Chief of Navy (Australia)

Head of the Royal Australian Navy

Chief of the Royal Australian Navy

Crest of the Chief of Navy

Flag of the Chief of Navy

Incumbent
Vice Admiral Mark Hammond

since 6 July 2022

Royal Australian Navy
Style| Vice Admiral
Member of| Australian Defence Force
Reports to| Chief of the Defence Force
Term length| Three years
(renewable)
Formation| 25 February 1904
First holder| Rear Admiral
Sir William Creswell
Deputy| Deputy Chief of Navy
Website| Official website

The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of Defence. The rank associated with the position is vice admiral (3-star).

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

## Appointees

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Vice Admiral Russ Shalders, the then Chief of Navy, being greeted by then Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd at the 2008 National Anzac Day Service, Australian War Memorial, Canberra

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

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Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces
Rear Admiral Sir | William Rooke Creswell | KCMG, 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 | KCMG, KBE | RAN | 1 March 1911 | 9 June 1919 | 8 years, 100 days
Rear Admiral Sir | Percy Grant | KCVO, CB | RN | 10 June 1919 | 14 February 1921 | 1 year, 249 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Allan Everett | KCMG, KCVO, CB | RN | 24 November 1921 | 29 August 1923 | 1 year, 278 days
Rear Admiral | Percival Hall-Thompson | CB, CMG | RN | 25 February 1924 | 28 June 1926 | 2 years, 123 days
Rear Admiral | William Napier | CB, CMG, DSO | RN | 29 June 1926 | 11 June 1929 | 2 years, 347 days
Vice Admiral Sir | William Munro Kerr | KBE, CB | RN | 21 October 1929 | 19 October 1931 | 1 year, 363 days
Admiral Sir | George Hyde | KCB, CVO, CBE | RN/RAN | 20 October 1931 | 28 July 1937 | 5 years, 281 days
Admiral Sir | Ragnar Colvin | KBE, CB | RN | 1 November 1937 | 3 March 1941 | 3 years, 122 days
Admiral Sir | Guy Royle | KCB, CMG, DSO | RN | 18 July 1941 | 28 June 1945 | 3 years, 345 days
Admiral Sir | Louis Keppel Hamilton | KCB, DSO | RN | 29 June 1945 | 23 February 1948 | 2 years, 239 days
Vice Admiral Sir | John Augustine Collins | KBE, CB | RAN | 24 February 1948 | 23 February 1955 | 6 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Roy Dowling | KBE, CB, DSO | RAN | 24 February 1955 | 23 February 1959 | 4 years, 0 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Henry Burrell | KBE, CB | RAN | 24 February 1959 | 23 February 1962 | 2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Hastings Harrington | KBE, CB, DSO | RAN | 24 February 1962 | 23 February 1965 | 2 years, 365 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Alan McNicoll | KBE, CB, GM | RAN | 24 February 1965 | 2 April 1968 | 3 years, 38 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Victor Smith | KBE, CB, DSC | RAN | 3 April 1968 | 22 November 1970 | 2 years, 233 days
Vice Admiral Sir | Richard Peek | KBE, CB, DSC | RAN | 23 November 1970 | 22 November 1973 | 2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral Sir | David Stevenson | AC, KBE | RAN | 23 November 1973 | 22 November 1976 | 2 years, 365 days
Chief of the Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Sir | Anthony Synnot | KBE, AO | RAN | 23 November 1976 | 20 April 1979 | 2 years, 148 days
Vice Admiral Sir | James Willis | KBE, AO | RAN | 21 April 1979 | 20 April 1982 | 2 years, 364 days
Vice Admiral | David Leach | AC, CBE, 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 | 3 years, 22 days

## Notes

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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.

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Royal Australian Navy

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