Villers-Bretonneux (French pronunciation: [vilɛʁ bʁətɔnø]) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

[3] In 1840, archaeological excavations revealed stone coffins, vases and buckles dating from the Frankish period.

[8] In 1838, records show[9] that Villers-Bretonneux is one of the richest and most commercial communes in the department and that factories producing woollen stockings and flannels are well established.

[11] On 27 November 1870, Villers Bretonneux was the scene of a battle of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) for the defense of Amiens.

In the interwar years, the city of Melbourne in Australia was a sponsor of the town of Villers-Bretonneux and helped in its reconstruction as did as the State of Victoria more generally.

[12] On 22 July 1938, the Villers–Bretonneux Australian National Memorial was opened by the British sovereigns, George VI, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Albert Lebrun, President of the French Republic.

In World War II, the British Army Sherman tank Armoured Division passed through Villers-Bretonneux, on 1 September 1944.

Today, Villers-Bretonneux is a modest village, which grew significantly thanks to the introduction of the knitwear industry in the 19th century.

The municipality is now experiencing a new development thanks to its proximity to the Amiens agglomeration and to an exit from the A29 motorway (Saint-Quentin-Le Havre).

[13] Simon oversaw the refurbishment of Villers-Bretonneux's Franco-Australian First World War Museum and helped to establish the Sir John Monash Centre, which opened in 2018.

[13][14] He also promoted increased relations and exchanges with Robinvale, Villers-Bretonneux's twinned town in the Australian state of Victoria.

Health services are represented by the presence of a nursing home and a convalescent and functional rehabilitation center in addition to the liberal professionals.

Its skeleton, which remained as a tourist attraction until 2004, was razed in that year and all traces of it were removed to make way for a supermarket.