Chief of Navy (Australia)

Chief of the
Sir William Creswell
Chief of the Sir William Creswell
Deputy	Deputy Chief of Navy
Website	Official website

The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the

3-star

).

Vice Admiral Mark Hammond is the current Chief of Navy; he assumed the position on 6 July 2022.

Appointees

The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Chief of Navy or its preceding positions. Rank and honours are as at the completion of the individual's tours.

Rank and prefix	Name	Postnominal(s)	Service	Term began	Term ended	Time in Appointment
Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces
Rear Admiral Sir	William Rooke Creswell	KBE	CNF	25 February 1904	28 February 1911	7 years, 3 days
First Naval Member, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board
Rear Admiral Sir	William Rooke Creswell	KBE	RAN	1 March 1911	9 June 1919	8 years, 100 days
Rear Admiral Sir	Percy Grant	CB	RN	10 June 1919	14 February 1921	1 year, 249 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Allan Everett	CB	RN	24 November 1921	29 August 1923	1 year, 278 days
Rear Admiral	Percival Hall-Thompson	CMG	RN	25 February 1924	28 June 1926	2 years, 123 days
Rear Admiral	William Napier	DSO	RN	29 June 1926	11 June 1929	2 years, 347 days
Vice Admiral Sir	William Munro Kerr	CB	RN	21 October 1929	19 October 1931	1 year, 363 days
Admiral Sir	George Hyde	CBE	RN/RAN	20 October 1931	28 July 1937	5 years, 281 days
Admiral Sir	Ragnar Colvin	CB	RN	1 November 1937	3 March 1941	3 years, 122 days
Admiral Sir	Guy Royle	DSO	RN	18 July 1941	28 June 1945	3 years, 345 days
Admiral Sir	Louis Keppel Hamilton	DSO	RN	29 June 1945	23 February 1948	2 years, 239 days
Vice Admiral Sir	John Augustine Collins	CB	RAN	24 February 1948	23 February 1955	6 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Roy Dowling	DSO	RAN	24 February 1955	23 February 1959	4 years, 0 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Henry Burrell	CB	RAN	24 February 1959	23 February 1962	2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Hastings Harrington	DSO	RAN	24 February 1962	23 February 1965	2 years, 365 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Alan McNicoll	CB, GM	RAN	24 February 1965	2 April 1968	3 years, 38 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Victor Smith	CB, DSC	RAN	3 April 1968	22 November 1970	2 years, 233 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Richard Peek	CB, DSC	RAN	23 November 1970	22 November 1973	2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral Sir	David Stevenson	KBE	RAN	23 November 1973	22 November 1976	2 years, 365 days
Chief of the Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Sir	Anthony Synnot	AO	RAN	23 November 1976	20 April 1979	2 years, 148 days
Vice Admiral Sir	James Willis	AO	RAN	21 April 1979	20 April 1982	2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral	David Leach	LVO	RAN	21 April 1982	20 April 1985	2 years, 364 days
Admiral^[1]	Michael Hudson	AC	RAN	21 April 1985	8 March 1991	5 years, 321 days
Vice Admiral	Ian MacDougall	AC	RAN	9 March 1991	9 March 1994	3 years, 0 days
Vice Admiral	Rodney Taylor	AO	RAN	10 March 1994	18 February 1997	2 years, 345 days
Chief of Navy
Vice Admiral	Rodney Taylor	AO	RAN	19 February 1997	30 June 1997	131 days
Vice Admiral	Donald Chalmers	AO	RAN	1 July 1997	2 July 1999	2 years, 1 day
Vice Admiral	David Shackleton	AO	RAN	3 July 1999	2 July 2002	2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral	Chris Ritchie	AO	RAN	3 July 2002	3 July 2005	3 years, 0 days
Vice Admiral	Russ Shalders	AO, CSC	RAN	4 July 2005	3 July 2008	2 years, 365 days
Vice Admiral	Russ Crane	AO, CSM	RAN	4 July 2008	7 June 2011	2 years, 338 days
Vice Admiral	Ray Griggs	AO, CSC	RAN	7 June 2011	30 June 2014	3 years, 23 days
Vice Admiral	Tim Barrett	AO, CSC	RAN	30 June 2014	6 July 2018	4 years, 6 days
Vice Admiral	Michael Noonan	AO	RAN	6 July 2018	6 July 2022	4 years, 0 days
Vice Admiral	Mark Hammond	AO	RAN	6 July 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 281 days

Notes

^ Hudson was promoted to vice admiral and appointed Chief of Naval Staff on 21 April 1985. He served in that position as a vice admiral for almost 6 years. On the day of his retirement, 8 March 1991, Prime Minister Bob Hawke promoted Hudson to the rank of admiral to honour his distinguished forty-four years of service to the Navy. Obituary Archived 4 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Naval Historical Review, March 2005, pp.32-33. Australian Naval History on 8 March 1991, Naval Historical Society of Australia.

[1] Hudson was promoted to vice admiral and appointed Chief of Naval Staff on 21 April 1985. He served in that position as a vice admiral for almost 6 years. On the day of his retirement, 8 March 1991, Prime Minister Bob Hawke promoted Hudson to the rank of admiral to honour his distinguished forty-four years of service to the Navy. Obituary Archived 4 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Naval Historical Review, March 2005, pp.32-33. Australian Naval History on 8 March 1991, Naval Historical Society of Australia.

[1]

v t e Leadership of the Australian Defence Organisation
(Headquarters: Russell Offices)
Australian Defence Organisation	Governor-General Prime Minister National Security Committee of Cabinet Minister for Defence Minister for Defence Industry Minister for Defence Personnel Secretary of Defence (SECDEF) Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) Senior Positions Senior Personnel
Australian Defence Force	Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (DCJOPS) Chief of Joint Capabilities (CJC) Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) Chief of Personnel (CP) Chief of Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (CGWEO) Commander Joint Logistics (CJLOG) Surgeon General and Commander Joint Health (CJHLTH) Judge Advocate General (JAG) Commander Australian Defence College Commander Maritime Border Command
Royal Australian Navy	Chief of Navy (CN) Deputy Chief of Navy (DCN) Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT) Director-General Maritime Operations (DGMAROPS) Commodore Warfare (COMWAR) Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N)
Australian Army	Chief of Army (CA) Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) Commander Forces Command (COMD FORCOMD) Commander Aviation Command Special Operations Commander Australia (SOCAUST) Commander of the 1st Division Commander of the 2nd Division Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A)
Royal Australian Air Force	Chief of Air Force (CAF) Deputy Chief of Air Force (DCAF) Air Commander Australia (ACAUST) Defence Space Commander Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF)
Department of Defence	Associate Secretary Deputy Secretary Defence People Chief Finance Officer Deputy Secretary for Estate and Infrastructure Deputy Secretary for Strategic Policy and Intelligence Deputy Secretary for Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Chief Defence Scientist Director Defence Intelligence Organisation Director Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation Director-General Australian Signals Directorate Director-General Australian Submarine Agency
Military of Australia