List of Australian Army brigades

Australian troops from the 1st Brigade in a captured Ottoman trench at Lone Pine, 6 August 1915

This is a list of the brigades raised by the Australian Army. The list includes brigades that served in World War I, World War II, Vietnam and the present-day brigades.

Current active brigades

A soldier of the 5/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, previously part of the 1st Brigade, conducts fire and movement during training in 2001.
  • 1st Brigade
  • 3rd Brigade
  • 4th Brigade
  • 5th Brigade
  • 6th Combat Support Brigade
  • 7th Brigade
  • 8th Brigade
  • 9th Brigade
  • 11th Brigade
  • 13th Brigade
  • 16th Aviation Brigade
  • 17th Sustainment Brigade

World War I

Light horse

A trooper of the 15th Light Horse Regiment, part of the 5th Light Horse Brigade

Infantry

Troops of the 5th Brigade at Picardie, France, 8 August 1918
  • 1st Infantry Brigade
  • 2nd Infantry Brigade
  • 3rd Infantry Brigade
  • 4th Infantry Brigade
  • 5th Infantry Brigade
  • 6th Infantry Brigade
  • 7th Infantry Brigade
  • 8th Infantry Brigade
  • 9th Infantry Brigade
  • 10th Infantry Brigade
  • 11th Infantry Brigade
  • 12th Infantry Brigade
  • 13th Infantry Brigade
  • 14th Infantry Brigade
  • 15th Infantry Brigade
  • 16th Infantry Brigade
  • 17th Infantry Brigade

World War II

Armoured

4th Armoured Brigade Matilda II and M3 Grant tanks firing small calibre weapons during a demonstration
  • 1st Armoured Brigade
  • 2nd Armoured Brigade
  • 3rd Army Tank Brigade
  • 4th Armoured Brigade
  • 6th Armoured Brigade

Cavalry

  • 1st Cavalry Brigade
  • 2nd Cavalry Brigade
  • 3rd Cavalry Brigade
  • 4th Cavalry Brigade
  • 6th Cavalry Brigade

Support Group

  • 1st Support Group

Motor

  • 1st Motor Brigade
  • 2nd Motor Brigade
  • 3rd Motor Brigade
  • 4th Motor Brigade
  • 5th Motor Brigade
  • 6th Motor Brigade

Infantry

An honour guard drawn from the 7th Brigade and 3rd Division in 1945
  • 1st Infantry Brigade
  • 2nd Infantry Brigade
  • 3rd Infantry Brigade
  • 4th Infantry Brigade
  • 5th Infantry Brigade
  • 6th Infantry Brigade
  • 7th Infantry Brigade
  • 8th Infantry Brigade
  • 9th Infantry Brigade
  • 10th Infantry Brigade
  • 11th Infantry Brigade
  • 12th Infantry Brigade
  • 13th Infantry Brigade
  • 14th Infantry Brigade
  • 15th Infantry Brigade
  • 16th Infantry Brigade
  • 17th Infantry Brigade
  • 18th Infantry Brigade
  • 19th Infantry Brigade
  • 20th Infantry Brigade
  • 21st Infantry Brigade
  • 22nd Infantry Brigade
  • 23rd Infantry Brigade
  • 24th Infantry Brigade
  • 25th Infantry Brigade
  • 26th Infantry Brigade
  • 27th Infantry Brigade
  • 28th Infantry Brigade
  • 29th Infantry Brigade
  • 30th Infantry Brigade
  • 31st Infantry Brigade
  • 32nd Infantry Brigade
  • 33rd Infantry Brigade

Garrison

  • 1st Garrison Brigade
  • 2nd Garrison Brigade
  • 3rd Garrison Brigade
  • 5th Garrison Brigade

Training

  • 1st Training Brigade
  • 2nd Division Infantry Training Brigade
  • 4th Training Brigade
  • 6th Training Brigade
  • 7th Training Brigade
  • 9th Training Brigade

Artillery

The following artillery formations were all called brigades by the army but with three batteries assigned they were only the size of an artillery regiment.

Anti Aircraft Artillery

  • 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade

Field artillery

  • 1st Field Brigade
  • 2nd Field Brigade
  • 3rd Field Brigade
  • 4th Field Brigade
  • 5th Field Brigade
  • 6th Field Brigade
  • 7th Field Brigade
  • 8th Field Brigade
  • 9th Field Brigade
  • 10th Field Brigade
  • 11th Field Brigade
  • 12th Field Brigade
  • 13th Field Brigade
  • 14th Field Brigade
  • 15th Field Brigade
  • 18th Field Brigade
  • 21st Field Brigade
  • 22nd Field Brigade

Medium Artillery

  • 1st Medium Brigade
  • 2nd Medium Brigade

Heavy Artillery

  • 1st Heavy Brigade
  • 2nd Heavy Brigade
  • 3rd Heavy Brigade
  • 5th Heavy Brigade
  • 6th Heavy Brigade
  • 7th Heavy Brigade

Occupation of Japan

Troops from the 34th Brigade march through Saijo, Japan, in 1946
  • 34th Brigade (part of the BCOF and later renamed to 1st Brigade)

Vietnam

Further reading

  • Blaxland, John (1989). Organising an Army: The Australian Experience 1957–1965. Canberra Papers on Strategy and Defence. Vol. 50. Canberra: Australian National University. ISBN 0731505301.
  • Kuring, Ian (2004). Red Coats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788 to 2001. Sydney: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN 1-876439-99-8.
  • Palazzo, Albert (2001). The Australian Army: A History of its Organisation 1901–2001. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-551507-2.