51st Battalion, The Far North Queensland Regiment

51st Battalion, The Far North Queensland Regiment Official page of The 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (51 FNQR).

The 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (51 FNQR), serves as a Regional Force Surveillance Unit (RFSU), carrying out reconnaissance and surveillance tasks as its primary role. Every operator in the unit is cross-trained in a variety of 'low-visibility' skills such as weapons, survival, sniping, medic, small boat handling, driving, tracking, air ops etc.

51 FNQR is the only battalion of

the Far North Queensland Regiment, and draws its lineage from an Australian Imperial Force battalion raised for service during World War I. Today, 51 FNQR plays an important role in the security of Australia by conducting surveillance patrols in the sparsely populated and remote regions of Far North Queensland. 51 FNQR is made up of full-time and part-time members with battalion headquarters and a surveillance company located in Cairns. Surveillance companies are headquartered throughout Far North Queensland at Weipa, Thursday Island and Mount Isa. Approximately 30 per cent of 51 FNQR personnel are Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders and mainland Aborigines who, with the Australians of other origins throughout the unit, form the team that is 51 FNQR. It is this diverse make up of personnel and their cultures that give the 51 FNQR its unique character.

51 FNQR is tasked with reconnaissance and surveillance of some 640,000 square kilometres from Cardwell (north Queensland) to the Torres Strait (inclusive of Cape York and the Gulf Country) and west to the Northern Territory border. Australians of many cultures have been drawn together to provide this capability. Torres Strait Islanders and members of the many isolated Aboriginal communities throughout Cape York and the Gulf Country form an integral component of the Battalion, and provide a vital source of local knowledge. The real time role of conducting reconnaissance and surveillance in Far North Queensland is what makes service in 51 FNQR so challenging and rewarding for both full-time and part-time members of today's Army. Ask any member of 51 FNQR and they will proudly tell you they are "the eyes and ears of the north". The 51 FNQR came under the command of the 2nd Division on 1 September 2014. The motto of the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment, is ‘Ducit amor patriae’, which is Latin for ‘The love of country leads me’.

21/06/2026

Sometimes even an RFSU needs to call for a tow… Luckily, our very own Operational Support Company has us covered 💪

Last week soldiers from Bravo Company attended the Western Cape College Careers Expo in Weipa. As one of the most popula...
17/06/2026

Last week soldiers from Bravo Company attended the Western Cape College Careers Expo in Weipa. As one of the most popular stands on the day😏students from across the top end had the opportunity to talk to our soldiers and discover the variety of different job roles, trades, and potential tertiary studies offered by Defence, while also getting to know the local Army Reserve Unit, Bravo Company, 51 FNQR 🐊🙌🏼

A few of the 51 FNQR members at the Cairns cenotaph for the indigenous veterans ceremony today….. Some have long family ...
30/05/2026

A few of the 51 FNQR members at the Cairns cenotaph for the indigenous veterans ceremony today….. Some have long family histories of service, for others they are the first - all are doing the nation proud!

Cyclones and rain are over for another year….☀️time now for Bravo Company to get stuck into dry season routine and prepa...
09/05/2026

Cyclones and rain are over for another year….☀️time now for Bravo Company to get stuck into dry season routine and prepare for the operations we all need them to do in Western Cape York💪🏾🇦🇺

On this day in 1988, Charlie Company joined the newly re-raised 51st Battalion🎂In the tradition of Torres Strait Islande...
27/04/2026

On this day in 1988, Charlie Company joined the newly re-raised 51st Battalion🎂

In the tradition of Torres Strait Islander military service to our nation set by the Torres Strait Light Infantry in WWII, and a proud warrior culture thousands of years before that, these guys and girls continue to do our nation proud 🇦🇺💪🏾🥹

Thanks to SBS for the coverage of a special ANZAC service on Saturday in this unique part of our nation.

2 likes, 1 comment. "Torres Strait Islands: Birthplace of Australia's only all-Indigenous battalion"

23/04/2026
Regardless of season, weather, or terrain ⛈️During a recent visit, Commander 2nd Division - Australian Army, MAJGEN Burr...
10/04/2026

Regardless of season, weather, or terrain ⛈️

During a recent visit, Commander 2nd Division - Australian Army, MAJGEN Burr AM got to see the team hard at work patrolling remote Far North Queensland.

When he wasn’t getting soaked on patrol, the Div Commander promoted one of our hard working Combat Support Operators, LCPL Sands. Like any army, 51 FNQR marches on our stomachs and CSOs like LCPL Sands are essential to keeping everyone fed and operating at max capacity.

Address

Porton Barracks
Cairns, QLD
4869

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 10:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4pm
Thursday 7:30am - 4pm
Friday 7:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+61740459310

Website

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