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Chief of Army
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since 16 May 2015
StyleLieutenant General
Member ofAustralian Defence Force
Reports toChief of the Defence Force
Term lengthFour years (renewable)
Inaugural holderMajor General Sir Edward Hutton
Formation29 January 1902

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 Angus Campbell, the incumbent Chief of Army, has held the post since 16 May 2015.

History

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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

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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]

Rank and prefix Name Postnominal(s) Term began Term ended Time in appointment
General Officer Commanding Australian Military Forces
Major General Sir Edward Hutton KCB, KCMG 29 January 1902 10 November 1904 1 year, 285 days
Major General Harry Finn CB, DCM 11 November 1904 12 January 1905 62 days
Chief of the General Staff
Colonel William Bridges CMG 1 January 1909 25 May 1909 144 days
Major General Sir John Hoad KCMG 26 May 1909 30 May 1911 2 years, 4 days
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adrian Wilson DSO 1 June 1911 10 May 1912 344 days
Brigadier General Joseph Maria Gordon CB 11 May 1912 31 July 1914 2 years, 81 days
Colonel James Gordon Legge CMG 1 August 1914 23 May 1915 295 days
Colonel Godfrey Irving 24 May 1915 31 December 1915 221 days
Colonel Hubert Foster 1 January 1916 30 September 1917 1 year, 272 days
Major General James Gordon Legge CB, CMG 1 October 1917 31 May 1920 2 years, 243 days
Major General Sir Brudenell White KCMG, KCVO, CB, DSO 1 June 1920 10 June 1923 3 years, 9 days
General Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG, KCB 11 June 1923 15 April 1930 6 years, 308 days
Major General Walter Coxen CB, CMG, DSO 16 April 1930 30 September 1931 1 year, 167 days
Major General Sir Julius Bruche KCB, CMG 1 October 1931 20 April 1935 3 years, 201 days
Lieutenant General John Lavarack CB, CMG, DSO 21 April 1935 12 October 1939 4 years, 174 days
Lieutenant General Ernest Squires CB, DSO, MC 13 October 1939 26 January 1940 105 days
Major General John Northcott CB 27 January 1940 17 March 1940 50 days
General Sir Brudenell White KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO 18 March 1940 13 August 1940 148 days
Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee CBE, DSO 14 August 1940 9 September 1942 2 years, 26 days
Lieutenant General John Northcott CB 10 September 1942 30 November 1945 3 years, 81 days
Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Sturdee KBE, CB, DSO 1 December 1945 16 April 1950 4 years, 136 days
Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Rowell KBE, CB 17 April 1950 15 December 1954 4 years, 242 days
Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells KBE, CB, DSO 16 December 1954 22 March 1958 3 years, 96 days
Lieutenant General Sir Ragnar Garrett KBE, CB 23 March 1958 30 June 1960 2 years, 99 days
Lieutenant General Sir Reg Pollard KBE, CB, DSO 1 July 1960 20 January 1963 2 years, 203 days
Lieutenant General Sir John Wilton KBE, CB, DSO 21 January 1963 18 May 1966 3 years, 117 days
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Daly KBE, CB, DSO 19 May 1966 18 May 1971 4 years, 364 days
Lieutenant General Sir Mervyn Brogan KBE, CB 19 May 1971 19 November 1973 2 years, 184 days
Lieutenant General Frank Hassett AC, CB, CBE, DSO, LVO 20 November 1973 23 November 1975 2 years, 3 days
Lieutenant General Arthur MacDonald CB, OBE 24 November 1975 20 April 1977 1 year, 147 days
Lieutenant General Sir Donald Dunstan KBE, CB 21 April 1977 14 February 1982 4 years, 304 days
Lieutenant General Sir Phillip Bennett KBE, AO, DSO 15 February 1982 12 February 1984 1 year, 362 days
Lieutenant General Peter Gration AO, OBE 13 February 1984 12 April 1987 3 years, 58 days
Lieutenant General Lawrence O'Donnell AC 13 April 1987 12 April 1990 2 years, 364 days
Lieutenant General John Coates AC, MBE 13 April 1990 30 April 1992 2 years, 17 days
Lieutenant General John Grey AC 1 May 1992 7 July 1995 3 years, 67 days
Lieutenant General John Sanderson AC 8 July 1995 18 February 1997 1 year, 225 days
Chief of Army
Lieutenant General John Sanderson AC 19 February 1997 23 June 1998 1 year, 124 days
Lieutenant General Frank Hickling AO, CSC 24 June 1998 15 July 2000 2 years, 21 days
Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC 16 July 2000 27 June 2002 1 year, 346 days
Lieutenant General Peter Leahy AC 28 June 2002 3 July 2008 6 years, 5 days
Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie AC, DSC, CSM 4 July 2008 24 June 2011 2 years, 355 days
Lieutenant General David Morrison AO 25 June 2011 15 May 2015 3 years, 324 days
Lieutenant General Angus Campbell AO, DSC 16 May 2015 Incumbent 9 years, 167 days

Images – Chief of Army

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Images – Chief of the General Staff

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Wood 2006, p. 13
  2. ^ Wood 2006, pp. 50–51
  3. ^ Wood 2006, pp. xv–xxi
  4. ^ Wood 2006, pp. 54–59
  5. ^ Wood 2006, p. 66
  6. ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 66
  7. ^ Palazzo 2001, pp. 221–222
  8. ^ Palazzo 2001, pp. 316–318
  9. ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 323
  10. ^ Beaumont 2001, pp. 75–76

References

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  • 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


Australia Category:Australian Army Category:Leadership of the Australian Defence Force

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