Australian Army Generals
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Australian Army Generals
Australian Army Generals is a page aiming to honour the lives of Australia's senior soldiers, recognising them as one of the key groups of people in Australia's development. Some 160 deceased Australian Army Generals have been identified and have profiles on WikiTree (some 60 more are still serving or living). Most, if not all, Generals are Notables. Many have gone on to carve out careers as diplomats, philanthropists, businessmen, doctors, politicians, voluntary workers and even farmers. The intention is to extend the project to include RAN Admirals and RAAF Air Marshals at a later date. For the purpose of this category, Generals include all those who attained the ranks of Field Marshal, General, Lieutenant General and Major General of all eras. Brigadiers are no longer Generals. Although classified as Generals (single star) until 1921, Brigadier Generals of the First World War have been excluded to maintain continuity with later eras.
Practical information about generals
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| insignia of Field Marshal, showing crown and batons |
ranks
The senior, or general, ranks in the Australian Army are (in descending order):
- Field Marshal - the insignia is a St Edward's Crown with crossed batons over a wreath (see illustration). The only serving holder of this rank was Sir Thomas Blamey
- General - is the second-highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Australian Army and considered a four-star rank. The insignia is a Crown, Star and crossed sword & baton (see below). The rank of General is held when an army officer is appointed Chief of the Defence Force. As of 2024, Australia has had twelve Generals.
- Lieutenant General - is considered a three-star rank and is held by the Chief of Army, the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, the Chief of Joint Operations, and the Chief of Capability Development. The insignia is a Crown and crossed sword & baton (see below).
- Major General - is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank. The insignia is a Star and crossed sword & baton (see below). A Major General commands a division or the equivalent.
- As stated above, we have excluded the 1901 to 1921 rank of Brigadier General from this category to maintain continuity with later eras (with the name change to Brigadier, this rank became associated with the field officer ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel).
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| insignia of a General, showing star, crown and sword / baton |
insignia
The General rank insignia, identical to those of the British Army excepting for the title 'Australia', comprise one or more of three symbols:
- the Crown of St Edward; as also worn by Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels and Brigadiers.
- the Star of the Order of the Bath, or 'pip' as it is colloquially known; as worn by Second Lieutenants, Lieutenants, Captains, Lieutenant Colonels and Brigadiers.
- a crossed Mameluke Sword and Baton.
And who are Australia's Generals?
This section is being developed and will concentrate on their senior commands and service in the ranks of the generals.
British Army Generals serving Australia
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| MAJ GEN Lachlan Macquarie |
The first general to serve on the Australian continent was Lachlan Macquarie CB, the fifth governor of the British Colony of New South Wales from 1810 to 1822 (which then encompassed everywhere from the tip of Cape York to the southern point of Van Dieman's Land, west for half of the continent and east to Norfolk Island). Macquarie arrived as a Lieutenant Colonel in command of his 1st Battalion, 73rd Regiment of Foot, however was promoted to Colonel upon assuming his vice-regal duties on 1st January 1810 with the battalion placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Maurice O'Connell (who would marry Mary Putland, the widowed daughter of former Governor of New South Wales Vice Admiral William Bligh RN). Macquarie was subsequently promoted to Brigadier General in 1811 and then to Major General in 1813. Of course, he served in the capacity of governor and not as a military commander. Macquarie retired to Britain, where he died in 1824 at St James London and was entombed at Isle of Mull, Argyllshire; with the family tomb administered by the National Trust of Australia. Macquarie was succeeded as governor by Major General Sir Thomas Brisbane from 1821-25, Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Darling KCB 1825-31, and Major General Sir Richard Bourke KCB 1831-37.
- Major General Sir Maurice O'Connell KCH (1766-1848) returned to New South Wales in 1838 to assume command of the forces in the Colony of New South Wales (then still inclusive of today's Victoria and Queensland), Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand. In November 1841, he was promoted to Lieutenant General. O'Connell was also appointed to the Legislative Council and served as Acting Governor. He retired to his New South Wales properties in 1847, passing away in Sydney a year later.
- Major General Edward Wynyard CB (1788-1864) succeeded O'Connell in 1847 as commander of the forces in New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand. His return to Britain in 1853 followed the separation of Victoria as a British Colony. His steady opposition to every proposal for the British government for the reduction of troops under his command was justified in 1851 when gold was discovered and each colony began to clamour for protection. Wynyard's invaluable service within Australia is commemorated through the locale of Wynyard, Sydney, and the town of Wynyard in northern Tasmania.
Australia's defence continued to be dependent upon British forces until 1870 and then the Colonial Military Forces of the six independent colonies (listed alphabetically) New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia, each of which were commanded by British Army officers seconded to the respective Colony:
- Major General Major Francis Downes CMG (1834-1923), commanded the South Australia Military Force (1877-85; 1888-99) and the Victorian Military Force (1899-1902). Promoted Major General in 1884. He also served as the Victorian secretary of defence (1885-88). Downes remained in Australia, included on the Australian retired List, passing away at his home in Brighton, Victoria. His son was Major General Rupert Downes CMG, Director General of Medical Services; Australia's first father-son generals.
- Major General John Soame Richardson CB (1836-96), commandant of New South Wales Military Force 1870 to 1892, leading the NSW contingent to the Sudan Campaign. He was a veteran of the Crimean and Maori Wars. He migrated to NSW in 1865, marrying and raising his family in his adopted home. Promoted to Major General in 1885 and retired in 1892; Richardson passed away, too soon, at his home at Leichhardt, in Sydney's inner west.
- Major General (later) Sir George French (1841-1921) was commandant of the New South Wales Military Force; succeeding John Soame Richardson from 1896, having previously been commandant of the Queensland Force from 1883 to 1891. He retired to England in September 1902. French became the brother-in-law of Major General Ewen Sinclair-Maclagan in 1902.
- Major General Sir Charles Holled Smith KCMG CB (1847-1925), commandant of the Victorian Military Force 1894-99. A veteran of the Zulu and Boer Wars, Egyptian War, Nile Expedition, Soudan, Suakin, and Tokar. Retired to England.
- Major General (later Sir) Peter Henry Scratchley (1835-1885), whilst not in the Australian Colonies as a commandant, provided excellent service from 1877 through advising the colonies on their defences. The major installations in Brisbane (Fort Lytton), Newcastle (Fort Scratchley), Sydney (Bare Island), Melbourne (Fort Queenscliff) and Adelaide (Fort Glanville) were designed by Peter. He retired from active military service in October 1882, but was still employed by the Colonial Office as defence adviser for the colonies. In November 1884 Peter was appointed special commissioner for the new British Protectorate of New Guinea (later known as Papua).
Even following Federation in 1901 and the establishment of the Australian Military Force in March that year, Australia remained dependent on seconded British officers until such time as we could develop our own military leaders:
- Major General (later Lieutenant General) Sir Edward Hutton (1848-1923), a British military commander who pioneered the use of mounted infantry; commanded the 1st Mounted Infantry Brigade in South Africa, a formation made up of Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand troops; and from 1902 to 1904 was the first General Officer Commanding Australia's Commonwealth Military Force, of which he created both a field force and a garrison force, and transformed various colonial cavalry and mounted units into the famous Light Horse.
