7th Signal Regiment at Cabarlah marks 100 years of service this Anzac Day

As the 7th Signal Regiment reaches the milestone of 100 years of service, the commanding officer of the essential Darling Downs unit said now was the time to not only reflect on the past but look forward to the future.

Lae, New Guinea. February 6, 1945. Signallers operating the telephone switchboards at the signals transmitting centre of the 19th lines of communication signals, First Australian Army.

While the nature of war hasn’t changed, the character of war has, according to the commanding officer of an Australian army regiment celebrating a milestone this Anzac Day

The 7th Signal Regiment, based out of the Borneo Barracks just north of Toowoomba, is home to the Australian Army’s electronic warfare unit.

The Royal Australian Corps of Signals has played an essential role in military intelligence throughout notable conflicts including World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and the Humanitarian crisis in East Timor in 1999.

Signallers have been intercepting and deciphering messages throughout history and although their medium may have changed, their role in the Australian army is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago.

Lieutenant Colonel Suzanne Albury of the 7th Signal Regiment said advancing technology may impact the way signallers operate but doesn’t change the fact the war is a human endeavor.

“The nature of war hasn’t changed over time,” she said

“What does change over time is the character of war.

“We’ve adapted to technology, we’ve grown in cyber, and electronic warfare.”

Australian Army Commanding Officer of 7th Signal Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Suzanne Albury at Cabarlah, Queensland.

Lieutenant Colonel Albury, who has been in the military for 21 years, said it was amazing to think of how the culture has changed for women in the army since the Garage Girls, a group of women who deciphered radio messages during World War II and at the time were unrecognised for their incredible contributions.

“I also love reflecting on how far we’ve come in terms of the acceptance of women in our core,” she said.

“So showing how far we’ve come from you know those women working in the garage doing top secret missions to us now being out and deployable and more prominent and more involved.

“So every single element of the Australian Army has a role to play and it’s when we come together that we become more than the sum of our parts.”

Melbourne, Victoria. December 28, 1942. Signallers of the Australian women's army service.

Lieutenant Colonel Albury said the world is not at peace and now is the time to look at what’s in front of us.

“We’ve come a long way and absolutely we’ve still got a long way to go and we will continue to evolve,” she said.

“We’ll continue to be ready to fight for our nation because that is our job.

“We’re in a state of strategic uncertainty, and if any time is to prepare, it is right now.”