Jonathan Mead

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Jonathan Mead
Officer of the Order of Australia
Commendation for Distinguished Service

Head of Navy Capability from 2015 to 2017, Commander Australian Fleet from 2018 to 2020, Chief of Joint Capabilities
from 2020 to 2021, and was appointed Chief of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force in September 2021.

Early life

Jonathan Dallas Mead was born in

First World War.[2][3]

Mead was educated at St Bede's College, a Catholic secondary school in the inner Melbourne suburb of Mentone. He was an active sportsman who particularly excelled at water sports. As a youth he would explore the wreck of HMAS Cerberus, a breastwork monitor sunk as a breakwater off Half Moon Bay in Port Phillip.[2]

Naval career

Mead was

Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS Creswell for junior officer training on 16 January 1984.[4][5] He was classmates with fellow future admirals Stuart Mayer, Michael Noonan, and Greg Sammut.[5] Mead graduated from the college as a sub-lieutenant and with a Diploma of Applied Science in 1986 and undertook further training in bridge watchkeeping and clearance diving, specialising in Mine Warfare and Explosive Ordnance Disposal.[2][4] Mead later described his service with the Clearance Diving Branch, culminating with his appointment as executive officer of Clearance Diving Team One, as "some of the happiest days of my career."[2]

Seeking to enhance his future career prospects, Mead trained as a

Principal Warfare Officer specialising in Anti-Submarine Warfare. He also read for a Master of Arts in International Relations at Deakin University and, later, a Master of Management at the University of Canberra. A series of seagoing appointments followed, including as Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer aboard HMAS Melbourne and in HMAS Arunta, and as Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. Mead next returned to HMAS Arunta as executive officer.[1][2][4] During his time in the ship, Arunta deployed as part of Operation Relex to turn back vessels suspected of unauthorised entry to northern Australian waters.[2]

Mead submitted the thesis for his

Member of the Order of Australia in the 2007 Australia Day Honours for his "exceptional service in warlike operations".[9]

Mead (standing, right) shaking hands with Rear Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh during exercise AUSINDEX-15 in September 2015.

In 2007, Mead completed a course of study at India's National Defence College in New Delhi and, now a captain, was appointed Australia's Defence Advisor to India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.[1][2][4] During this time Mead authored Indian National Security: Misguided Men and Guided Missiles, published with KW Publishers in 2010.[4][10] Following promotion to commodore in July 2011, he deployed to the Middle East from October as commander Combined Task Force 150.[4] Based in Bahrain, Mead's multinational naval task force was responsible for maritime counter-terrorism operations around the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa.[11] He returned to Australia in April 2012 as Commander Surface Force in Fleet Headquarters.[2][4][12] For his "distinguished performance" as a "highly effective commander" in the Middle East, Mead was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours.[12]

Promoted to

Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his "distinguished service to the Royal Australian Navy in senior management and command roles."[14] Mead handed over command of the Australian Fleet to Rear Admiral Mark Hammond on 17 November 2020.[15]

Mead was promoted vice admiral and appointed Chief of Joint Capabilities in November 2020.[4] He handed over Joint Capabilities to Lieutenant General John Frewen in September 2021 and was subsequently appointed Chief of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force, responsible for overseeing Australia's acquisition of submarines with nuclear propulsion.[16][17] On 1 July 2023 the task force was replaced by the Australian Submarine Agency and Mead was appointed the inaugural director-general.[18]

Personal life

Mead has been married to Frances since 23 May 1992. The couple have two sons.

Young Endeavour Youth Scheme.[19][20]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jonathan Mead.
  1. ^ a b c d "Rear Adm. Dr Jonathan Mead". Who's Who in Australia Online. ConnectWeb. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Portrait of the Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead, AM, RAN". Naval Historical Society of Australia. June 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Mead, Dallas Charles Cardiff". World War II Nominal Roll. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Vice Admiral Jonathan Dallas Mead". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Appointment of Officers". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 14 February 1984. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  6. ^ Mead, Jonathan. "The Australia–Indonesia Security Relationship". Research Repository. Deakin University. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  7. Sydney Morning Herald
    . 14 April 2006. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Australia Day 2007 Honours". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 January 2007. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  9. ^ "Australia Day 2007 Honours". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 January 2007. p. 11. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  10. ^ Mead, Jonathan. "Indian National Security: Misguided Men and Guided Missiles". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Australia Assumes Command of Combined Task Force 150". Combined Maritime Forces. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Military – Gallantry, Distinguished & Conspicuous" (PDF). Queen's Birthday 2013 Honours. Office of the Governor-General of Australia. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  13. ^ Laird, Robin (30 August 2016). "Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead Focused on the Way Ahead for the Royal Australian Navy". Second Line of Defense. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Queen's Birthday 2020 Honours List" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  15. ^ "Rear Admiral Mark Hammond". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Chief Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force: Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, AO". Department of Defence. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  17. ^ Greene, Andrew (21 September 2021). "Scott Morrison's Hand-picked General Given New Military Challenge following COVID Vaccine Rollout". ABC News. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  18. ^ Department of Defence. Launch of the Australian Submarine Agency.
  19. ^ "Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead AM RAN". Directory. Australian Government. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  20. ^ "Museum Council". Australian National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
Military offices
Preceded by
Air Marshal Warren McDonald
 Chief of Joint Capabilities
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
Lieutenant General John Frewen
Preceded by
Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer
 Commander Australian Fleet
2018–2020 		Succeeded by
Rear Admiral Mark Hammond
Preceded by
Rear Admiral Mark Campbell
Head of Navy Capability

2015–2017 		Succeeded by
Rear Admiral Peter Quinn
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