As part of the Empire, Australian colonies offered troops to fight the local farmers, or Boers, in South Africa.

On 4 August 1914, Britain, on behalf of the Empire, declared war on Germany.

Almost a million Australians, both men and women, served in the Second World War.

On 25 June 1950, the North Korean army crossed into the southern zone and advanced towards Seoul.

The Emergency in Malaya was the longest continuous military commitment in Australia's history.

Australian support for South Vietnam in the early 1960s was in keeping with American policy of stemming the tide of communism.

Over the past 100 years the Australian Defence Force has undergone major changes. These days the emphasis is on preventing, not waging, war.