Chief of Army (Australia)
Chief of Army | |
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Australian Army | |
Style | Lieutenant General |
Abbreviation | CA |
Member of | Australian Defence Force |
Reports to | Chief of the Defence Force |
Term length | Four years |
Formation | 29 January 1902 |
First holder | Major General Sir Edward Hutton |
Deputy | Deputy Chief of Army |
Website | Official website |
The Chief of Army is the most senior appointment in the Australian Army, responsible to both the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary, Department of Defence (SECDEF). The rank associated with the position is lieutenant general (3-star).
Lieutenant General Richard Burr, the incumbent Chief of Army, has held the post since 2 July 2018.
History[]
The first Commander of the Australian Army was titled General Officer Commanding, Australian Military Forces, in line with the usual British practice of the time.[1] Experience soon showed that the position concentrated more power than the Ministers for Defence—of whom there were twelve in as many years in 1901–1913—liked.[2] Moreover, the British Army had encountered administrative problems in the Second Boer War which led to the abolition of the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces there in 1904, and its replacement by an Army Board.[3]
In 1904, Minister for Defence Anderson Dawson commissioned a report which recommended a similar system for Australia, with a Military Board consisting of four military members, the minister, and a finance member. This was implemented by his successor, James Whiteside McCay. However instead of creating a Chief of the General Staff as per the report, McCay's Military Board consisted of only three military members, the Deputy Adjutant General, the Chief of Ordnance, and the Chief of Intelligence.[4] The post of Chief of the General Staff was finally created by the new Minister of Defence, George Pearce, in 1909, with Colonel William Bridges becoming the first Chief of the General Staff. The military members of the Military Board then became the Chief of the General Staff, Adjutant General, Chief of Ordnance, and Quartermaster General.[5]
During the Second World War, the threat of invasion led to a reversion to the old system. A Commander in Chief, General Sir Thomas Blamey, was appointed, and the Military Board was suspended, with its powers being transferred to the Commander in Chief. The post of Chief of the General Staff remained, but was now subordinate to the Commander in Chief.[6] This was successful from a military point of view but the problem of a concentration of power recurred and, after the war ended, the government decided to re-form the Military Board. Blamey was replaced by Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee in 1945 and the next year the post of Commander in Chief was again abolished, with Sturdee becoming Chief of the General Staff.[7]
The system continued until the reforms of Arthur Tange in 1973. The three services were unified under the Department of Defence. The Military Board was abolished and the Chief of the General Staff became subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force Staff and the Secretary of Defence.[8] Reflecting this change from a staff to a command role, the post was renamed Chief of Army in 1997.[9]
Appointees[]
The following table lists all those who have held the post of Chief of Army or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure.[10]
No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Officer Commanding Australian Military Forces | |||||
1 | Sir Edward Hutton KCB, KCMG (1848–1923) | Major General29 January 1902 | 10 November 1904 | 1 year, 285 days | |
2 | Harry Finn CB, DCM (1852–1924) | Major General11 November 1904 | 12 January 1905 | 62 days | |
Chief of the General Staff | |||||
3 | William Bridges CMG (1861–1915) | Colonel1 January 1909 | 25 May 1909 | 144 days | |
4 | Sir John Hoad KCMG (1856–1911) | Major General26 May 1909 | 30 May 1911 | 2 years, 4 days | |
5 | Francis Adrian Wilson DSO (1874–1956) | Lieutenant Colonel1 June 1911 | 10 May 1912 | 344 days | |
6 | Joseph Maria Gordon CB (1856–1929) | Brigadier General11 May 1912 | 31 July 1914 | 2 years, 81 days | |
7 | James Gordon Legge CMG (1863–1947) | Colonel1 August 1914 | 23 May 1915 | 295 days | |
8 | Godfrey Irving CMG (1867–1937) | Colonel24 May 1915 | 31 December 1915 | 221 days | |
9 | Hubert Foster (1855–1919) | Colonel1 January 1916 | 30 September 1917 | 1 year, 272 days | |
(7) | James Gordon Legge CB, CMG (1863–1947) | Major General1 October 1917 | 31 May 1920 | 2 years, 243 days | |
10 | Sir Brudenell White KCMG, KCVO, CB, DSO (1876–1940) | Lieutenant General1 June 1920 | 10 June 1923 | 3 years, 9 days | |
11 | Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG, KCB (1865–1945) | General11 June 1923 | 15 April 1930 | 6 years, 308 days | |
