The Australian Army is 101 years old today. The national Army was formed on March 1, 1901, although there were colonial militias fighting in the Anglo Boer War in South Africa at the moment of Federation on January 1, 1901.

A series of church services and other ceremonies are being conducted around the country to mark the occasion today. A statement from the Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill, says that since 1901 “Australian soldiers have served in military campaigns during World Wars One and Two, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam and in the Gulf.”

The statement goes on: “Today, Australian soldiers serve in peacekeeping, peace monitoring and military assistance operations around the world, including countries such as Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Bougainville, Ethiopia, Eritrea and East Timor. Australian Soldiers are at the forefront of Australia’s contribution to the coalition against terrorism.” [Read more…]