3rd Brigade (Australia)

3rd Brigade
Personnel from SECDET X, which included members of 3rd Brigade, in Bagdad, March 2007
Active	1903–06 1914–44 1967–present
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Combined Arms
Size	3,500 personnel
Part of	Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	Townsville, Queensland
Engagements	World War I World War II Somalia Cambodia Rwanda Solomon Islands East Timor Iraq Afghanistan
Commanders
Notable commanders	Gordon Bennett Peter Arnison Peter Leahy Mark Evans Mark Kelly David Morrison Mick Slater John Caligari
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

World War I
World War II
Somalia
Cambodia
Rwanda
Solomon Islands
East Timor
Iraq

The 3rd Brigade is a combined arms brigade of the Australian Army, principally made up of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (1, 2 and 3 RAR). 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. It was re-formed in 1914 for service during World War I, taking part in the fighting at Gallipoli and on the Western Front in Europe. During World War II the brigade was used in a defensive role before it was disbanded in 1944. It was re-raised in 1967 for service during the Vietnam War and later went on to provide the nucleus of the deployment to East Timor during the Australian-led intervention in 1999. The brigade is currently based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, Queensland.

Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the structure of the new Australian Army was approved in 1903. Included in the new field force were three infantry brigades of both militia and volunteer personnel, each of which consisted of four infantry regiments, three field artillery batteries, a company of engineers, as well as a field hospital and veterinary and supply units in support. The 1st Brigade was raised in New South Wales and the 2nd in Victoria, each from primarily of troops raised in those states respectively, while the 3rd Brigade was based in Queensland from troops based in the remaining states of Queensland, Tasmania, South Australian and Western Australia. Units of the brigade included 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Australian Infantry Regiments. However, by 1906 the field force had been restructured into just two infantry brigades, along with five light horse and four mixed brigades. As a consequence the 3rd Brigade was removed from the Australian Army's order of battle, and its units became part of the mixed Queensland Infantry Brigade established at that time.