General (Australia) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

for other countries which use this rank

General (abbreviated GEN) is the second highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

and was created as a direct equivalent of the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

military rank of General; it is also considered a four-star rank.

Prior to 1958, Generals (and Field Marshals

Field Marshal (Australia)

Field Marshal is the highest rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of field marshal. A five-star rank, the equivalent ranks in the other armed services are Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force...

) were only appointed in exceptional circumstances. (Refer List of senior officers of the Australian Army). In 1958 the position which is currently called Chief of the Defence Force

Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)

Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...

was created, and since 1966, the rank of General has been held when an Army officer is appointed to that position.

General is a higher rank than Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General (Australia)

Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....

, but is lower than Field Marshal

Field Marshal (Australia)

. General is the equivalent of Admiral

Admiral (Australia)

Admiral is the highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Navy rank of Admiral. It is a four-star rank. Since World War II, in general, the only time the rank is held is when the Chief of the Defence Force is a Navy officer.Admiral is a...

in the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

and Air Chief Marshal

Air Chief Marshal (Australia)

Air chief marshal is the highest active rank of the Royal Australian Air Force and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Royal Air Force rank of air chief marshal. It is also considered a four-star rank...

in the Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

A General's insignia is St Edward's Crown above a star of the Order of the Bath

Order of the Bath

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

(or 'pip') above a crossed sword and baton, with the word 'Australia' at the bottom.

Australian generals

The following Australians have held the rank of General:

General Sir Harry Chauvel
Henry George Chauvel
General Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG, KCB was a senior officer of the Australian Imperial Force who fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle Eastern theatre during the First World War. He was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general, and the first to lead a corps...

GCMG, KCB (1929)
General Sir John Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...

GCMG, KCB, VD
Volunteer Decoration
The Volunteer Officers' Decoration was created by Royal Warrant under command of Queen Victoria on 25 July 1892 to reward 'efficient and capable' officers of the Volunteer Force who had served for twenty years...

(1929)
General Sir Brudenell White
Brudenell White
General Sir Cyril Brudenell Bingham White KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army, who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1920 to 1923 and again from March to August 1940, when he was killed in the Canberra air disaster.-Early Life and career:White was born in St...

KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (1940)
General Sir Thomas Blamey
Thomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....

GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....

(1941)

Since 1966, the rank of General has been held when an Army officer is appointed to the position currently called Chief of the Defence Force

Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)

General Sir John Wilton
John Wilton (General)
General Sir John Gordon Noel Wilton KBE, CB, DSO was the most senior military figure in Australia from May 1966 to November 1970.-Early career:...

KBE, CB, DSO (1966)
General Sir Francis Hassett
Francis Hassett
General Sir Francis George "Frank" Hassett AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO was an Australian general who rose to the position of Chief of the Defence Force Staff; a position marking him as the professional head of the Australian Defence Force...

AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO (1975)
General Sir Arthur MacDonald
Arthur MacDonald
General Sir Arthur Leslie MacDonald KBE, CB was a senior officer in the Australian Army, who served in the positions of Chief of the General Staff from 1975 to 1977, then Chief of the Defence Force Staff from 1977 to 1979; the professional head of the Australian Army and Australian Defence Force...

KBE, CB (1977)
General Sir Phillip Bennett
Phillip Bennett
General Sir Phillip Harvey Bennett AC, KBE, DSO is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army who served as Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 1984 to 1987, and later as Governor of Tasmania from 1987 to 1995....

AC, KBE, DSO (1984)
General Peter Gration
Peter Gration
General Peter Courtney Gration AC, OBE is an Australian general who served in the positions of Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Defence Force; the professional head of the Australian Army and Australian Defence Force respectively.-Early life:Gration was born in Richmond, Victoria, on 6...

AC, OBE (1987)
General John Baker
John Baker (general)
General John Stuart Baker, AC, DSM was an Australian army general. He was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from July 1995 to July 1998...

AC, DSM
Distinguished Service Medal (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action. The DSM was introduced in 1991 and is the second highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System. Recipients of the...

(1995)
General Peter Cosgrove
Peter Cosgrove
General Peter John Cosgrove AC, MC is a retired Australian Army officer. He was the Chief of the Defence Force from 3 July 2002 to 3 July 2005, when he retired from active service...

AC, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....

(2002)
General David Hurley AC, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System...

(2011)

Although he was a British Army officer, General William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood

William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood

Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, CIE, DSO was a First World War British general who is best known as the commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915.- Youth and early career :Birdwood was born...

held the rank of General in the First Australian Imperial Force

First Australian Imperial Force

The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...

(1st AIF) from 1917, and in the Australian Army from 1920.

Australian generals

See also