Australia reverses sale of four historic military sites after public protests
The Australian government has opted to retain four significant historical military sites in public hands, responding to widespread public dissent against their potential sale. Notably, Victoria Barracks in Sydney and other sites in Victoria will remain untouched. The government aims to find new public purposes for these locations while preserving their heritage, and part of the broader reforms…
The Australian government has recently announced a reversal of plans to sell four historic military sites, including the 166-year-old Victoria Barracks in Sydney, following strong public protests. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles made the announcement on Sunday, 8 November 2026, confirming that the four sites will remain in public hands.
The decision comes after an independent review of Defence properties, which recommended selling or partly selling 67 sites to raise funds for military upgrades. The four sites spared from private sale include Victoria Barracks in Sydney and Melbourne, Fort Queenscliff in Victoria, and RAAF Williams at Point Cook in Victoria. Instead of selling these properties, the government plans to work with the Australian War Memorial to record and share their history, making large parts of the military sites accessible to visitors.
The government aims to reduce Defence costs and free up money for new military equipment, continuing the wider sale programme for dozens of other military properties.
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