Despite being withdrawn back to Port Moresby the campaign continued and late in December, the 36th Battalion, now part of the 30th Brigade was sent to Sanananda to take part in the Battle of Buna-Gona. The 16th Brigade had been unable to capture Sanananda initially and so between 19 December and 26 December 1942, the 30th Brigade launched further attacks against the Japanese defences at Sanananda. These too failed, however, and the 36th was transferred from action after being reduced in strength to just 16 officers and 272 men in a fortnight. After only a brief respite, in January 1943 the battalion moved up to the Gona area to relieve the 55th/53rd Battalion and to carry out patrols along the Amboga River. In March, the 36th Battalion was withdrawn from the line and returned to Australia for rest and training. At this time, they received a large batch of reinforcements from the 49th Battalion which had fought alongside them around Sanananda, and in July 1943 they had returned to New Guinea, where for the next fifteen months they would be moved around the island, stationed in Port Moresby, Soputa, Buna–Oro Bay, Lae, Wau, and Bulolo, carrying out various garrison tasks once more.