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)[1]
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.^[2] In a diarchy with the Secretary of the Department of Defence, the CDF shares control of the Australian Defence Organisation.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.^[5] 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.^[1] 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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Appointments

Rank While in appointment	Name	Postnominals	Service	Term began	Term ended	Time in appointment
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
Lieutenant General Sir	Wells, HenryHenry Wells	KBE, CB, DSO	Australian Army	000000001958-03-23-000023 March 1958	000000001959-03-22-000022 March 1959	7007314496000000000♠364 days
Vice Admiral Sir	Dowling, RoyRoy Dowling	KBE, CB, DSO, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	000000001959-03-23-000023 March 1959	000000001961-05-27-000027 May 1961	7007687312000000000♠2 years, 65 days
Air Chief Marshal Sir	Scherger, FrederickFrederick Scherger	KBE, CB, DSO, AFC	Royal Australian Air Force	000000001961-05-28-000028 May 1961	000000001966-05-18-000018 May 1966	7008156902400000000♠4 years, 355 days
General Sir	Wilton, JohnJohn Wilton	KBE, CB, DSO	Australian Army	000000001966-05-19-000019 May 1966	000000001970-11-22-000022 November 1970	7008142387200000000♠4 years, 187 days
Admiral Sir	Smith, VictorVictor Smith	AC, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	000000001970-11-23-000023 November 1970	000000001975-11-23-000023 November 1975	7008157788000000000♠5 years, 0 days
General	Hassett, FrankFrank Hassett	AC, CB, CBE, DSO, LVO	Australian Army	000000001975-11-24-000024 November 1975	000000001976-02-08-00008 February 1976	7006656640000000000♠76 days
Chief of Defence Force Staff
General Sir	Hassett, FrankFrank Hassett	AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO	Australian Army	000000001976-02-09-00009 February 1976	000000001977-04-20-000020 April 1977	7007376056000000000♠1 year, 70 days
General Sir	MacDonald, ArthurArthur MacDonald	KBE, CB	Australian Army	000000001977-04-21-000021 April 1977	000000001979-04-20-000020 April 1979	7007630072000000000♠1 year, 364 days
Admiral Sir	Synnot, AnthonyAnthony Synnot	KBE, AO, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	000000001979-04-21-000021 April 1979	000000001982-04-20-000020 April 1982	7007945648000000000♠2 years, 364 days
Air Chief Marshal Sir	McNamara, NevilleNeville McNamara	KBE, AO, AFC, AE	Royal Australian Air Force	000000001982-04-21-000021 April 1982	000000001984-04-12-000012 April 1984	7007624024000000000♠1 year, 357 days
General Sir	Bennett, PhillipPhillip Bennett	AC, KBE, DSO	Australian Army	000000001984-04-13-000013 April 1984	000000001984-10-25-000025 October 1984	7007168480000000000♠195 days
Chief of the Defence Force
General Sir	Bennett, PhillipPhillip Bennett	AC, KBE, DSO	Australian Army	000000001984-10-26-000026 October 1984	000000001987-04-12-000012 April 1987	7007776304000000000♠2 years, 168 days
General	Gration, PeterPeter Gration	AC, OBE	Australian Army	000000001987-04-13-000013 April 1987	000000001993-04-16-000016 April 1993	7008189604800000000♠6 years, 3 days
Admiral	Beaumont, AlanAlan Beaumont	AC, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	000000001993-04-17-000017 April 1993	000000001995-07-06-00006 July 1995	7007700272000000000♠2 years, 80 days
General	Baker, JohnJohn Baker	AC, DSM	Australian Army	000000001995-07-07-00007 July 1995	000000001998-07-03-00003 July 1998	7007943056000000000♠2 years, 361 days
Admiral	Barrie, ChrisChris Barrie	AC, RAN	Royal Australian Navy	000000001998-07-04-00004 July 1998	000000002002-07-03-00003 July 2002	7008126122400000000♠3 years, 364 days
General	Cosgrove, PeterPeter Cosgrove	AC, MC	Australian Army	000000002002-07-04-00004 July 2002	000000002005-07-03-00003 July 2005	7007945648000000000♠2 years, 364 days
Air Chief Marshal	Houston, AngusAngus Houston	AC, AFC	Royal Australian Air Force	000000002005-07-04-00004 July 2005	000000002011-07-03-00003 July 2011	7008189237600000000♠5 years, 364 days
General	Hurley, DavidDavid Hurley	AC, DSC	Australian Army	000000002011-07-04-00004 July 2011	000000002014-07-03-00003 July 2014	7007943056000000000♠2 years, 361 days
Air Chief Marshal	Binskin, MarkMark Binskin	AC	Royal Australian Air Force	000000002014-07-04-00004 July 2014	incumbent	7000100000000000000♠1 years, 7002221000000000000♠221 days

Living current and former Chiefs of the Defence Force

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)

References

External links

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