1st Division (Australia)

1st Division
Members of the 7th Battalion in a trench at Lone Pine, 6 August 1915
Active	1914–19 1921–44 1948–Present
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Division
Role	Main deployment force
Garrison/HQ	Brisbane, Queensland
Engagements	World War I Gallipoli Campaign Western Front World War II
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Paul McLachlan, DSC, AM
Ceremonial chief	Elizabeth II
Notable commanders	William Bridges James Legge Talbot Hobbs Harry Chauvel Thomas Glasgow Herbert Lloyd Peter Cosgrove
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

World War I

The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the Army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane. The division was first formed in 1914 for service during World War I as a part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). It was initially part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and served with that formation during the Gallipoli campaign, before later serving on the Western Front. After the war, the division became a part-time unit based in New South Wales, and during World War II it undertook defensive duties in Australia before being disbanded in 1945.

After World War II, the division remained off the Australian Army's order of battle until the 1960s, when it was reformed in New South Wales. In 1965 it adopted a certification role, determining the operational readiness of units deploying to Vietnam. It was re-formed in 1973 as a full division based in Queensland and in the decades that followed it formed the Australian Army's main formation, including both Regular and Reserve personnel. Throughout this period, the division's component units undertook multiple operations, mainly focused on peacekeeping in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Following the restructuring of the Australian Army under the "Adaptive Army" initiative, the 1st Division no longer has any combat units assigned to it. Nevertheless, it is tasked with co-ordinating the Army's high-level training activities and maintaining the "Deployable Joint Force Headquarters" (DJFHQ). In the event of the Australian Army undertaking a large-scale land-based operation, the division would have combat units force assigned to it and would command all deployed assets including those of the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.

The Australian 1st Division was raised during the initial formation of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 15 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. The division consisted of around 18,000 men, organised into three infantry brigades, each of four battalions, and various supporting units including artillery, light horse, engineers and medical personnel. Each infantry battalion initially consisted of eight companies, although in January 1915, they were reorganised into the British four-company system. Its first commander was the senior Australian general and head of the AIF, Major General William Bridges. Over the course of six weeks, the division's subordinate units were raised separately in the various states before embarking overseas. The transports then concentrated off the Western Australian coast and the combined fleet sailed for Britain. While en route, concerns about overcrowding in the training camps in the United Kingdom meant that the decision was made to land the division in Egypt, where it would complete its training before being transported to the Western Front.