The Regiment traces much of its history to early volunteer and citizen militia units from pre-federation Australia. The history of the units that formed the current Regiment are dealt with individually on those pages.
1960 – Present
On 1 July 1960 the South Australia Regiment was formed by the amalgamation of three infantry battalions in South Australia:
The 10th Infantry Battalion
43rd/48th Infantry Battalion
27th Infantry Battalion.
These three battalions were formed into 5 Companies:
A Company
B Company
C Company
D Company
E Company
Later in 1960, The Regiment was renamed 1st Battalion Royal South Australia Regiment, bringing it in line with the other State and National regiments. On 1 July 1965, the Regiment was reformed as 2 battalions, taking their names from the battalions that formed the regiment: The 10th and 27th. On 29 November 1987, the 10th and 27th battalions were amalgamated to form the 10/27 Battalion Royal South Australia Regiment, the Regiment's current title.
Other information
Freedoms:
Adelaide 2015
*Unley 2006
Kadina 23rd Day 1994
Preceding Units
The organisation of military units in Australia has been a complex and shifting affair since colonisation. The following is an attempt to list the preceding units of the RSAR in chronological order. Units were raised, disbanded and perpetuated in a variety of forms that is not easy to show in a simple list. Often units, depending on their status as volunteer, militia, or regular, were similarly numbered and named, for example the 43rd Infantry Battalion and 2/43 Battalion, AIF in World War II, and often units were split, amalgamated, resplit and reformed, making it almost impossible to create a straight family tree as is often seen for the British Army. A broad statement is that the Royal South Australia Regiment is preceded by units often known as the 10th, 27th, 43rd, and 48th, and units bearing these designations are now perpetuated in RSAR.
1st and 2nd Battalions Adelaide Rifles: 1854–1856
Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles: 1860–1866, 1866–1867
Prince Alfred's Rifle Volunteers: 1867–1867
Regiment of Adelaide Rifles: 1877–1888?
1st Regiment South Australian Infantry: 1888? – 1903
As part of the Plan Beersheba Reforms, the 81 mm mortar-equipped 6th/13th Light Battery and 3rd Field Squadron were absorbed in the Battalion in 2013 and 2014 respectively in order to provide the Battalion with organic offensive support coordination and indirect firepower, and light engineering support. 6th/13th Light Battery was later amalgamated with other Light Batteries in the 2nd Division to form the 9th Regiment, RAA. Unit Deployments: Operation Anode Rotation 14, Operation Anode Rotation 17, Operation Anode Rotation 24, Operation Anode Rotation 27, Operation Resolute, Operation Vic Fires Assist, Operation Cyclone Yassi Assist, Operation Testament. Individual and Group Deployments: Operation Slipper, Operation Catalyst, Operation Mazurka, Operation Astute, Operation Spire.
