Founder & Director – Australian Battlefield Treks and Tours
Scott Babington, founder and director of Australian Battlefield Treks and Tours, brings together a long career of military service, leadership, instruction, and historical research. His background in the Australian Army, operational deployments, and lifelong study of military history gives trekkers a guide who understands both the realities of service and the significance of the Kokoda campaign.
Through Australian Battlefield Treks and Tours, Scott combines professional military experience with a deep knowledge of the Kokoda campaign to give trekkers far more than a physical journey. His aim is to bring the story of the soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea to life with clarity, respect, and historical depth.
Scott's Journey and Experience
| Early life | Born in Armidale, New South Wales, in July 1968, Scott set his sights on a military career from an early age. |
| Army entry | After completing Year 10 in 1984, he enlisted in the Australian Army at the age of 16 as an Apprentice Fitter and Turner. |
| Technical achievement | In 1987 he represented the Army at the national Work Skills Australia competition and won a Gold Medal in the Turning and Machining division. |
| Military experience | Across more than three decades in uniform, Scott served in a wide range of roles with Engineer, Infantry, and Armoured units, building broad operational and leadership experience across the Australian Defence Force. |
| Malaysia deployment | In 1991 he deployed to Malaysia with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as part of the Rifle Company Butterworth rotation. |
| Instruction and mentoring | Scott also served as an instructor, helping to train and mentor younger soldiers and airmen — a role he found especially rewarding. |
| Commissioned service | In 2005 he was selected for commissioning and promoted to Captain. He then led a major RAEME workforce initiative involving a new trade and pay structure for around 3,500 Corps members, with all recommendations later accepted by the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal. |
| South Sudan | In 2007 Scott deployed to South Sudan for eight months as a United Nations Military Observer, working in a demanding and complex environment and also serving as Maintenance Officer for patrol vehicles used across remote areas. |
| Army trade training leadership | In 2011 he returned to the Army trade training establishment where he had begun his career, this time as the Second-in-Command of the Army’s trade school. |
| Afghanistan | In 2012 Scott deployed to Afghanistan as an Australian adviser embedded within the Headquarters Battalion of the United States 82nd Airborne Division, mentoring senior elements of the Afghan National Police across Regional Command South. |
| Special project work | Later in that deployment he led a project fitting twelve mine-rollers to Afghan National Police HUMVEEs operating near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border to help reduce the threat from improvised explosive devices. |
| Reserve service | After returning to Australia and serving in further postings, Scott transferred to the Army Reserve in January 2019 and served another four years with C Company, 41st Battalion, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. |
| Total service | His military career included 34 years in the Regular Army and a further four years in the Army Reserve. |
| Current work | Scott now continues to support Australia’s national defence as a Defence contractor working on projects that assist the Australian Defence Force. |
| Historical expertise | Outside his professional work, he devotes much of his time to researching military history, especially the Pacific campaigns of the Second World War, and is widely known among friends for his deep historical knowledge. |
| Personal | Scott lives on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, is a lifelong rugby union enthusiast, and a passionate supporter of the Sydney Swans. |
Through Australian Battlefield Treks and Tours, Scott combines professional military experience with a deep knowledge of the Kokoda campaign to give trekkers far more than a physical journey. His aim is to bring the story of the soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea to life with clarity, respect, and historical depth.