- Major General Harry Finn CB DCM (1852-1924) was a British Army officer who served in the infant Australian Army as Inspector-General from 1901 to 1904 and then General Officer Commanding the Commonwealth Military Force until 1907. After retiring from the British Army, Finn became secretary of the Walter and Eliza Hall Trust in Sydney, and private secretary to the Governor of New South Wales. He is buried in South Head Cemetery, Sydney.
- Major General Francis Wilson was a British Army officer who was appointed General Officer Commanding the Commonwealth Military Force 1911-12.
- Major General Ewen Sinclair-Maclagan CB CMG DSO (1868-1948) was a British Army officer who served from 1901 to 1904 in the infant Australian Army and 1910-14 as drill instructor at the newly-established Royal Military College, Duntroon, before leading the 3rd Australian Brigade, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli and the Somme Valley, France, and then the 4th Australian Division in 1917-18. His wife and daughter were Aussies. He became the brother-in-law of Major General Sir George French in 1902.
- General (later Field Marshal Lord) Sir William Birdwood GCB GCSI GCMG GCVO CIE DSO (1865-1951), who commanded the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli Campaign. Sir William's barony is, in part, Baron Birdwood of Anzac.
- Major General Godfrey Irving was a British Army officer who, in 1915, commanded the Commonwealth Military Force in Australia whilst the Australian Imperial Force was in the Middle East and the Dardenelles. He later migrated to Victoria.
- Major General Sir Nevill Smyth VC KCB (1868-1941) was a decorated British Army officer who commanded the Australian 1st Brigade at Gallipoli and in France, before commanding the 2nd Australian Division. Smyth migrated to Australia following the First World War, stating 'that he regarded Australians as the finest troops with whom he had ever served, and he wanted to live among them in their country'.
- Major General Sir Henry Hodgson KCMG CB CVO (1868-1930) was a British Army officer who commanded the Imperial Mounted Division, later renamed the Australian Mounted Division in the Middle East during The Great War.
- Brigadier General Hubert Foster was the last British Army officer to command the Commonwealth Military Force, in 1916-17.
Generals of the Australian Army
The young nation's first 'home-grown' general was Sir John Hoad, appointed in 1907 however, died just four years later aged 55 years.
The next Australian to be promoted Major General was Sir William Bridges, at the commencement of the (First World) War in 1914 to command the Australian Imperial Force and, subsequently, the 1st Division. Bridges was killed at Gallipoli just weeks after the ANZAC landing. Gordon Legge was promoted and appointed as Bridges' replacement. Sir Harry Chauvel was soon after promoted and replaced Legge, who moved sideways to command the newly-formed 2nd Division. Chauvel went on to become the hero leader of the Light Horse Divisions and Corps in the Middle East. About that time, Sir Newton Moore, a politician and citizen soldier, has promoted to Major General to command AIF units in the UK (an appointment that only continued to 1917). As the AIF continued to expand in 1916, Sir John Monash and Sir Jim McCay (a former Federal Minister of Defence) were promoted to Major General to command the newly-formed 3rd and 5th Divisions respectively. The 4th Division was initially commanded by a British General. Five further appointments were made in late 1916 and 1917, namely James Mackay to establish an Army Reserve, William Holmes to command the 4th Division (however, he would be killed in action in 1917), Sir Talbot Hobbs to take over command of the 5th Division, Sir Neville Howse VC to command AIF Medical Services and Sir Brudenell White to work with British General Birdwood in the Australian Corps and British 5th Army. The final six appointments to senior command came in 1918 as the war trudged towards an Armistice: Sir Charles Rosenthal to 2nd Division (Legge moved to Chief of the General Staff), Sir William Glasgow to 4th Division (replacing the deceased Holmes), Sir Jack Gellibrand to 3rd Division (Monash had been promoted and given command of the Australian Corps), Edwin Tivey to 5th Division (Hobbs had taken over 1st Division), George Leonard Lee to Eastern Command New South Wales (the first Major General to be appointed with a view to post-war), Sir Granville Ryrie to command the Australian Mounted Division and AIF in Egypt post-Armistice, and Reginald Browne to non-conflict assignments. Legge, Monash, McCay, Hobbs, Howse, Glasgow, Gellibrand, Lee, Ryrie and Browne went onto the Retired List within five years of the end of the war, leaving only Chauvel, White, Rosenthal and Tivey serving as Generals beyond the mid-1920s. The changing needs of the post-war Army would also necessitate having leaders in staff roles, as well as command.
| No. | Photo | Name | Birth-place | Previous Corps | Years as General | Highest rank attained | Commands | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Sir John Charles Hoad KCMG (1856-1911) | Goulburn, New South Wales | Infantry | 1907-1911  | MAJ GEN | Inspector General; Chief of the General Staff | observed and assisted the Japanese forces in the field during the Russo-Japanese War |
| 2 |  | Sir William Throsby Bridges KCB CMG (1861-1915) | Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Artillery | 1914-1915  | MAJ GEN | Chief of the General Staff; Royal Military College, Duntroon; Australian Imperial Force; 1st Division | held key staff appointments from federation; first of 2 Aust. Generals KIA during WWI |
| 3 |  | Gordon Legge CB CMG CGM (1863-1947) | Hackney, London, England | Infantry | 1915-1924 | LT GEN | 1st Division; 2nd Division; RMC Duntroon | strong advocate of an independent RAAF; father-son generals duo with Stanley Legge |
| 4 |  | Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG KCB (1865-1945) | Tabulam, New South Wales | Infantry | 1915-1930 | General | 1st Division; ANZAC Mounted Division; Desert Mounted Corps; Chief of the General Staff | first Australian to attain ranks of Lieutenant General and General |
| 5 |  | Sir Newton Henderson Moore KCMG VD (1870-1936) | Fremantle, Western Australia | Infantry | 1915-1917 | MAJ GEN | Australian Imperial Forces in the UK | was a Mayor of Bunbury, Premier of WA, and member of the House of Commons |
| 6 |  | Sir John Monash GCMG KCB (1865-1931) | West Melbourne, Victoria | Infantry | 1916-1922 | General | 3rd Division; Australian Corps | considered one of the best Allied generals of the First World War |
| 7 |  | Sir Jim McCay KCMG KBE CB (1864-1935) | Ballynure, Antrim, Ireland | Infantry | 1916-1925 | LT GEN | 5th Division | created the Military Board and Army Intelligence Corps; Minister for Defence 1904-05 |
