Vice admiral (Australia)

Vice admiral (abbreviated as VADM) is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank. The rank is held by the Chief of Navy and, when the positions are held by navy officers, by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, the Chief of Joint Operations, or the Chief Capability Development Group.

For other countries which use this rank, see Vice admiral.

Vice admiral

The VADM insignia
Country Australia
Service branch Royal Australian Navy
AbbreviationVADM
RankThree-star
NATO rankOF-8
Non-NATO rankO-9
Formation12 July 1936 (1936-07-12)
Next higher rankAdmiral
Next lower rankRear admiral
Equivalent ranks

Vice admiral is a higher rank than rear admiral, but lower than admiral. Vice admiral is the equivalent of air marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force and lieutenant general in the Australian Army.

Since the mid-1990s, the insignia of a Royal Australian Navy vice admiral is the Crown of St. Edward above a crossed sabre[lower-alpha 1] and baton, above three silver stars, above the word "AUSTRALIA".[1] The stars have eight points[lower-alpha 2] as in the equivalent Royal Navy insignia. Prior to 1995, the RAN shoulder board was identical to the UK shoulder board. (The UK shoulder board changed in 2001.)

Australian vice admirals

The following have held the rank of vice admiral in the Royal Australian Navy:

RankNamePostnominalsYear
promoted		BornDiedNotes
Vice AdmiralSir William Creswell KCMG, KBE192218521933
AdmiralSir George HydeKCB, CVO, CBE193218771937Promoted to admiral in 1936
Vice AdmiralSir John CollinsKBE, CB194818991989
Vice AdmiralSir Roy DowlingKCVO, KBE, CB, DSO195519011969
Vice AdmiralSir Henry BurrellKBE, CB195819041988
Vice AdmiralSir Hastings Harrington KBE, CB, DSO196219061965
Vice AdmiralSir Alan McNicollKBE, CB, GM196519081987
AdmiralSir Victor SmithAC, KBE, CB, DSC196819131998Promoted to admiral in 1970 on appointment as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
Vice AdmiralSir Richard PeekKBE, CB, DSC197019142010
Vice AdmiralSir David StevensonAC, KBE197619181998
AdmiralSir Anthony SynnotKBE, AO197619222001Promoted to admiral in 1979 on appointment as Chief of the Defence Force
Vice AdmiralSir James WillisKBE, AO197919232003
Vice AdmiralDavid LeachAC, CBE, LVO198219282020
AdmiralMichael HudsonAC198519332005Promoted to admiral by Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1991 upon retirement
Vice AdmiralIan KnoxAC19871933
AdmiralAlan BeaumontAC198919342004Promoted to admiral in 1993 on appointment as Chief of the Defence Force
Vice AdmiralIan MacDougallAC, AFSM19911938Commissioner of New South Wales Fire Brigades
Vice AdmiralRodney TaylorAO199419402002
Vice AdmiralRobert WallsAO19951941
Vice AdmiralDonald ChalmersAO19971942
AdmiralChris BarrieAC19971945Promoted to admiral in 1998 on appointment as Chief of the Defence Force
Vice AdmiralDavid ShackletonAO19991948
Vice AdmiralChris RitchieAO, CSC20021949
Vice AdmiralRuss ShaldersAO, CSC20021951
Vice AdmiralMatt TripovichAO, CSC20071956
Vice AdmiralRuss CraneAO, CSM20081954
Vice AdmiralRay GriggsAO, CSC20111961
Vice AdmiralPeter JonesAO, DSC20111957
Vice AdmiralDavid JohnstonAO20141962
Vice AdmiralTim BarrettAO, CSC20141959
Vice AdmiralMichael NoonanAO20181966
Vice AdmiralStuart MayerAO, CSC & Bar2019Promoted vice admiral on appointment as Deputy Commander United Nations Command[2]

See also
  • Ranks of the Royal Australian Navy
  • Australian Defence Force ranks and insignia

References and notes

Notes
  1. Usually in Commonwealth countries a scimitar is used in the insignia, which is an open-handled weapon; the sabre has a closed handle.
  2. The stars have eight points, unlike the four pointed Order of the Bath stars used by the army which are often referred to as "pips".

References
  1. "Uniform Ranks". Royal Australian Navy. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. "Vice Admiral Stuart Mayer". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
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