Following the brigade's establishment, a brief period of training was undertaken in Queensland until May 1916 when the formation embarked for the United Kingdom where they concentrated with other elements of the 3rd Division on Salisbury Plain for further training after July 1916. There, they undertook further training until November that year, when the troops of the 3rd Division began moving across the Channel to the Western Front. The brigade's first commander was Brigadier General Colin Rankin, although he was replaced by Brigadier General James Cannan in December 1916. Following its commitment to the Western Front, the 11th Brigade took part in many battles over the course of the next two years. These include: the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Broodseinde, the Battle of Passchendaele, the Second Battle of Morlancourt, the Battle of Hamel and the Hundred Days Offensive.