| 8 |  | William Holmes CMG DSO VD (1862-1917) | Paddington, New South Wales | Infantry | 1916-1917 | MAJ GEN | 4th Division | second of 2 Aust. Generals KIA during WWI |
| 9 |  | Sir Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG (1864-1938) | Pimlico, London, England | Artillery | 1916-1919 | LT GEN | 5th Division; 1st Division; Australian Corps | deeply involved in the erection of memorials to the Australian divisions |
| 10 |  | James Kenneth Mackay CB OBE VD (1859-1935) | Wallendbeen, New South Wales | Infantry | 1916-1920 | MAJ GEN | Director General Australian Army Reserve | - |
| 11 |  | Sir Neville Howse VC KCB KCMG (1863-1930) | Stogursey, Somerset, England | Medical | 1917-1921 | MAJ GEN | AIF Medical Services | first Australian serviceman to recieve the Victoria Cross |
| 12 |  | Sir Brudenell White KCB KCMG KCVO DSO (1876-1940) | Saint Arnaud, Victoria | Infantry | 1917-23; 1940-40 | General | Chief of the General Staff | planned the AIF, evacuation of Gallipoli, the post-First World War army, and the Second AIF |
| 13 |  | Sir Charles Rosenthal KCB CMG DSO VD (1875-1954) | Berrima, New South Wales | Artillery | 1918-1926, 1932-1937 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - |
| 14 |  | Sir William Glasgow KCB CMG DSO VD (1876-1955) | Tiaro, Queensland | Mounted Infantry | 1918-1922 | MAJ GEN | 4th Division | Minister for Defence 1927-29; first Australian High Commissioner to Canada 1939-45 |
| 15 |  | Sir Jack Gellibrand KCB DSO & Bar (1872-1945) | Lleintwardeine, Tasmania | Infantry | 1918-1922 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Division | helped to form the Hobart Remembrance Club in 1919 |
| 16 | | Edwin Tivey CB CMG DSO VD (1866-1947) | Inglewood, Victoria | Mounted Infantry / Light Horse | 1918-1926 | MAJ GEN | 5th Division, 2nd Cavalry Division | - |
| 17 | | George Leonard Lee CMG DSO (1860-1939) | Maitland, New South Wales | NSW Lancers | 1918-1920 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Military District | - |
| 18 |  | Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie KCMG CB (1865-1937) | Michelago, New South Wales | Mounted Infantry / Light Horse | 1918-19 | MAJ GEN | Australian Mounted Division | NSW MLA from 1900; Federal MHR from 1911; High Commissioner to UK |
| 19 |  | Reginald Spence Browne CB (1856-1943) | Appin, New South Wales | Infantry | 1918-19 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
Of the First World War Australian Generals that continued to serve beyond 1924-25, Tivey would only serve until 1926 and Chauvel until 1930. Rosenthal was the Militia commander of 2nd Division until 1926 and again 1932-1937, whilst a politician. In the 'between wars' period, they would be joined (mostly for short periods) by fellow First World War veterans: Victor Sellheim, James Mackay, Charles Cox, Frederic Hughes, John Forsyth, Joseph Gordon, George Johnston, Godfrey Irving, John Paton, Walter Coxen, Harold 'Pompey' Elliott, Charles Brand, Thomas Dodds and George Rankin. Other than White, the majority were tasked solely with running a peacetime Army.
From 1930 onwards, though, would come appointments of generals who would command in a World War with experience gained in the previous World War: Gordon Bennett DSO, Sir Thomas Blamey DSO, Owen Phillips DSO, Doctor Rupert Downes, Ernest Squires DSO MC, Sir Carl Jess DSO, Sir John Lavarack DSO, John Leslie Hardie DSO.
| No. | Photo | Name | Birth-place | Previous Corps | Years as General | Highest rank attained | Commands | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | | Charles Snodgrass Ryan KBE CB CMG MM (1853-1925) | Longwood, Victoria | Medical Corps | 1919-1919 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | Honorary Surgeon-General, Australian Military Forces | - |
| 20 |  | Victor Conradsdorf Sellheim CB CMG (1866-1928) | Balmain, New South Wales | Mounted Infantry / Light Horse | 1919-1927 | MAJ GEN | Quartermaster General | - |
| 21 | | Frederic Hughes CB VD (1858-1944) | Brighton, Victoria | Mounted Infantry / Light Horse | 1920-1920 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | - | - |
| 22 | | James Burston (1856-1920) | Kilmore, Victoria | Infantry | 1920-20 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | - | father-son Aussie generals duo with his son, MAJ GEN Sir Roy Burston |
| 23 |  | Charles Cox CB CMG DSO (1863-1944) | Pennant Hills, New South Wales | NSW Lancers; Light Horse | 1921-1923 | MAJ GEN | 1st Cavalry Division | - |
| 24 | | John Keatly Forsyth CMG (1867-1928) | Brisbane, Queensland | Mounted Infantry | 1921-22, 1925-25 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | Quartermaster General | - |
| 25 |  | José Maria Jacobo Rafael 'Joseph' Gordon CB (1856-1929) | Cádiz, Andalucía, Spain | Artillery | 1921-21 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | Military Forces of South Australia; Chief of the General Staff | was chief staff officer Overseas Colonial Forces, Second Boer War |
| 26 | | George Jameson Johnston CB CMG CBE VD (1868-1949) | East Melbourne, Victoria | Artillery | 1922-1927 | LT GEN (Hon) | 3rd Division | - |
| 27 |  | Sir Julius Bruche KCB CMG (1873-1961) | North Melbourne, Victoria | Infantry | 1923-1935 | MAJ GEN | Queensland District; New South Wales District; Adjutant General; RMC Duntroon; Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 28 | | James Macarthur-Onslow VD (1867-1946) | Menangle, New South Wales | Mounted Rifles | 1924-24 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | - | with nephew, Denzil Macarthur-Onslow, Australia's only uncle-nephew generals duo |
| 29 |  | John Macquarie Antill CB CMG (1866-1937) | Jarvisfield, New South Wales | Mounted Rifles / Light Horse | 1924-1924 | MAJ GEN (Hon) | - | best known for his role in the Battle of The Nek at Gallipoli |
| 30 |  | John Gibson Paton CB CMG VD (1867-1943) | Newcastle, New South Wales | Infantry | 1924-1926 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - |
| 31 |  | Godfrey George Irving (1867-1937) | Melbourne, Victoria | Infantry | 1925-1925 | MAJ GEN | Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 32 |  | Charles 'Digger' Brand CB CMG CVO DSO (1873-1961) | Ipswich, Queensland | Infantry | 1926-1933 | MAJ GEN | Chief of the General Staff; Quartermaster General | - |
| 33 |  | Walter Adams Coxen CB CMG DSO (1870-1949) | Egham, Surrey, England | Artillery | 1927-1931 | MAJ GEN | Quartermaster General; Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 34 |  | Harold 'Pompey' Elliott CB CMG DSO DCM VD (1878-1931) | Charlton, Victoria | Infantry | 1927-1931 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Division | - |
| 35 | | Thomas Dodds CMG CVO DSO (1873-1943) | Gateshead, Co. Durham, England | Infantry | 1930-1934 | MAJ GEN | Adjutant General; 2nd Military District; 1st Division | Federal Treasurer RSL |
