90th Birthday of the Australian ArmyPrint Page

The Scorpion M113 tank was presented to the people of Wagga Wagga by the Commander and all ranks of the Kapooka Military Area on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the Australian Army. 

The history of the Australian Army dates back to colonial forces, prior to the Federation of Australia in 1901. Some of colonial forces, which served the states of Australia at the time, were gradual united into federal units between 1899 to 1903; thus forming the beginning of the Australian Army.

As the Boer War raged, the Commonwealth of Australia was founded on 1 January 1901. On 1 March, 28,923 colonial soldiers, being 1,457 professional soldiers, 18,603 paid militia and 8,863 unpaid volunteers, were transferred to the new Australian Army. However, the individual units continued to be administered under the various colonial Acts. Maj. Gen. Sir Edward Hutton, a former commander of the New South Wales Military Forces, became the first commander of the Commonwealth Forces on 26 December and set to work devising an integrated structure for the new army. The Defence Act of 1903 brought all of the units under one piece of legislation. 

Location

Details

Dedication