Robertson Barracks

Robertson Barracks is a major Australian Army base located in the Northern Territory of Australia within the suburb of Holtze in the Municipality of Litchfield about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) east of the Darwin city centre. The barracks was built during the 1990s. The Barracks is home to the 1st Brigade and the 1st Aviation Regiment. Robertson Barracks has a helicopter airfield, similar to Holsworthy Barracks. The barracks was named after Lieutenant General Sir Horace Robertson, commander of the 1st Armoured Division and 6th Division during the Second World War, and later Commander in Chief British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.[2]

For the Robertson Barracks, Norfolk, England see Robertson Barracks, Norfolk
Robertson Barracks
Knuckey Lagoon
Municipality of Litchfield
Northern Territory
Coordinates12°26′42″S 130°58′28″E
TypeAustralian Army base
Site information
Owner Australia
Controlled by Australia
Site history
Built1989–2001[1]
Garrison information
Garrison 1st Brigade
1st Aviation Regiment
B Coy, 1st Military Police Battalion
Joint Movements Control Office – Darwin
Joint Logistics Unit (North)
United States Pacific Command
Marine air-ground combined arms force
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: YRBK
Elevation32 metres (105 ft) AMSL

Units

The units currently located on Robertson Barracks are:

1 Brigade units

External units

US Marines

In 2011 as part of the Obama administration's "pivot to Asia" it was announced that US Marines would be based in Darwin at the Robertson Barracks. In November 2011 it was announced that up to 2,500 US Marines would be based in Australia for training, starting from 200 to 250 in 2012, to 2500 over the following five years. The Marine groups were to stay for six months at a time.[4][5][6]

Robertson Barracks is reported to be a future site of a United States Pacific Command, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D), and its current capacity of 4,500 troops will be upgraded in the near future. Currently, the size and the accessibility of key facilities in Darwin follows closely with other US deployment sites around the globe.

Some concerns have been expressed about the increasing number of troops and the possibility of sexual assaults or other criminal activities by US Marines. A Deloitte Economics report suggested that the probability of a sexual assault by Marines less than that of an equivalent number of NT males.[7]

In 2016, 1,250 US Marines deployed to Robertson Barracks, along with four UH-1Y Venom helicopters.[8]

Drawn out negotiations over cost-sharing and other issues mean that the original number of 2,500 Marines per deployment will not be reached until at least 2020.[9]

Notes
  1. "A report relating to the facilities for an increased Army presence in the North (APIN) Stage 2 (ninth report of 1995)". The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. 1995. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  2. Jobson 2009, p. 106.
  3. "1st Close Health Battalion". Who We Are. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  4. Calmes, Jackie (16 November 2011). "A U.S. Marine Base for Australia Irritates China". New York Times. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  5. Gillard, Obama detail US troop deployment 26 April 2011 abc.net.au Retrieved 15 November 2016
  6. Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Retrieved 15 November 2016
  7. Cracks appearing in US marines' charm offensive in Darwin 30 July 2013 The Guardian Retrieved 3 February 2017
  8. First of 1,250 Marines arrive in Australia for six-month training deployment 13 April 2016 Marine Corps Times Retrieved 15 November 2016
  9. U.S., Australia delay plans to send more Marines Down Under 10 June 2016 Marine Corps Times Retrieved 15 November 2016
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References
  • Jobson, Christopher (2009). Looking Forward, Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Army. Wavell Heights, Queensland: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 9780980325164.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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