| 36 | | Gordon Bennett CB CMG DSO (1887-1962) | Balwyn, Victoria | Infantry | 1930-1944 | LT GEN | 2nd Division; Volunteer Defence Corps; 8th Division; III Corps | infamous for deserting his command as Singapore fell |
| 37 |  | Sir Thomas Blamey GBE KCB CMG DSO (1884-1951) | Lake Albert, New South Wales | Infantry | 1931-1951 | Field Marshal | 3rd Division; 1 Corps; Commander-in-Chief | only Australian to attain rank of Field Marshal (1951) |
| 38 | | Owen Forbes Phillips CMG DSO (1882-1966) | Warwick, Queensland | Artillery | 1933-1942 | MAJ GEN | 1st Division; Inspector of Coastal and Anti-Aircraft Defences | - |
| 39 | | Dr Rupert Major Downes CMG VD (1885-1945) | Mitcham, South Australia | Medical | 1934-1945 | MAJ GEN | Director General Medical Services | son of MAJ GEN Major Downes, commandant of SA & VIC Military Forces, Australia's first father-son generals |
| 40 | | Ernest Ker Squires CB DSO MC (1882-1940) | Poona, India | Engineers | 1935-1940 | LT GEN | Director Staff Duties; Inspector General; Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 41 |  | Sir Carl Jess CB CMG CBE DSO (1884-1948) | Sandhurst, Victoria | Infantry | 1935-1946 | LT GEN | Adjutant General; Director of Women's National Services | rose through every rank from Private to Lieutenant General in a 44-year career |
| 42 |  | Sir John Lavarack KCMG KCVO KBE CB DSO (1885-1957) | Kangaroo Point, Queensland | Artillery | 1935-1946 | LT GEN | Chief of the General Staff; Southern Command; 7th Division | later appointed Governor of Queensland |
| 43 | | John Leslie Hardie OBE DSO (1882-1956) | Ballarat, Victoria | Infantry | 1937-1942 | MAJ GEN | Inspector General; Inspector of Administration | - |
| 44 | | George Rankin DSO & Bar (1887-1957) | Bamawm, Victoria | Infantry | 1937-37 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
To some, in the military and in the federal parliament, from the early 1930s they could see another global war coming; not just in Europe and the Middle East – Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Communist Soviet Union (although they would later 'swap sides') – but also in the Pacific – Japan. And there were new generals who would command in a World War having gained experience in a previous World War.
Gordon Bennett DSO was promoted to Major General (having been Australia's youngest Brigadier General) in 1930 and appointed to command 2nd Division. He was often outspoken and created enemies, so when war was declared, instead of being given 6th Division as the most senior general, he was appointed to establish the Volunteer Defence Corps. He was given command of the newly-formed 8th Division in 1940 and took it to Malaya and Singapore. When Singapore fell, he left his post and returned to Australia. His final appointment was to command III Corps in Western Australia and retired in May 1944. Owen Phillips DSO was promoted to Major General in 1933, upon appointment to command the 1st Division. He then served as Inspector of Coastal and Anti-Aircraft Defences until retiring in 1942.
Doctor Rupert Downes, son of British and Colonial Major General Major Downes, was Director General of Medical Services from 1934 until killed in an aeroplane crash in March 1945). He did much to prepare Australia medically for the Second World War and to cope with it. Sir Julius Bruche was Chief of the General Staff until 1935, when he was succeeded by Sir John Lavarack DSO. Lavarack tried to convince the 'powers that be' that the government's defence policy was flawed. By so doing, although he was correct, he made enemies, resulting in his appointment to a 'backwater', Southern Command, when the war actually came in 1939. With Sir Thomas Blamey DSO (promoted Major General in 1931) appointed to command 6th Division and the Second Australian Imperial Force. Sir Carl Jess DSO was responsible from 1935 for greatly increasing the size of the Militia as war in the Pacific loomed in his position of Adjutant General and Chairman of the Department of Defence's Manpower Committee, and organised the Australian Women's Land Army during the war. John Hardie DSO served as a Major General from 1937 as Inspector General and then Inspector of Administration until retiring in 1942.
Ernest Squires DSO MC (promoted Major General in 1935) was appointed Inspector General in 1938. His investigation of the Army's preparedness for war was welcomed by the government and the Military Board in December that year and he was subsequently appointed Chief of the General Staff. He was dead in March 1940. Sir Brudenell White DSO, despite being 63 years of age, was coaxed out of retirement to again serve as Chief of the General Staff, with promotion to General; just the third Australian to attain the rank (after Chauvel and Monash). In August 1940, he was killed in a plane crash, along with three federal ministers and some senior public servants. Sir Vernon Sturdee DSO was promoted to Major General and became Australia's third CGS in five months. Not a good way to begin a global war!
| No. | Photo | Name | Birth-place | Previous Corps | Years as General | Highest rank attained | Commands | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 |  | Sir Vernon Sturdee KBE CB DSO (1890-1966) | Frankston, Victoria | Engineers | 1939-1950 | LT GEN | Chief of the General Staff (1940-42; 1946-50); 1st Army | - |
| 46 | | Edward Kenneth Smart DSO MC (1891-1961) | Kew, Victoria | Artillery | 1939-1946 | LT GEN | Quartermaster General; Southern Command; Military Mission to US | - |
| 47 |  | Edmund Drake-Brockman CB CMG DSO (1884-1949) | Busselton, Western Australia | Infantry | 1939-1942 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Division | served in the Senate 1919-1926 and then as a federal judge |
| 48 | | Thomas Rhys Williams CMG DSO (1884-1950) | Bundaberg, Queensland | Engineers | 1939-1944 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 49 |  | Herbert 'Bertie' Lloyd CB CMG CVO DSO ED (1883-1957) | South Yarra, Victoria | Artillery | 1940-1946 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - |
| 50 |  | Henry Douglas Wynter CB CMG DSO (1886-1945) | Gin Gin, Queensland | Artillery | 1940-1945 | LT GEN | 9th Division; Lieutenant General Administration | - |
| 51 | | Sir Roy Burston KBE CB DSO VD (1888-1960) | Melbourne, Victoria | Medical | 1940-1948 | MAJ GEN | Medical Services | father-son generals duo with his father, MAJ GEN James Burston |
| 52 |  | Victor Stantke CBE (1886-1967) | Fitzroy, Victoria | Infantry | 1940-1946 | MAJ GEN | Adjutant General; Queensland Lines of Communication Area | - |
| 53 | | Robert Edward Jackson CMG DSO (1886-1948) | Crows Nest, Queensland | Infantry | 1940-1942 | MAJ GEN | Northern Command; Western Command | - |
