This book represents an expanded edition of one of the most acclaimed overviews of Australian military history available. A Military History of Australia covers the major theatres of war in which Australia was engaged - from Gallipoli, to the Gulf War - with particular attention to the Second World War and the war in the Pacific. Yet the author extends the story back to the Australian colonies, when the military were not only sent overseas to assist Britain in colonial wars, but when armed conflict took place on Australian soil, between indigenous Australians and the European settlers. In addition, the book discusses the evolution of defence policy in peace and war, and the impact of war and the military on civilian society. It maps the development of the Australian armed forces as institutions and the relationship of military policy to civil government. The author considers the role war played in the development of Australian society and the Australian ethos.