Royal Victoria Regiment - History

History

The Regiment was formed in 1960 as a result of the amalgamation of all the Citizen Military Forces infantry battalions in Victoria. The regiment was formed in 1960 as the Victoria Regiment as part of the reorganisation of the Australian Army by the amalgamation of the six existing infantry regiments in Victoria:

• Victorian Scottish Regiment
• Royal Melbourne Regiment
• Melbourne Rifles
• North Western Victorian Regiment
• The Northern Victorian Regiment
• Hume Regiment

The regiment, renamed as the Royal Victoria Regiment in 1960, was initially formed of two battalions. In 1965. this was increased to four battalions, plus a single independent rifle company. A further reorganisation in the 1970s saw these battalions further amalgamated into the existing regimental structure. Currently the 5th/6th Battalion recruits mainly from the areas in and around the city of Melbourne, while the 8th/7th Battalion is responsible for the wider rural areas in Victoria.