| 54 |  | Sir Iven Giffard Mackay KBE CMG (1882-1966) | Grafton, New South Wales | Infantry | 1940-46 | MAJ GEN | 6th Division; Home Forces; 2nd Army; New Guinea Force | High Commissioner to India 1944-48 |
| 55 |  | Jim Cannan CB CMG DSO VD (1882-1976) | Townsville, Queensland | Infantry | 1940-1946 | MAJ GEN | Inspector General Administration; Quartermaster General | - |
| 56 |  | Sir Edmund 'Ned' Herring KCMG KBE DSO MC KStJ (1892-1982) | Maryborough, Victoria | Artillery | 1941-1949 | LT GEN | 6th Division; Northern Territory Force; II Corps; I Corps | - |
| 57 |  | Sir Leslie James Morshead KCB KBE (1889-1959) | Ballarat East, Victoria | Infantry | 1941-1947 | LT GEN | 9th Division; II Corps | - |
| 58 |  | Edward 'Ted' Milford CB CBE DSO (1894-1972) | Prahran, Victoria | Artillery | 1941-1948 | MAJ GEN | 5th Division; 7th Division | with grandson, Michael Milford, Aussie's first grandfather-grandson generals duo |
| 59 |  | Basil Moorhouse Morris CBE DSO (1888-1975) | East Melbourne, Victoria | Artillery | 1941-1946 | MAJ GEN | ANGAU; New Guinea Force | - |
| 60 |  | John Lawrence Whitham CMG DSO (1881-1952) | Jamālpur, West Bengal, India | Infantry | 1941-1946 | LT GEN | Volunteer Defence Corps, Victoria | - |
| 61 |  | Sir Horace 'Red Robbie' Robertson KBE DSO (1894-1960) | Warrnambool, Victoria | Light Horse | 1941-1954 | LT GEN | 1st Armoured Division; 2nd Division; 5th Division; 6th Division | - |
| 62 |  | Sir Sydney Fairbairn (Syd) Rowell KBE CB (1894-1975) | Lockleys, South Australia | Infantry | 1941-1954 | LT GEN | 6th Division; I Corps; Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 63 | | Arthur Samuel 'Tubby' Allen CB CBE DSO ED (1894-1959) | Hurstville, New South Wales | Infantry | 1941-1945 | MAJ GEN | 7th Division | - |
| 64 | | David Valentine Jardine Blake DSM (1887-1965) | Prospect, New South Wales | Aust. Flying Corps | 1941-1947 | MAJ GEN | 7th Military District (Northern Territory) | responsible for the disposal of 'The Red Baron's' remains |
| 65 | | Francis Plumley Derham CB DSO (1885-1957) | Eaglehawk, Victoria | Artillery | 1942-43 | MAJ GEN | 4th Division | - |
| 65 | | Charles Edward Maurice Lloyd CBE (1899-1956) | South Fremantle, Western Australia | Infantry | 1942; 1943-46 | MAJ GEN | Adjutant General | youngest Aussie general, at 42yo |
| 66 |  | Sir John Northcott KCMG KCVO (1890-1966) | Creswick, Victoria | Infantry | 1941-1956 | General (Hon) | 1st Armoured Division; Chief of the General Staff | first Australian-born Governor of New South Wales; Acting Governor General (1951 & 1956) |
| 67 |  | John Joseph Murray DSO & Bar MC (1892-1951) | Sydney, New South Wales | Infantry | 1942-1944 | MAJ GEN | 10th Division; 4th Division; Northern Territory Force | - |
| 68 |  | Sir Clive Selwyn Steele KBE DSO MC (1892-1955) | Canterbury, Victoria | Engineers | 1942-1945 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Armoured Division | - |
| 69 | | Cyril Albert Clowes CBE DSO MC (1892-1968) | Warwick, Queensland | Artillery | 1942-1946 | LT GEN | 1st Division; Milne Bay Force | - |
| 70 |  | Sir Stan Savige KBE CB DSO MC (1890-1954) | Morwell, Victoria | Infantry | 1942-1946 | LT GEN | 3rd Division; I Corps | - |
| 71 |  | Eric Clive Pegus Plant CB DSO OBE (1890-1950) | Charters Towers, Queensland | Infantry | 1942-1950 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 72 | | Allan Joseph Boase CBE (1894-1964) | Gympie, Queensland | Infantry | 1942-1957 | LT GEN | AIF Ceylon (Sri Lanka); 6th Division; 11th Division | - |
| 73 |  | Leslie Ellis Beavis CBE DSO (1895-1975) | Bathurst, New South Wales | Artillery | 1942-1952 | MAJ GEN | Master Gunner Ordnance | - |
| 74 | | John Stewart Whitelaw CB CBE (1894-1964) | Hawthorn, Victoria | Artillery | 1942-1951 | MAJ GEN | - | with son, also John Whitelaw, an Aussie father-son generals duo |
| 75 |  | George Alan Vasey CB CBE DSO & Bar (1895-1945) | Malvern East, Victoria | Infantry | 1942-1945 | MAJ GEN | 6th Division; 7th Division | - |
| 76 | | John Chapman CB DSO & Bar OBE (1896-1963) | Braidwood, New South Wales | Infantry | 1942-1953 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 77 |  | Cecil Callaghan CB CMG DSO VD (1890-1967) | Sydney, New South Wales | Artillery | 1942-1947 | MAJ GEN | 8th Division | - |
| 78 | | James Durrant CMG DSO (1885-1963) | Glenelg, South Australia | Artillery | 1942-1944 | MAJ GEN | Queensland Lines of Communication Area; 5th Division | - |
| 79 |  | Sir Frank Berryman KCVO CB CBE DSO (1894-1981) | Geelong, Victoria | Artillery | 1942-1954 | LT GEN | II Corps | - |
| 80 |  | Colin Simpson CBE MC VD (1894-1964) | Saint Kilda, Victoria | Signals | 1942- | MAJ GEN | - | first Australian Corps of Signals officer to reach Major General |
| 81 | | Sir Jack Stevens KBE CB DSO MSM ED (1896-1969) | Daylesford, Victoria | Signals | 1942-1950 | MAJ GEN | 4th Division; Northern Territory Force / 11th Division | - |
| 82 | | William James MacAvoy Locke MC (1894-1962) | St Kilda, Victoria | Infantry | 1942-1947 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Armoured Division | - |
| 83 | | Sir George Frederick Wootten KBE CB DSO (1893-1970) | Marrickville, New South Wales | Infantry | 1943-1950 | MAJ GEN | 9th Division; 3rd Division | - |
| 84 | | Sir William Bridgeford KBE CB DSO MC (1894-1971) | Smeaton, Victoria | Infantry | 1943-1954 | LT GEN | 5th Division; 3rd Armoured Division | - |
| 85 | | Sir Alan Ramsay CB CBE DSO (1895-1973) | Windsor, Victoria | Artillery | 1944-1945 | MAJ GEN | 5th Division | - |
| 86 |  | Kenneth Eather CB CBE DSO (1901-1993) | Balmain, New South Wales | Infantry | 1945-1946 | MAJ GEN | 11th Division | - |
As was the case following the First World War most of the General staff retired in the post-war period of about five years. Only John Whitelaw (1951), Leslie Beavis (1952), Sir Horace Robertson (1954), Sir Sydney Rowell (1954), Sir Frank Berryman (1954), Sir William Bridgeford (1954), Sir John Northcott (1956), Allan Boase (1957) and John Chapman (1963) continued to serve beyond 1950, providing continuity. It was also different from before strategically. Whereas the reaction to WWI was 'that was the war to end all wars' or 'she'll be right, Britain has our back', now we needed a different ally. And that was in the form of the USA. And the focus would be on regional conflicts and peacekeeping, especially in the face of colony after colony seeking, and in several cases fighting for, their independence from the global British Empire. A Cold War developed between the two new 'super-powers'; the USA and the USSR (the UK was virtually bankrupt, Germany and Japan crushed). De-colonisation in South East Asia. And conflicts came, and came close to Australia. There soon came the Malayan Emergency 1948-60, Korean War (1950-53), Indonesian Confrontation 1963-66 and Vietnam War, for Australia, 1962-73.
