintyre, Stuart (1998). The Oxford Companion to Australian History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-1955-3597-6.
• Dean, Peter; Moss, Tristan, eds. (2021). "Introduction" (PDF). Fighting Australia's Cold War. Canberra: ANU Press. ISBN 978-1-76046-482-0. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
• Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin; Bou, Jean (2008). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-1955-1784-2.
• Finnane, Mark (2013). "Law and regulation". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia. Vol. 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-1070-1153-3.
• Flood, Josephine (2019). Original Australians (2 ed.). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-76052-707-5.
• Garton, Stephen; Stanley, David (2013). "The Great War and its aftermath, 1914-22". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 2: The Commonwealth of Australia. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107011540.
• Henderson, Robert; Johnson, David (2016). Geology of Australia (3rd ed.). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107432413.
• Jupp, James (2001). The Australian people: an encyclopedia of the nation, its people, and their origins. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-5218-0789-0.
• Karskens, Grace (2013). "The early colonial presence, 1788–1822". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-1070-1153-3.
• Kennett, Brian; Chopping, Richard; Blewett, Richard (2018). The Australian Continent: A Geophysical Synthesis. Canberra: Australian National University Press. ISBN 9781760462468.
• Kercher, Bruce (2020). An Unruly Child: A History of Law in Australia. London and New York: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000248470.
• Konishi, Shino; Nugent, Maria (2013). "Newcomers, c. 1600-1800". In Bashford, Alison; Macintyre, Stuart (eds.). The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-1070-1153-3.
• Macintyre, Stuart (2020). A Concise History of Australia (5th ed.). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108728485.
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• Souter, Gavin (2000). Lion and Kangaroo: the Initiation of Australia (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Text Publishing. ISBN 1876485434.
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Further reading

Further information: Bibliography of Australian history

• Blainey, Geoffrey (2015). The Story of Australia's People, Volume 1: The Rise and Fall of Ancient Australia, Penguin Books Australia Ltd., Vic. ISBN 978-0-6700-7871-4
• Denoon, Donald, et al. (2000). A History of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-17962-7.
• Goad, Philip and Julie Willis (eds.) (2011). The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-5218-8857-8.
• Hughes, Robert (1986). The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-394-50668-5.
• Johnson, Louise C.; Luckins, Tanja; Walker, David (2022). The Story of Australia: A New History of People and Place. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781760297084.
• Milne, John (1886). Colonial facts and fictions: Humorous sketches. United Kingdom: Chatto and Windus.
• Kemp, David (2018). The Land of Dreams: How Australians Won Their Freedom, 1788–1860. Melbourne University Publishing. ISBN 978-0-5228-7334-4. OCLC 1088319758.
• Powell, J. M. (1988). An Historical Geography of Modern Australia: The Restive Fringe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-25619-3
• Robinson, G. M., Loughran, R. J., and Tranter, P. J. (2000). Australia and New Zealand: Economy, Society and Environment. London: Arnold; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-340-72033-2 paperback, ISBN 978-0-340-72032-5 hardback.

External links

• Australia profile on The World Factbook
• Australia profile from BBC News
• Australia profile from the OECD
• File:Internet-web-browser.svg Wikimedia Atlas of Australia
• icon Geographic data related to Australia at OpenStreetMap

Government

• Parliament of Australia
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• National Archives of Australia
• Australian Bureau of Statistics

Travel

• Official website of Tourism Australia