Historical information

Presented by Lieutenant-General Sir JJ Talbot Hobbs, KCB, KCMG, VD, LLD at a parade held on the Esplanade, Perth, 22 October 1927.

With the re-activation of the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) following the Second World War, the 16th/28th Infantry Battalion (The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) was raised as a linked battalion in 1948 to carry on the identity and traditions of the pre-war 16th and 28th Battalions respectively. The King's and Regimental Colours formerly held by these two battalions were passed on to the new battalion who paraded them in rotation on ceremonial occasions.

The above battalion became unlinked in March 1952 and 28th Infantry Battalion (The Swan Regiment) became an independent battalion within its own right. The former colours of 28th Battalion were handed back at a parade at Northam Camp on 24 August 1952.

Under major reorganisation of the CMF in 1960, all individual infantry battalions that existed at the time within each State were amalgamated to form State regiments, taking effect from 1 July 1960. Thus from that date the 11/44th, 16th and 28th Infantry Battalions were amalgamated to form The Royal Western Australia Regiment. In September 1960, at a ceremonial parade held at Northam Camp, the Colours carried by all former battalions were handed over for safe keeping by the new regiment.

These former colours were subsequently laid up in the undercroft at the State War Memorial, King's Park on 29 November 1964. These were transferred to the Army Museum of WA in 1988 as part of the Bicentenary Colours Project.

At the time of presentation this colour was a plain union flag with no central devices or other distinctions included on it. Following Military Board approval given in 1925 the centre circle and Crown were later added, in accordance with the approved design for a King's Colour.

With the re-activation of the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) following the Second World War, the 16th/28th Infantry Battalion (The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) was raised as a linked battalion in 1948 to carry on the identity and traditions of the pre-war 16th and 28th Battalions respectively. The King's and Regimental Colours formerly held by these two battalions were passed on to the new battalion who paraded them in rotation on ceremonial occasions.

The above battalion became unlinked in March 1952 and 28th Infantry Battalion (The Swan Regiment) became an independent battalion within its own right. The former colours of 28th Battalion were handed back at a parade at Northam Camp on 24 August 1952.
With the accession of HM Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1953, all Colours that had originally been presented as King's Colours, and were still carried by units on the current Order of Battle, were automatically deemed to be Queen's Colours.

Under major reorganisation of the CMF in 1960, all individual infantry battalions that existed at the time within each State were amalgamated to form State regiments, taking effect from 1 July 1960. Thus from that date the 11/44th, 16th and 28th Infantry Battalions were amalgamated to form The Royal Western Australia Regiment. In September 1960, at a ceremonial parade held at Northam Camp, the Colours carried by all former battalions were handed over for safe keeping by the new regiment.

Battle Honours for the Second World War were promulgated under Australian Army Order 135/1961 and the 10 selected honours approved for emblazoning on the Queen's Colour were subsequently added in 1962

These former colours were subsequently laid up in the undercroft at the State War Memorial, King's Park on 29 November 1964. These were transferred to the Army Museum of WA in 1988 as part of the Bicentenary Colours Project.

Physical description

Dark green with gold fringe. In the centre the battalion colour patch of a white over blue diamond within a circle inscribed "TWENTY EIGHTH INFANTRY", the whole surrounded with a wreath of Australian wattle and surmounted by the Crown. In the upper canton the Arabic numeral "28".

Battle Honours emblazoned on the colour:-
POZIERES, BULLECOURT, YPRES 1917, MENIN ROAD, PASSCHENDAELE, AMIENS, MONT ST QUENTIN, HINDENBURG LINE, GALLIPOLI 1915, EGYPT 1915-16