Vice admiral (Australia)

Vice admiral (abbreviated as VADM) is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It is a three-star rank, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. 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, the Chief of Joint Capabilities, or equivalent position.

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

Vice admiral
The VADM insignia
Vice admiral's command flag
CountryAustralia
Service branchRoyal Australian Navy
AbbreviationVADM
RankThree-star
NATO rank codeOF-8
Non-NATO rankO-9
Formation12 July 1936 (1936-07-12)
Next higher rankAdmiral
Next lower rankRear admiral
Equivalent ranksLieutenant general (Army)
Air marshal (RAAF)

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[Note 1] and baton, above three silver stars, above the word "AUSTRALIA".[1] The stars have eight points as in the equivalent Royal Navy insignia. Prior to 1995, the RAN shoulder board was identical to the British shoulder board.

List of vice admirals

  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the officer was subsequently promoted to admiral.
  This along with the ^ (arrowhead) indicates that the officer is a currently serving vice admiral.

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

Name Year of promotion Senior command(s) or appointment(s) in rank Notes
Sir William Creswell1922[Note 2][2]
Sir George Hyde*1932First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1931–37)[3]
Sir John Collins1950First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1948–55)[4]
Sir Roy Dowling1955First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1955–59)[5]
Sir Henry Burrell1959First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1959–62)[6]
Sir Hastings Harrington1962First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1962–65)[7]
Sir Alan McNicoll1965First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1965–68)[8]
Sir Victor Smith*1968First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1968–70)[9]
Sir Richard Peek1970First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1970–73)[10]
Sir David Stevenson1973First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1973–76)[11]
Sir Anthony Synnot*1976Chief of Naval Staff (1976–79)[12]
Sir James Willis1979Chief of Naval Staff (1979–82)[13]
David Leach1982Chief of Naval Staff (1982–85)[14]
Michael Hudson*1985Chief of Naval Staff (1985–91)[15]
Ian Knox1987Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1987–89)[16]
Alan Beaumont*1989Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1989–92)[17]
Ian MacDougall1991Chief of Naval Staff (1991–94)[18]
Rodney Taylor1991Chief of Naval Staff (1994–97)[19]
Robert Walls1995Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1995–97)[20]
Donald Chalmers1997Chief of Navy (1997–99)[21]
Chris Barrie*1997Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1997–98)[22]
David Shackleton1999Chief of Navy (1999–2002)[23]
Chris Ritchie2002Chief of Navy (2002–05)[24]
Russ Shalders2002Chief of Navy (2005–08), Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2002–05)[25]
Matt Tripovich2007Chief Capability Development Group (2007–10)[26]
Russ Crane2008Chief of Navy (2008–11)[27]
Ray Griggs2011Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2014–18), Chief of Navy (2011–14)[28]
Peter Jones2011Chief Capability Development Group (2011–14)[29]
David Johnston^2014Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2018–), Chief of Joint Operations (2014–18)[30]
Tim Barrett2014Chief of Navy (2014–18)[31]
Michael Noonan^2018Chief of Navy (2018–)[32]
Stuart Mayer^2019Deputy Commander United Nations Command (2019–)[33]
Jonathan Mead^2020Chief of Joint Capabilities (2020–)[34]

See also

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. Creswell, who served as First Naval Member, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board from 1911 to 1919, was promoted to vice admiral on the Retired List in 1922.[2]

References
  1. "Uniform Ranks". Royal Australian Navy. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 14 September 1922. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  3. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 10 November 1932. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  4. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 June 1950. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  5. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 23 June 1955. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  6. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 12 March 1959. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  7. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 25 May 1961. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 November 1964. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  9. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 2 November 1967. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  10. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 15 October 1970. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  11. "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 15 October 1970. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  12. "Admiral Sir Anthony Monckton Synnot". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  13. "Vice Admiral Guido James Willis". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  14. "Vice Admiral David Willoughby Leach". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  15. "Admiral Michael Wyndham Hudson". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  16. "Vice Admiral Ian Knox". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  17. "Admiral Alan Lee Beaumont". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  18. "Vice Admiral Ian Donald George MacDougall". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  19. "Vice Admiral Rodney Graham Taylor". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  20. "Vice Admiral Robert Andrew Kevin Walls". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  21. "Vice Admiral Donald Bruce Chalmers". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  22. "Admiral Christopher Alexander Barrie". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  23. "Vice Admiral David John Shackleton". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  24. "Vice Admiral Christopher Angus Ritchie". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  25. "Vice Admiral Russell Edward Shalders". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  26. "Vice Admiral Matthew John Tripovich". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  27. "Vice Admiral Russell Harry Crane". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  28. "Vice Admiral Ray Griggs". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  29. "Vice Admiral Peter David Jones". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  30. "Vice Admiral David Lance Johnston". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  31. "Vice Admiral Tim Barrett". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  32. "Vice Admiral Michael Joseph Noonan". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  33. "Vice Admiral Stuart Campbell Mayer". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  34. "Vice Admiral Jonathan Dallas Mead". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
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