First Australian Army

First Army
An Australian light machine gun team in action near Wewak in June 1945
Active	1942–1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	John Lavarack Vernon Sturdee Horace Robertson
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The First Australian Army was a field army of the Australian Army, during World War II. The formation's headquarters was raised in April 1942 from the existing 1st Australian Corps headquarters, assuming command of all Allied troops in Queensland. Initially, the formation was assigned a defensive role in anticipation of a possible Japanese invasion; however, this threat subsided and eventually the army was deployed to Lae, in New Guinea, in late 1944, where it co-ordinated Australian offensives around Aitape, in New Guinea, on New Britain and Bougainville, and around Madang. The formation was disbanded in February 1946, when it was redesignated as the 8th Military District.