page_title: Land Warfare Centre (Australia)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Land Warfare Centre (Australia) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Australian Army troops training at the Jungle Training Centre at Canungra, Queensland, 25 November 1943
context_page_description: The Land Warfare Centre is an Australian Army training establishment that is responsible for the provision of promotion courses to commissioned and non commissioned officers in an "all corps" setting. It was originally established during World War II at Canungra, Queensland, as the Jungle Training Centre to prepare troops for combat in the South West Pacific Area. During the 1950s and 1960s, the centre fulfilled a similar role, but since then has evolved to provide a broader spectrum of training courses with detachments at a number of bases across Australia.
context_section_description: The training centre draws its lineage from the Jungle Training Centre that was formed in November 1942 in response to the requirement to train troops for jungle combat in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. Under the command of Colonel Alex MacDonald, who had previously commanded the Darwin Mobile Force, the centre grew out of the Guerilla Warfare School that had been established earlier at Foster, Victoria. Located in the Gold Coast hinterland below the Beechmont plateau that stretches towards Tamborine Mountain, the establishment was located amidst thick rainforest and steep, razor-back country. Staffed by instructors that had experienced combat – mostly in the Middle East, initially, but then in New Guinea as the war progressed – upon creation the centre consisted of a number of detachments including the Reinforcement Training Centre, the Independent Company Training Centre and the Tactical School. As the demand for specialised jungle warfare training grew with Australia's increased involvement in the Pacific, the centre was expanded until it consisted of about 2,000 trainees organised into eight training companies; each week a total of 500 personnel marched out to join the infantry battalions fighting in the New Guinea campaign having completed a four-week course. In addition, the Commando Training Battalion was formed to provide reinforcements for the Australian commando units, while an officer training wing focused upon delivering specialised platoon-level training for officers over the course of a six-week program. After May 1943, the centre began to contract as its need declined, although it continued to train large numbers of soldiers under experienced senior instructors such as Major Harry Harcourt. It was finally disbanded in 1946 following the conclusion of hostilities.
  The mid-1950s saw the Australian Army deployed to a number of theatres in Southeast Asia in response to the threat of Communism and as a result the Jungle Training Centre was re-raised in 1954. At that time the centre's facilities were expanded to over 7,700 acres (3,100 ha) and its subunits consisted of an officer and NCO training unit, a collective pre-deployment training unit and a doctrine wing. Colonel Ted Serong took over command of the centre in 1955 and instructors included officers who had gained considerable experience during World War II; these included Lieutenant Colonel George Warfe, who had commanded a commando company and infantry battalion during the war and who was appointed to the role of Chief Instructor. Major Bernard O'Dowd, who had served in Korea, took over as Senior Instructor. Using the skills of these men, the units of the Royal Australian Regiment were prepared for tours of Malaya and Borneo. The first unit to receive training was the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, which cycled through Canungra in company lots starting in early 1955. In 1960, the centre's remit was expanded to include the provision of training on promotion courses for officers of all corps in the Army. In 1964, the centre came under the command of Colonel Stuart Clarence Graham. Following the commitment of Australian personnel to South Vietnam, the centre ramped up its training program as 10,000 soldiers were rotated through Canungra each year as part of the pre-deployment training each battalion had to complete before undertaking its tour of duty. As a part of this, on 4 January 1966, a demonstration platoon was raised at Canungra. It was later redesignated as HQ 1st Division Defence Company. Training during this time consisted of three weeks of physical and mental hardening through a battery of obstacle courses and battle inoculation ranges.
  Following the conclusion of Australia's involvement in the war in 1972, the Australian Army underwent a period of re-organisation that saw it move towards an "all volunteer" force. As a part of this restructure, in December that year the Australian government decided to reduce the nine regular infantry battalions to five, with a sixth battalion being established at Canungra at company st
caption: Australian soldiers undertaking bayonet training at Canungra, November 1943
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