Puckapunyal is an Australian Army base in north-central Victoria.

The base was established in 1939 during World War II (the Military Post Office opening on 31 October 1939) ^[1] and for many years was the largest Army Camp in Australia. The camp has reduced in size since the late 1960s when it housed the 2nd National Service Training Battalion and as many as 4000 personnel were training or based permanently in the camp. Today only 25% of the original National Service Barracks remain and have been recently restored and upgraded to provide emergency accommodation for up to 1000 people.

During 1999/2000 many refugees from the Kosovo and East Timor were emergency billeted there until it was considered safe for them to return to their home lands.

Named for the area's Aboriginal name meaning "Valley of the Winds", today Puckapunyal houses the Australian Army's Combined Arms Training Centre, Land Warfare Development Centre, and three of the five principal Combat Arms schools, including the School of Armour, the School of Artillery and Combat Command Wing. Additionally the Army School of Transport maintains its driver training wings and the 'Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle' driver training programme is centred at Puckapunyal.

The area also houses the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Tank Museum, featuring exhibits on the Australian Light Horse of WWI, with a fine collection of WWII and Vietnam-era fighting vehicles and anti-tank weapons. Also displayed are more recent exhibits on Australian armour involved in peacekeeping in Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor and other conflicts. The Museum also features a number of collapse-of-communism-era Warsaw Pact vehicles.

Puckapunyal also hosts the Australian Army Cadets (AAC) of the Victorian AAC Brigade. Some buildings in the Puckapunyal Area have now been heritage listed ie 21st Constructions' compound.

There is also a small air strip located at -36.997652,145.064507; it is about 750m long.

References

External links

• Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Tank Museum

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