Welcome to the Military history of Australia portal!
The military history of Australia spans the nation's 230-year modern history, from the early Australian frontier wars between Aboriginals and Europeans to the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 21st century. Although this history is short when compared to that of many other nations, Australia has been involved in numerous conflicts and wars, and war and military service have been significant influences on Australian society and national identity, including the Anzac spirit. The relationship between war and Australian society has also been shaped by the enduring themes of Australian strategic culture and the unique security challenges it faces.
The six British colonies in Australia participated in some of Britain's wars of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, as a federated dominion and later as an independent nation, Australia fought in the First World War and Second World War, as well as in the wars in Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam during the Cold War. In the Post-Vietnam era Australian forces have been involved in numerous international peacekeeping missions, through the United Nations and other agencies, including in the Sinai, Persian Gulf, Rwanda, Somalia, East Timor and the Solomon Islands, as well as many overseas humanitarian relief operations, while more recently they have also fought as part of multi-lateral forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In total, nearly 103,000 Australians died during these conflicts. (Full article...)
Citizen Air Force (Australia)•Auckland Regiment•Canterbury Regiment (currently a redirect) •3rd Brigade (New Zealand)•7th Brigade (New Zealand)•11th Brigade (New Zealand)•12th Brigade (New Zealand)•South Australian Imperial Bushmen•Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen•Tasmanian Mounted Infantry•Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen (currently redirect) •1st Military Police Battalion (Australia)•Victorian Citizen Bushmen•Victorian Imperial Bushmen•Western Australian Mounted Infantry (currently redirect) •Western Australian Citizen Bushmen•2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment•3rd/6th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment•No. 83 (Army Cooperation) Wing•No. 52 Squadron RNZAF•No. 51 Squadron RNZAF•No. 43 Squadron RNZAF•No. 12 Squadron RNZAF•No. 11 Squadron RNZAF•No. 10 Squadron RNZAF•CAC/North American Avon Sabre in Australian service•GAF/Dassault Mirage III in Australian service•Harry Charles Bundock•Grant Cavenagh•Frederick Hay Christison•John August Clareborough•Jack Kerr Coffey•John Craven•Ralph Daly•Charles Stewart Davies•Harold Charles de Low•William Huggett Douglas•Herbert Frederick Henry Durant•Leslie Glanville Howard Dyke•Henry Herrick Edwards•Cyril Maurice Lloyd Elliott•Frederick Percy Herbert Fewtrell•Alexander Moore Forbes•Stephen Gilbert Friend•Vivian Harrold Gatliff•Arthur Harry Langman Godfrey•Leonard George Goss•Peter Haddad•William Allan Hailes•Neville Gordon Hatton•Health Services Wing RAAF•William Alexander Henderson•John Hill•Frederick Brock Hinton•Oswald Vick Hoad•Austin Claude Selwyn Holland•Maurice Barber Bevan Keating•Douglas Oswald Luke Kitto•Errol Knox•Ian Lillie•Thomas Steane Louch•John Walter Main•Gordon Edward Manchester•James Eric Gifford Martin•Athelsan Markham Martyn•John Maxwell•Patrick Sanfield McGrath•Eric George Henderson McKenzie•Kenneth Alan McKenzie•Douglas Murray McWhae•Arthur James Mills•Raymond Frederic Monaghan•Gerald Vincent Moriarty•New Zealand Infantry Brigade (currently a redirect) •Edward Michael Neylan•Reginald Havill Norman•Francis Roger North•Harry Scott Nurse•David O'Brien•Douglas Paine•William Edward Hill Pascoe•Michael Phelps•Claude Esdaile Prior•Ralph Carlyle Geoffrey Prisk•Beauchamp Worters Pulver•John Herbert Rasmussen•John David Rogers•Henry Gordon Rourke•Harry Blamyre Sewell•Colin McOlvin Sharp•Edward Lonergan Sheehan•James Thomas Simpson•Fritz Peter Max Solling•William Howard St. Clair•Robert Mackay Stodart•Roy Buchanan Sutherland•Harold Bourue Taylor•Percy Chamberlin Thompson•Roy Meldrum Thompson•Walter James Urquhart•Donald Norwood Veron•Roy William Whiston Walsh•Augustine William Wardell•Thomas Edgar Weavers•David Welch•Frank Elwyn Wells•Allan Respen Wendt•Ernst Morgan Williams•Kenneth Williams•Kenneth Agnew Wills•Roy Gordon•New Zealand Rarotongan Company•Joint Task Force 633