If 'leadership heroes' are sought for the period, we need look no further than LT GEN Sir Harry Wells, LT GEN Sir Reg Pollard, General Sir John Wilton and General Sir Frank Hassett.
| No. | Photo | Name | Birth-place | Previous Corps | Years as General | Highest rank attained | Commands | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 |  | Sir Henry Wells KBE CB DSO (1898-1973) | Kyneton, Victoria | Infantry | 1946-1959 | LT GEN | Chief of the Defence Force | - |
| 89 |  | Robert Harold Nimmo CBE (1893-1966) | Brisbane, Queensland | Light Horse | 1946-1954 | LT GEN | - | - |
| 90 |  | Sir Robert Risson CB CBE DSO (1901-92) | Ma Ma Creek, Queensland | Engineers | 1946- | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 91 | | Victor Clarence Secombe CB CBE (1898-1968) | Glen Wills, Victoria | Engineers | 1946- | LT GEN | Master Gunner Ordnance | - |
| 92 | | Warren Anderson CBE DSO (1894-1973) | Singleton, New South Wales | Light Horse; Armoured | 1947-51 | MAJ GEN | Adjutant-General; Second Member of the Military Board | - |
| 93 | | Sir Frederick 'Black Jack' Galleghan DSO OBE ISO (1897-1971) | Jesmond, New South Wales | Infantry | 1948-51 | MAJ GEN | Australian Military Mission to Germany | POW at Changi |
| 94 |  | Sir Kingsley Norris KBE CB DSO (1893-1984) | Lillydale, Victoria | Medical | 1948- | MAJ GEN | Medical Services | - |
| 95 | | Selwyn Porter CBE DSO (1905-63) | Tintaldra, Victoria | Infantry | 1948-1955 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Division | - |
| 96 | | Ronald Nicholas Lamond Hopkins CBE (1897-1990) | Stawell, Victoria | Armoured | 1948- | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - |
| 97 |  | Sir Victor Windeyer KBE CB DSO & Bar (1900-87) | Hunters Hill, New South Wales | Infantry | 1950-1957 | MAJ GEN | RMC Duntroon | - |
| 98 |  | Rudolph Bierwirth CBE (1899-1993) | Kent Town, South Australia | Infantry | 1950-1957 | LT GEN | British Commonwealth Forces Korea | - |
| 99 |  | Sir Eric Woodward KCMG KCVO CB CBE DSO (1899-1967) | Hay, New South Wales | Infantry | 1951-1957 | LT GEN | - | later Governor of New South Wales |
| 100 |  | Sir Ragnar Garrett KBE CB (1900-77) | Northam, Western Australia | Light Horse | 1951-1960 | LT GEN | Southern Command; Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 101 | | Sir Ivan Dougherty CBE DSO & Bar (1907-98) | Leadville, New South Wales | Infantry | 1952-1957 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division; CMF member of the Military Board | - |
| 102 | | Heathcote 'Tack' Hammer CBE DSO & Bar (1905-77) | Southern Cross, Western Australia | Infantry | 1953-1956 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Armoured Division; 3rd Division | - |
| 103 | | Ian Ross Campbell CBE DSO (1900-97) | Moss Vale, New South Wales | Infantry | 1953-1957 | MAJ GEN | RMC Duntroon | - |
| 107 |  | Sir Reginald Pollard KCVO KBE CB DSO (1903-78) | Bathurst, New South Wales | Infantry | 1953-1963 | LT GEN | British Commonwealth Forces Korea; Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 104 | | Hector Edgar CBE DSO (1903-78) | Mt Korong, Victoria | Infantry | 1954-1963 | LT GEN | Deputy Chief of the General Staff; Southern Command; Eastern Command | - |
| 105 | | Arthur Wilson CBE DSO (1897-1982) | Sydney, New South Wales | Artillery | 1954-1957 | MAJ GEN | Central Command | - |
| 106 | | Derek Deighton AO MBE (1930-91) | Kandy, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) | Infantry; Transport | -1957 | MAJ GEN | Logistics Command | - |
| 108 | | Stanley Legge CBE (1900-77) | Turramurra, New South Wales | Infantry | 1950s-1957 | MAJ GEN | - | father-son generals duo with James Legge |
| 109 |  | Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow CBE DSO (1904-84) | Whataupoko, Poverty Bay, New Zealand | Armoured | 1955-1961 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division; CMF member on the Military Board | with uncle, James Macarthur-Onslow, Australia's only uncle-nephew generals duo |
| 110 | | Ronald McNicoll CBE AM (1906-96) | Melbourne, Victoria | Engineers | 1956-1964 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 111 |  | Sir John Wilton KBE CB DSO (1910-81) | Strawberry Hills, New South Wales | Infantry | 1957-1970 | General | RMC Duntroon; Chief of the General Staff; Chief of the Defence Force | first Gen. since Blamey; achieved an integrated defence organisation |
| 112 | | John Stevenson CBE (1925-2008) | Bondi, New South Wales | Infantry | 1957-1959 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - |
| 113 | | Noel Simpson CB CBE DSO (1907-71) | Temora, New South Wales | Infantry | 1959-1964 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Division | - |
| 114 |  | Sir Tom Daly KBE CB DSO (1913-2004) | Ballarat, Victoria | Infantry | 1959-1971 | LT GEN | Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 115 |  | Sir Mervyn Brogan KBE CB (1915-94) | Crows Nest, New South Wales | Infantry | 1962-1973 | LT GEN | Chief of the General Staff | - |
| 116 |  | Paul Cullen AC DSO (1909-2007) | Newcastle, New South Wales | Infantry | 1962-1966 | MAJ GEN | Military Board as CMF member | first Australian general of Jewish descent since Monash |
| 117 | | James William Harrison KCMG CB CBE (1912-71) | Camperdown, Victoria | Infantry | 1962-1967 | MAJ GEN | OCS Portsea; Quartermaster General; Adjutant General | Governor of South Australia |
| 118 | | Robert William Knights CB CBE (1912-75) | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Infantry | 1963-1969 | MAJ GEN | RMC Duntroon | - |
| 119 | | Sir Francis "Frank" Hassett AC KBE CB DSO LVO (1918-2008) | Marrickville, New South Wales | Infantry | 1963-1977 | General | Chief of the General Staff; Chief of the Defence Force | - |
| 120 | | Charles Edward Long CBE (1913-80) | Moonah, Tasmania | Infantry | 1965-1970 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 121 | | Kenneth Mackay CB MBE (1917-2004) | Waverley, New South Wales | Infantry | 1966-1974 | MAJ GEN | Australian Military Forces, Vietnam; 1st Division | - |
| 122 | | John Broadbent CBE DSO (1914-2006) | Manly, New South Wales | Infantry | 1966-1967 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - |
