Defence was one of the first functions to be passed to the new Australian Government in 1901. Until then, responsibility for defence had rested with the six colonies.

The National Archives’ holdings on defence date largely from 1901 but include some colonial records, such as those on the Boer War.

Though our collection of defence-related records is vast, it does not include all defence records created by the Australian Government – the Australian War Memorial holds most of the operational records of war.

In these pages, learn about:

• service records – personnel dossiers and case files
• administration – how the Commonwealth has managed the defence of Australia
• the forces – Army, Navy, Air Force
• conflicts – Boer War to Vietnam War
• other defence matters – war crimes, weapons trials, disasters