Chief of Navy (Australia)

Chief of the Royal Australian Navy
Incumbent Ray Griggs since 7 June 2011
Style	Vice Admiral
Term length	Three years (renewable)
Inaugural holder	Rear Admiral Sir William Rooke Creswell

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 Ray Griggs is the current Chief of Navy and assumed this position in June 2011.

Appointees

Flag of the Chief of Navy

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 pre-nominal	Name	post- nominal(s)	Service	Term began	Term ended
Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces
Rear Admiral Sir	Creswell, William RookeWilliam Rooke Creswell	KCMG, KBE	RAN	01904-02-2525 February 1904	01911-02-2828 February 1911
First Naval Member, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board
Rear Admiral Sir	Creswell, William RookeWilliam Rooke Creswell	KCMG, KBE	RAN	01911-03-011 March 1911	01919-06-099 June 1919
Rear Admiral Sir	Grant, PercyPercy Grant	KCVO, CB	RN	01919-06-1010 June 1919	01921-02-1414 February 1921
Vice Admiral Sir	Everett, AllanAllan Everett	KCMG, KCVO, CB	RN	01921-11-2424 November 1921	01923-08-2929 August 1923
Rear Admiral	Hall-Thompson, PercivalPercival Hall-Thompson	CB, CMG	RN	01924-02-2525 February 1924	01926-06-2828 June 1926
Rear Admiral	Napier, WilliamWilliam Napier	CB, CMG, DSO	RN	01926-06-2929 June 1926	01929-06-1111 June 1929
Vice Admiral Sir	Kerr, William MunroWilliam Munro Kerr	KBE, CB	RN	01929-10-2121 October 1929	01931-10-1919 October 1931
Admiral Sir	Hyde, GeorgeGeorge Hyde	KCB, CVO, CBE	RN/RAN	01931-10-2020 October 1931	01937-07-2828 July 1937
Admiral Sir	Colvin, RagnarRagnar Colvin	KBE, CB	RN	01937-11-011 November 1937	01941-03-033 March 1941
Admiral Sir	Royle, GuyGuy Royle	KCB, CMG, DSO	RN	01941-07-1818 July 1941	01945-06-2828 June 1945
Admiral Sir	Hamilton, Louis KeppelLouis Keppel Hamilton	KCB, DSO	RN/RAN	01945-06-2929 June 1945	01948-02-2323 February 1948
Vice Admiral Sir	Collins, John AugustineJohn Augustine Collins	KBE, CB	RAN	01948-02-2424 February 1948	01955-02-2323 February 1955
Vice Admiral Sir	Dowling, RoyRoy Dowling	KBE, CB, DSO	RAN	01955-02-2424 February 1955	01959-02-2323 February 1959
Vice Admiral Sir	Burrell, HenryHenry Burrell	KBE, CB	RAN	01959-02-2424 February 1959	01962-02-2323 February 1962
Vice Admiral Sir	Harrington, HastingsHastings Harrington	KBE, CB, DSO	RAN	01962-02-2424 February 1962	01965-02-2323 February 1965
Vice Admiral Sir	McNicoll, AlanAlan McNicoll	KBE, CB, GM	RAN	01965-02-2424 February 1965	01968-04-022 April 1968
Vice Admiral Sir	Smith, VictorVictor Smith	KBE, CB, DSC	RAN	01968-04-033 April 1968	01970-11-2222 November 1970
Vice Admiral Sir	Peek, RichardRichard Peek	KBE, CB, DSC	RAN	01970-11-2323 November 1970	01973-11-2222 November 1973
Vice Admiral Sir	Stevenson, DavidDavid Stevenson	AC, KBE	RAN	01973-11-2323 November 1973	01976-11-2222 November 1976
Chief of the Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Sir	Synnot, AnthonyAnthony Synnot	KBE, AO	RAN	01976-11-2323 November 1976	01979-04-2020 April 1979
Vice Admiral Sir	Willis, JamesJames Willis	KBE, AO	RAN	01979-04-2121 April 1979	01982-04-2020 April 1982
Vice Admiral	Leach, DavidDavid Leach	AC, CBE, LVO	RAN	01982-04-2121 April 1982	01985-04-2020 April 1985
Admiral[1]	Hudson, MichaelMichael Hudson	AC	RAN	01985-04-2121 April 1985	01991-03-088 March 1991
Vice Admiral	MacDougall, IanIan MacDougall	AC	RAN	01991-03-099 March 1991	01994-03-099 March 1994
Vice Admiral	Taylor, RodneyRodney Taylor	AO	RAN	01994-03-1010 March 1994	01997-02-1818 February 1997
Chief of Navy
Vice Admiral	Taylor, RodneyRodney Taylor	AO	RAN	01997-02-1919 February 1997	01997-06-3030 June 1997
Vice Admiral	Chalmers, DonaldDonald Chalmers	AO	RAN	01997-07-011 July 1997	01999-07-022 July 1999
Vice Admiral	Shackleton, DavidDavid Shackleton	AO	RAN	01999-07-033 July 1999	02002-07-022 July 2002
Vice Admiral	Ritchie, ChrisChris Ritchie	AO	RAN	02002-07-033 July 2002	02005-07-033 July 2005
Vice Admiral	Shalders, RussRuss Shalders	AO, CSC	RAN	02005-07-044 July 2005	02008-07-033 July 2008
Vice Admiral	Crane, RussRuss Crane	AO, CSM	RAN	02008-07-044 July 2008	02011-06-077 June 2011
Vice Admiral	Griggs, RayRay Griggs	AM, CSC	RAN	02011-06-077 June 2011	Incumbent

Notes

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, Naval Historical Review, March 2005, pp.32-33. Australian Naval History on 8 March 1991, Naval Historical Society of Australia.