12 | Walter Coxen CB, CMG, DSO (1870–1949) | Major General16 April 1930 | 30 September 1931 | 1 year, 167 days | |
13 | Sir Julius Bruche KCB, CMG (1873–1961) | Major General1 October 1931 | 20 April 1935 | 3 years, 201 days | |
14 | John Lavarack CB, CMG, DSO (1885–1957) | Major General21 April 1935 | 12 October 1939 | 4 years, 174 days | |
15 | Ernest Squires CB, DSO, MC (1882–1940) | Lieutenant General13 October 1939 | 26 January 1940 | 105 days | |
16 | John Northcott CB (1890–1966) | Major General27 January 1940 | 17 March 1940 | 50 days | |
(10) | Sir Brudenell White KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (1876–1940) | General18 March 1940 | 13 August 1940 | 148 days | |
17 | Vernon Sturdee CBE, DSO (1890–1966) | Lieutenant General14 August 1940 | 9 September 1942 | 2 years, 26 days | |
(16) | John Northcott CB (1890–1966) | Lieutenant General10 September 1942 | 30 November 1945 | 3 years, 81 days | |
(17) | Sir Vernon Sturdee KBE, CB, DSO (1890–1966) | Lieutenant General1 December 1945 | 16 April 1950 | 4 years, 136 days | |
18 | Sir Sydney Rowell KBE, CB (1894–1975) | Lieutenant General17 April 1950 | 15 December 1954 | 4 years, 242 days | |
19 | Sir Henry Wells KBE, CB, DSO (1898–1973) | Lieutenant General16 December 1954 | 22 March 1958 | 3 years, 96 days | |
20 | Sir Ragnar Garrett KBE, CB (1900–1977) | Lieutenant General23 March 1958 | 30 June 1960 | 2 years, 99 days | |
21 | Sir Reg Pollard KBE, CB, DSO (1903–1978) | Lieutenant General1 July 1960 | 20 January 1963 | 2 years, 203 days | |
22 | Sir John Wilton KBE, CB, DSO (1910–1981) | Lieutenant General21 January 1963 | 18 May 1966 | 3 years, 117 days | |
23 | Sir Thomas Daly KBE, CB, DSO (1913–2004) | Lieutenant General19 May 1966 | 18 May 1971 | 4 years, 364 days | |
24 | Sir Mervyn Brogan KBE, CB (1915–1994) | Lieutenant General19 May 1971 | 19 November 1973 | 2 years, 184 days | |
25 | Frank Hassett AC, CB, CBE, DSO, LVO (1918–2008) | Lieutenant General20 November 1973 | 23 November 1975 | 2 years, 3 days | |
26 | Arthur MacDonald CB, OBE (1919–1995) | Lieutenant General24 November 1975 | 20 April 1977 | 1 year, 147 days | |
27 | Sir Donald Dunstan KBE, CB (1923–2011) | Lieutenant General21 April 1977 | 14 February 1982 | 4 years, 304 days | |
28 | Sir Phillip Bennett KBE, AO, DSO (born 1928) | Lieutenant General15 February 1982 | 12 February 1984 | 1 year, 362 days | |
29 | Peter Gration AO, OBE (born 1932) | Lieutenant General13 February 1984 | 12 April 1987 | 3 years, 58 days | |
30 | Lawrence O'Donnell AC (born 1933) | Lieutenant General13 April 1987 | 12 April 1990 | 2 years, 364 days | |
31 | John Coates AC, MBE (1932–2018) | Lieutenant General13 April 1990 | 30 April 1992 | 2 years, 17 days | |
32 | John Grey AC (born 1939) | Lieutenant General1 May 1992 | 7 July 1995 | 3 years, 67 days | |
33 | John Sanderson AC (born 1940) | Lieutenant General8 July 1995 | 18 February 1997 | 1 year, 225 days | |
Chief of Army | |||||
(33) | John Sanderson AC (born 1940) | Lieutenant General19 February 1997 | 23 June 1998 | 1 year, 124 days | |
34 | Frank Hickling AO, CSC (born 1941) | Lieutenant General24 June 1998 | 15 July 2000 | 2 years, 21 days | |
35 | Peter Cosgrove AC, MC (born 1947) | Lieutenant General16 July 2000 | 27 June 2002 | 1 year, 346 days | |
36 | Peter Leahy AC (born 1952) | Lieutenant General28 June 2002 | 3 July 2008 | 6 years, 5 days | |
37 | Ken Gillespie AC, DSC, CSM (born 1952) | Lieutenant General4 July 2008 | 24 June 2011 | 2 years, 355 days | |
38 | David Morrison AO (born 1956) | Lieutenant General25 June 2011 | 15 May 2015 | 3 years, 324 days | |
39 | Angus Campbell AO, DSC | Lieutenant General16 May 2015 | 2 July 2018 | 3 years, 47 days | |
40 | Rick Burr AO, DSC, MVO (born 1964) | Lieutenant General2 July 2018 | Incumbent | 3 years, 47 days |
See also[]
- List of Australian Army generals
References[]
Citations[]
- ^ Wood 2006, p. 13
- ^ Wood 2006, pp. 50–51
- ^ Wood 2006, pp. xv–xxi
- ^ Wood 2006, pp. 54–59
- ^ Wood 2006, p. 66
- ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 66
- ^ Palazzo 2001, pp. 221–222
- ^ Palazzo 2001, pp. 316–318
- ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 323
- ^ Beaumont 2001, pp. 75–76
Sources[]
- Beaumont, Joan (2001), Australian Defence: Sources and Statistics, South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-554118-9
- Palazzo, Albert (2001), The Australian Army: A History of Its Organisation 1901–2001, South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-551506-4
- Wood, James (2006), Chiefs of the Australian army: Higher Command of the Australian Military Forces 1901–1914, Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications, ISBN 1-876439-40-8
- Army chiefs of staff
- Australian Army
- Australian generals
- Leadership of the Australian Defence Force
- Military appointments of Australia
- Chiefs of Army (Australia)