Campbell Barracks is an

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who ...

base located in Swanbourne, a coastal suburb of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia. It is named after Lieutenant Colonel Campbell (1842–1924), former commandant of the Commonwealth Military Forces in Western Australia. The

Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The re ...

(SASR) has been based at Campbell Barracks since the regiment was first established as an independent company in 1957. Although Campbell Barracks is the home of the SASR, most of the training and selection for the regiment takes place in Bindoon, Western Australia. The SASR is a special forces regiment of the Australian Army and is modelled on the original British SAS, while also drawing on the traditions of the Australian

Z Special Force Z Special Unit () was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit that in ...

commando unit, and the Independent Companies which were active in the South Pacific during the Second World War. The SASR's three 'sabre squadrons' rotate between the war/reconnaissance and counterterrorism/recovery roles. Two squadrons are maintained in the war/reconnaissance role with the remaining squadron filling the counterterrorism/recovery role. Rotations occur every 12 months, so each squadron fulfils the counterterrorism/recovery role and configuration every three years. Reports that the squadron filling the counterterrorism role is always designated 1 Squadron are incorrect as that practice ceased in the late 1980s. All three sabre squadrons are garrisoned at Campbell Barracks save for certain units within each sabre squadron that can be rotated amongst bases within Australia. This usually only occurs with the current Counter Terrorist Squadron. As stated in ex-SASR soldier Keith Fennell's book "Warrior Training", outside the headquarters for Campbell Barracks is a monument to every Australian SASR soldier who has died on active service with the regiment, be it during training or on deployment. The list currently stands at just over 40 soldiers, the majority having been killed in training accidents.

References

{{coord, -31.97, 115.76, format=dms, type:landmark_region:AU-WA, display=title Special forces of Australia Barracks in Australia Buildings and structures in Perth, Western Australia Swanbourne, Western Australia Military installations in Western Australia