Australian Army Cadets
From 1 January 1901 the defence of Australia became a Commonwealth responsibility and the various colonial cadet forces fell under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Military Forces. Cadets were included in the Commonwealth Defence Act (1903-04). However, in practical terms cadets remained under the auspices of the states until 1906, when the Commonwealth Military Cadet Corps (CMCC) was established.
The passing of a new Defence Act (1909), contained provision for universal military training and by 1911 compulsory cadet training was introduced. In 1929 the mandatory provision of the Defence Act was suspended and as a result compulsory cadets ended. Mandatory cadets was quickly replaced with a voluntary cadet system, with community and school based units.
From 1939-45 Australia was at war and as a result there was increased military focus within the cadet movement. This was in alignment with general societal sentiment and the cadet movement grew by 57% during this period.
The title of 'Australian Cadet Corps' (ACC) was officially adopted in 1950 and the period from 1946-57 saw the continued growth and development of cadets in Australia.
The period 1958-74 saw a rise and fall in cadet numbers. This period also saw a shift in training to adventure type, field – based training. The government of the day’s decision to disband the cadets as at January 1st 1976, did not see the end of the cadet movement. In January 1976, under a new government, a new system of Defence Force Cadets – providing for Army, Navy and Air Force components was announced.
In the early 2000s the title of Australian Army Cadets was approved with the short title of AAC. Since 2014, Army has invested heavily within the AAC and since 2017 the AAC has grown 44 new units and now totals over 250 units in communities and schools across Australia with over 18,000 cadets supported by over 1,300 dedicated volunteer staff.
Reference for this content: The Torch and the Sword by Craig AJ Stockings