| 123 |  | Douglas Timothy Vincent CB AM OBE (1916-95) | Corinda, Queensland | Infantry | 1967-1973 | MAJ GEN | Australian Military Forces, Vietnam | - |
| 124 |  | Sir Arthur MacDonald KBE CB (1919-95) | Rockhampton, Queensland | Infantry | 1968-1976 | General | Chief of the General Staff; Chief of the Defence Force Staff | - |
| 125 | | Colin Fraser CB CBE (1918-2001) | Nairobi, Kenya | Infantry | 1969-1978 | MAJ GEN | RMC Duntroon | - |
| 126 | | Robert Arthur Hay CB MBE (1920-98) | Bendigo, Victoria | Infantry | 1969-1977 | MAJ GEN | Australian Military Forces, Vietnam; RMC Duntroon | - |
| 127 |  | Stuart Clarence Graham AO DSO OBE MC (1920-96) | Ulmarra, New South Wales | Infantry | 1969-1977 | MAJ GEN | 1st Australian Task Force; 1st Division | - |
| 128 |  | Norman Vickery CBE MC (1917-98) | Canterbury, New South Wales | Artillery | 1969-1974 | MAJ GEN | - | - |
| 129 |  | Sir Donald Dunstan AC KBE CB (1923-2011) | Murray Bridge, South Australia | Infantry | 1970-1982 | LT GEN | Australian Military Forces, Vietnam; Chief of the General Staff | 30th and longest-serving Governor of South Australia |
| 130 |  | Cedric 'Sandy' Pearson AO DSO OBE MC (1918-2012) | Kurri Kurri, New South Wales | Infantry | 1970-1975 | MAJ GEN | 1st Australian Task Force; RMC Duntroon | - |
| 131 | | William Henderson AO DSO OBE (1919-95) | Clifton Hill, Victoria | Infantry | 1970s-1976 | MAJ GEN | 1st Australian Task Force | - |
Post-Vietnam era
| No. | Photo | Name | Birth-place | Previous Corps | Years as General | Highest rank attained | Commands | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | | Gordon Maitland AO OBE (1926-2018) | Rockdale, New South Wales | Infantry | 1974-1982 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division; Chief of the Army Reserve | - | yet to be connected |
| 133 |  | Donald Begg OBE (1924-2021) | Sydney, New South Wales | Artillery | 1974-1976 | MAJ GEN | Logistics Command | - | |
| 134 |  | Ronald Hughes CBE DSO (1920-2003) | Kensington, South Australia | Infantry | 1974-1977 | MAJ GEN | 1st Division; Chief of the Reserve | brother of MAJ GEN Jim Hughes | |
| 135 | | Bruce McDonald AO DSO OBE MC (1925-93) | Geelong, Victoria | Infantry | 1975-1977 | MAJ GEN | 1st Australian Task Force; 1st Division; Training Command | - | |
| 136 | | John Whitelaw AO CBE (1921-2010) | Hawthorn, Victoria | Artillery | 1970s-1977 | MAJ GEN | Chief of Operations; Chief of Personnel; Deputy Chief of the General Staff | with father, also John Whitelaw, an Aussie father-son generals duo | |
| 137 | | Alan Stretton AO CBE (1922-2012) | Melbourne, Victoria | Infantry | 1970s-1979 | MAJ GEN | - | later director-general of the Natural Disasters Organisation | |
| 138 | | Alan 'Alby' Morrison AO MBE DSO (1927-2008) | Haberfield, New South Wales | Infantry | 1970s-1981 | MAJ GEN | RMC Duntroon; Chief of Personnel | his son, LT GEN John Morrison, later made them a father-son Australian generals duo | - |
| 139 | | John Stevenson AO CBE (1925-2008) | Australia | Artillery | 1976-1982 | MAJ GEN | Logistic Command | - | |
| 140 | | Sir Philip Bennett AC KBE DSO (1928-) | Perth, Western Australia | Infantry | 1977-1987 | General | 1st Division; Chief of the General Staff; Chief of the Defence Force | later Governor of Tasmania | |
| 141 | | Peter Gration AC OBE (1932-) | Richmond, Victoria | Engineers | 1980s-1993 | General | Chief of the General Staff; Chief of the Defence Force | brother of AIRMSHL Barry Gration, Chief of the Air Staff | |
| 142 |  | William 'Digger' James AC MBE MC (1930-2015) | Shepparton, Victoria | Medical | 1981-1984 | MAJ GEN | Director-General Army Health Services | credited with reshaping and modernising the Army Health Services | yet to be connected |
| 143 | | Kevin Latchford AO (1927-2013) | Australia | Armoured | 1981-1984 | MAJ GEN | National Disaster Organisation | - | |
| 144 | | David Matheson Butler AO DSO (1928-2020) | Guildford, Western Australia | Infantry | 1982-84 | MAJ GEN | OCS Portsea; Training Command | - | yet to be connected |
| 145 |  | Lawrence O'Donnell AC (1933-) | Quairading, Western Australia | Infantry | 1984-1990 | LT GEN | Field Force Command; Land Command; Chief of the General Staff | - | |
| 146 |  | Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC (1937-2020) | Wiluna, Western Australia | Infantry | 1985-93 | MAJ GEN | 1st Division; Deputy Chief of the General Staff | Governor of Western Australia; Governor General of Australia | yet to be connected |
| 147 | | James Barry AM MBE (1932-) | Melbourne, Victoria | CMF | 1985-1987 | MAJ GEN | 3rd Division | Australian Gymnastic Federation; International Federation of Gymnastics | |
| 148 | | James 'Jim' Hughes DSO MC (1929-2016) | Norwood, South Australia | Infantry | 1980s-1986 | MAJ GEN | 1st Division; Chief of the Reserve | brother of MAJ GEN Ronald Hughes | |
| 149 | | John Coates AC MBE (1932-2018) | Adelaide, South Australia | Infantry | 1987-1992 | LT GEN | Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Policy); Chief of the General Staff | - | |
| 150 | | John Baker AC DSM (1936-2007) | Melbourne, Victoria | Infantry | 1987-1998 | General | Chief of the Defence Force | oversaw biggest services structural shake-up since the Second World War | |
| 151 | | John Grey AC (1939-) | Sydney, New South Wales | Armoured | 1989-1995 | LT GEN | Chief of the General Staff | - | |
| 152 | | John Sanderson AC (1940-) | Geraldton, Western Australia | Engineers | 1989-1998 | LT GEN | Chief of the Army | Governor of Western Australia | |
| 153 | | Francis 'Frank' Hickling AO CSC (1941-) | Gosford, New South Wales | Engineers | 1990-2000 | LT GEN | Northern Command; Training Command; ADFA; Land Command; Chief of the Army | - | |
| 154 | | Duncan Francis AO OBE (1937-2004) | Perth, Western Australia | Infantry | -1994 | MAJ GEN | - | - | |
| 155 | | Peter Arnison AC CVO (1940-) | - | Infantry | 1994-1996 | MAJ GEN | Land Command | Governor of Queensland | |
| 156 | | Steve Gower AO (1940-) | Adelaide, South Australia | Artillery | 1995-96 | MAJ GEN | Training Command | Director Australian War Memorial- | |
| 157 | | Clifton Hoeben AM (1947-) | New South Wales | Legal | -2000 | MAJ GEN | 2nd Division | - | |
