Ken Doolan
Ken Doolan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 January 1939 Officer of the Order of Australia[1] |
| Other work | President of the Returned and Services League of Australia (2009–16) Chairman of the Australian War Memorial Council (2012–15) |
Early life
Doolan was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 15 January 1939 and received his primary education in Brisbane, Queensland.
Doolan joined the Royal Australian Navy as a 13-year-old
Significant postings held during his 41-year naval career included:
- Governor General Viscount De L’Isle, 1964–1965
- Military Secretary to Governor General Lord Casey, 1965
- Direction Officer Indonesian Confrontation, 1966
- Navigating Officer, guided missile destroyer HMAS Perth during the Vietnam War, 1970–1971
- Master Mariner’s Certificate
- commissioning Commanding Officer, amphibious heavy lift ship HMAS Tobruk, 1981
- Commanding Officer, guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane, 1984–1985
- United States of America, 1987–1989
- Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, 1989–1990
- Maritime Commander Australia, 1990–1991, including being appointed Operational Commander of all Australian combatant forces deployed to the Gulf War
- Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Development), 1991–1993 (retired)
Second career
After leaving the Australian Defence Force, Doolan has been:
- Commissioner, Inquiry into the East Coast Armaments Complex, 1994–1996
- Member, Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, 1996–1999
- National Secretary of the Order of Australia Association and Company Secretary of that Association’s Foundation, 2002–2005
- Member, National Defence Committee of the Returned and Services League, 2002 – 2009
- Established a book publishing company with his wife – Grinkle Press, 2006
- President,[3] Australian Institute of Navigation, 2007–2009
- National President, Returned and Services League of Australia, 2009–2016
Doolan first came to public notice as national president of the RSL in late September 2009 when he made statements in support of Breeanna Till, the pregnant widow of an Australian serviceman
Inquiries in 2017
In 2017 Doolan became caught up in inquiries into the financial affairs of the RSL, both during the period when an RSL member, Don Rowe, was the president of the NSW branch and also during Doolan's own period as national president. One allegation, under investigation in September 2017, was that Doolan had taken steps to cover up the case of alleged financial dealings which had benefitted Rowe.[4] Separately, in September 2017 the RSL national board launched an investigation into whether Doolan himself had, in June 2016, accepted a car worth nearly $40,000 as a retirement gift paid for out of RSL funds.[5]
Family
Doolan is married to Elaine. They live in rural New South Wales near the national capital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
Publications
- Maritime Power in the 20th Century – The Australian Experience Chapter 13, Allen & Unwin, 1998
- A commanding presence: the life of G.H. Barker bookseller, naturalist and ornithologist, Ginninderra Press, 2002[6]
- We Were Cadet Midshipmen – RANC Entrants 50 Years On (contributor & publisher), Grinkle Press, 2006
- HMAS Tobruk: warship for every crisis, Grinkle Press, 2007[7]
- Steel Cat: the story of HMAS Brisbane: Vietnam and Gulf War veteran, Grinkle Press, 2009[8]
References
- ^ DOOLAN, Kenneth Allan, AO, It's an Honour, 1991-01-26, accessed 2009-09-28
- ^ War widow 'not penniless and abandoned', Brisbane Times, 2009-09-28
- ^ Office Bearers Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Institute of Navigation, accessed 2009-09-28
- ^ James Robertson, 'Former RSL president Ken Doolan 'directed charity to cover up expenses scandal', inquiry told', Sydney Morning Herald, 27 September 2017.
- ^ David Wroe, 'RSL investigates claim car was given to former national president Ken Doolan', Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 2017.
- ^ A commanding presence : the life of G.H. Barker bookseller, naturalist and ornithologist, biography of George Herbert Baker (1880–1965) (Doolan's maternal grandfather), National Library of Australia
- ^ HMAS Tobruk : warship for every crisis, National Library of Australia
- ^ Steel Cat: the story of HMAS Brisbane: Vietnam and Gulf War veteran, National Library of Australia
External links
- Biography – RSL
| Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet |  | |
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| Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Squadron | ||
| Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet |
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| Maritime Commander Australia | ||
| Commander Australian Fleet | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
