Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)

Chief of the Australian Defence Force
Incumbent Mark Binskin since 30 June 2014
Style	Admiral General Air Chief Marshal
Member of	Australian Defence Force
Reports to	Minister of Defence
Term length	Four years (renewable)
Inaugural holder	Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells
Formation	23 March 1958

The Australian Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) is the professional head of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Minister of Defence. The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence and provides advice on matters that relate to military activity, including military operations. In a diarchy with the Secretary of the Department of Defence, the CDF shares control of the Australian Defence Organisation. The CDF is the Australian equivalent position of what in NATO and the European Union is known as the Chief of Defence, in the United Kingdom is known as the Chief of the Defence Staff, and in the United States is known as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, although with the latter prohibited by law from having operational command authority over the US Armed Forces.

Constitutionally, the Sovereign's Australian representative, the Governor-General of Australia, is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. However, in practice, the Australian Government de facto exercises executive power via the Federal Executive Council. The CDF is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of his/her ministers. The appointment is politically neutral, as are all military positions, and not affected by a change of government.

Since 4 July 2014, the Chief of the Defence Force is appointed for a fixed four year term under the Defence Act (1903). Prior to this date, the appointment was for three years. The position of CDF is notionally rotated between the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force. However, in practice this has not been the case; of eighteen appointees, nine have been from the Army, five from the Navy and four from the Air Force. The current Chief of the Defence Force is Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin.

During peacetime, the Chief of the Defence Force is the only four-star officer in the ADF (admiral, general, or air chief marshal). The CDF is assisted by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) and the service chiefs: Chief of Navy (CN), Chief of Army (CA), and Chief of Air Force (CAF), all of whom are three-star officers (vice admiral, lieutenant general, and air marshal).

History

Prior to 1958 there was no CDF or equivalent; a Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) existed but no separate position was established as its senior officer. Instead, the senior service chief served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. In March 1958, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells was appointed Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a role independent of and notionally senior to the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs. However, Wells and his successors did not command the Australian armed forces in any legal sense; the chairman had only an advisory role in the running of the separate services. In February 1976, COSC was dissolved and the new position of Chief of Defence Force Staff (CDFS) was created with command authority over the ADF. In October 1984 the position was renamed Chief of the Defence Force to more clearly reflect the role and its authority.

Appointments

Rank While in appointment	Name	Postnominals	Service	Term began	Term ended	Time in appointment
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
Lieutenant General Sir	Henry Wells	KBE, CB, DSO	Australian Army	23 March 1958	22 March 1959	364 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Roy Dowling	KBE, CB, DSO, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	23 March 1959	27 May 1961	2 years, 65 days
Air Chief Marshal Sir	Frederick Scherger	KBE, CB, DSO, AFC	Royal Australian Air Force	28 May 1961	18 May 1966	4 years, 355 days
General Sir	John Wilton	KBE, CB, DSO	Australian Army	19 May 1966	22 November 1970	4 years, 187 days
Admiral Sir	Victor Smith	AC, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	23 November 1970	23 November 1975	5 years, 0 days
General	Frank Hassett	AC, CB, CBE, DSO, LVO	Australian Army	24 November 1975	8 February 1976	76 days
Chief of Defence Force Staff
General Sir	Frank Hassett	AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO	Australian Army	9 February 1976	20 April 1977	1 year, 70 days
General Sir	Arthur MacDonald	KBE, CB	Australian Army	21 April 1977	20 April 1979	1 year, 364 days
Admiral Sir	Anthony Synnot	KBE, AO, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	21 April 1979	20 April 1982	2 years, 364 days
Air Chief Marshal Sir	Neville McNamara	KBE, AO, AFC, AE	Royal Australian Air Force	21 April 1982	12 April 1984	1 year, 357 days
General Sir	Phillip Bennett	AC, KBE, DSO	Australian Army	13 April 1984	25 October 1984	195 days
Chief of the Defence Force
General Sir	Phillip Bennett	AC, KBE, DSO	Australian Army	26 October 1984	12 April 1987	2 years, 168 days
General	Peter Gration	AC, OBE	Australian Army	13 April 1987	16 April 1993	6 years, 3 days
Admiral	Alan Beaumont	AC, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	17 April 1993	6 July 1995	2 years, 80 days
General	John Baker	AC, DSM	Australian Army	7 July 1995	3 July 1998	2 years, 361 days
Admiral	Chris Barrie	AC, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	4 July 1998	3 July 2002	3 years, 364 days
General	Peter Cosgrove	AC, MC	Australian Army	4 July 2002	3 July 2005	2 years, 364 days
Air Chief Marshal	Angus Houston	AC, AFC	Royal Australian Air Force	4 July 2005	3 July 2011	5 years, 364 days
General	David Hurley	AC, DSC	Australian Army	4 July 2011	3 July 2014	2 years, 361 days
Air Chief Marshal	Mark Binskin	AC	Royal Australian Air Force	4 July 2014	incumbent	1 years, 3,256 days

Living current and former Chiefs of the Defence Force

Rank	Name	Born
General	Sir Phillip Bennett AC, KBE, DSO	27 December 1928 (1928-12-27) (age 95)
General	Peter Gration AC, OBE	6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) (age 92)
Admiral	Chris Barrie AC, RAN	29 May 1945 (1945-05-29) (age 79)
General	The Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, MC	28 July 1947 (1947-07-28) (age 76)
Air Chief Marshal	Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC	9 June 1947 (1947-06-09) (age 76)
General	The Hon. David Hurley AC, DSC	26 August 1953 (1953-08-26) (age 70)
Air Chief Marshal	Mark Binskin AC	20 March 1960 (1960-03-20) (age 64)

Timeline

Images

Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee

• 
  Sir Henry Wells
  (1958–1959)
• 
  Sir Roy Dowling
  (1959–1961)
• 
  Sir Frederick Scherger
  (1961–1966)

Chief of Defence Force Staff

• 
  Sir Neville McNamara
  (1982–1984)
• 
  Sir Phillip Bennett
  (1984–1984)

Chief of the Defence Force

• 
  Sir Phillip Bennett
  (1984–1987)
• 
  Sir Peter Cosgrove
  (2002–2005)
• 
  Sir Angus Houston
  (2005–2011)
• 
  David Hurley
  (2011–2014)
• 
  Mark Binskin
  (2014–present)

External links

• Australian Government. "Department of Defence". Commonwealth of Australia.
• "Defence Organisational Structure Chart" (PDF). Department of Defence. Commonwealth of Australia. 21 September 2015.