| 158 | | Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (1947-) | Sydney, New South Wales | Infantry | 1998-2005 | General | 1st Division; INTERFET; Chief of the Army; Chief of the Defence Force | Governor-General of Australia | |
| 159 | | Senator Jim Molan AO DSC (1950-2023) | Australia | Infantry | 2000-2008 | MAJ GEN | 1st Division; Australian Defence College | Senator for NSW | |
| 160 | | Peter Leahy AC (1952-) | Melbourne, Victoria | Infantry | 2000-2008 | LT GEN | Deputy Chief of Army; Chief of Army | Director, National Security Institute | |
| 1601 | | David Hurley AC DSC (1953-) | Wollongong, New South Wales | Infantry | 2001-2014 | General | Capability Systems Division; Land Command; Chief of Joint Operations; Chief of the Defence Force | Governor of New South Wales; Governor-General of Australia | |
| 162 | | Leonard Roberts-Smith (1946-) | Adelaide, South Australia | Legal | 2002-2007 | MAJ GEN | Judge Advocate General | Chair, Defence Abuse Response Taskforce | |
| 163 | | Mark Evans AO DSC (1953-) | Kluang, Malaya | Infantry | 2002-11 | LT GEN | 1st Division; Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, HQ Joint Operations Command; Chief of Joint Operations | - | |
| 164 | | Ken Gillespie AC DSC CSM (1952-) | Brisbane, Queensland | Engineers | 2004-2011 | LT GEN | Land Command; Vice Chief of the Defence Force; Chief of the Army | Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales | |
| 165 | | David Morrison AO (1956-) | Cairns, Queensland | Infantry | 2005-2015 | LT GEN | Australian Defence College; Forces Command; Chief of the Army | father-son Aussie generals duo with MAJ GEN Alby Morrison | |
| 166 | | Elizabeth Baker nee Cosson AM CSC (1958-living) | - | - | 2007-10 | MAJ GEN | head of National Operations, Defence Force Group | Australia's first female general; Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs | |
| 167 | | Angus Campbell AO DSC (c1962-living) | New South Wales | Infantry | 2011-2024 | General | Joint Task Force 633; Operation Sovereign Borders; Chief of the Army; Chief of the Defence Force | - | |
| 168 | | Richard 'Rick' Burr DSC AO MVO (1964-) | Renmark, South Australia | Infantry | 2011-2022 | LT GEN | 1st Division; Chief of the Army | - | |
| 169 | | Michael Clifford AM CSC (1956-2017) | Australia | Signals | -2013 | MAJ GEN | - | - | yet to be connected |
| 170 | | Brian Dawson AM CSC (1956-) | Traralgon, Victoria | Infantry | -2013 | MAJ GEN | Australian Defence Force Academy | Assistant Director, Australian War Memorial | |
| 171 | | Peter Dunn AO (1947-) | Ballarat, Victoria | Infantry | -2013 | MAJ GEN | - | Commissioner for the Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Authority | |
| 172 | | Simone Wilkie nee Burt AO (1964-) | Ballarat, Victoria | Signals | 2013-2018 | MAJ GEN | Australian Defence College | - | |
| 173 | | Stephen Day DSC AM | - | - | - | MAJ GEN | Chief of Plans for ISAF Joint Command, Afghanistan | co-ordinator general for Drought; president RSL Queensland |
General Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB CBE DSO & Bar MC MA BLitt (1910-97) was a Western Australian-born British general and nephew of Australia's Major General Senator Edmund Drake-Brockman. Hackett's ashes are interred at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth.
Major General Sir Walter Joseph Cawthorn CB CIE CBE (1896-1970), after serving in the AIF, transferred to the British Indian Army in 1918. As a Brigadier, Cawthorn took charge of the Middle East Intelligence Centre at the start of the Second World War, and in August 1941, became the Director of Military Intelligence at General Headquarters, India. When the Partition of India occurred in 1947, he opted for the Pakistan Army. From 1951 to 1954, Cawthorn was the Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB), within the Australian Defence ministry, and headed the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) 1960-1968.
The Australian Army has, as at 2020, three Lieutenant Generals and 22 Major Generals. At a generals to servicepeople ratio of 1 : 2,200, this number is regarded as one of the most bloated 'general's clubs' in the western world.
Commonwealth Headquarters Staff 1904
|
| Commonwealth Headquarters Staff 1904 |
Back row, left to right: Captain Percy Neville Buckley; Commander (later Sir) Samuel Augustus Pethebridge (Secretary for Defence); Surgeon General Sir William Daniel Williams (Director General Medical Services); F Savage Esq.
Front row: Colonel Haviland Le Mesurier (Chief of Ordnance); Colonel (later Major General) John C Hoad (Deputy Adjutant General); Lieutenant Colonel (later Lieutenant General) James W McCay (Minister for Defence; Chairman); Colonel (later Major General) William Throsby Bridges (Chief of Intelligence), J A Thompson Esq. (Civil and Finance Member). [1]
Chiefs of the General Staff / Chiefs of Army
A chronological list of these Australian Generals who have served appointments as the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), since 1997 known as Chief of Army (CA), appears on The Australian Army free space page. The Chief of Army is the most senior appointment in the Australian Army, Australia's top soldier, responsible to both the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary, Department of Defence (SECDEF). Today, the rank associated with the position is Lieutenant General. Whilst still the top soldier, the CA is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF), which rotates between the three services.
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- [Category: Australian Army Generals, Vietnam War|Australian Army Generals, Vietnam War]
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Useful information on other websites
- Australian Army: Commissioned Officer Insignia; accessed 9 May 2018.
- Australian Honours; accessed 18 Apr 2019.
- Australian War Memorial; accessed 18 Apr 2019.
- Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal rolls; accessed 18 Apr 2019.
- Wikipedia: List of Australian Army Generals (incomplete); accessed 9 May 2018.
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