The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Greta, New South Wales from volunteers for the Second Australian Imperial Force and was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division.

Raised initially for service in the Middle East, following Japan's entry into the war, the brigade was assigned to the defence of Australia in case of an invasion.

After garrison duties in New South Wales and Western Australia, it was disbanded in November 1944 without seeing active service, although some of its former units saw action later with other formations.

The brigade's headquarters was broken up when the Australian Army determined that there was no need for large-scale armoured formations as the focus shifted to jungle operations and close infantry-armoured cooperation.

This formation included two armoured brigades drawn from the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), and was intended for deployment to the Middle East.

[7][8] The brigade's first commander was Brigadier Frederick Hinton, a World War I veteran who had served with the Australian Light Horse at Gallipoli, and then as a machine gun officer on the Western Front.

[14] The delivery of tanks to the brigade was slow, and until April 1942 its armoured regiments were equipped only with machine gun carriers.

Divisional exercises were undertaken in August 1942 around Narrabri, during which time the brigade occupied a position around Edgeroi Station.

Once this was complete, the 1st Armoured Division was ordered to begin moving to Western Australia to undertake garrison duties.

The Australian government decided to reallocate some of the manpower that had been tied up in the armoured divisions to other formations that would be utilised for jungle warfare, or civilian industry.

The 1st Armoured Division was retained in Western Australia, though, and Brigadier Frank Wells assumed command of the brigade in June.

[23] On 8 March, all elements of III Corps were placed on six hours notice to respond to a Japanese naval force which was believed to be headed for the Fremantle–Perth area.

[28] In the postwar period, the Australian Army re-raised two armoured brigades – the 1st and the 2nd – in April 1948 within the part-time Citizens Military Force (CMF).

'A' Squadron of the Newcastle-based 15th Amphibian Assault Regiment, was assigned to the brigade to provide an amphibious capability, and operated LVT(A)4s.

[32] Plans to purchase Centurion tanks for the CMF armoured regiments were abandoned in 1954 due to the pressure the National Service scheme was placing on the Army's budget.

[37] Nevertheless, a small armoured headquarters staff was retained underneath the Brigadier, RAAC cell that was established within both Southern and Eastern Commands at this time.

This staff was intended as a cadre from which to form a brigade headquarters in an emergency, but represented only about half of the 105 personnel that had previously undertaken the role.