John Sanderson
John Murray Sanderson, is a retired senior Australian Army officer who served as Chief of Army from 1995 to 1998, and later as the 29th Governor of Western Australia from 2000 to 2005.
Early life
Born in Geraldton, Western Australia on 4 November 1940, John Sanderson completed his secondary education at Bunbury High School in 1957 before entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1958. He graduated in 1961 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Engineers in December 1961.Military career
After completing a Fellowship Diploma in Civil Engineering at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Sanderson had a series of regimental postings. These included second in command of the 10th Field Squadron and Troop Commander and Construction Officer of the 21st Construction Squadron on operational service in Sabah, Malaysia. He was promoted to captain in 1965.Following eighteen months as a Staff Officer in the Office of the Engineer in Chief, he was posted as the Exchange Instructor at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chattenden, United Kingdom from 1967 to 1969. He returned to Australia to command the 23rd Construction Squadron at Holsworthy Barracks, prior to taking up command of the 17th Construction Squadron in South Vietnam at the end of 1970.
Returning to Australia in late 1971, he was the Senior Instructor at the School of Military Engineering throughout 1972 before attending the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff in 1973.
Sanderson was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1975 after serving for a short period as a Staff Officer at the Headquarters of Field Force Command. His initial appointment as Staff Officer Grade 1 at the Directorate of Engineers was followed by two years as the Exchange Instructor at the British Army's Staff College, Camberley.
Sanderson commanded the 1st Field Engineer Regiment from 1979 to 1980, and then attended the Joint Services Command and Staff College in 1981. Sanderson was appointed as the Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff in late 1981, serving in that capacity until being promoted to colonel as Director of Army Plans in 1983.
From June 1985 to the middle of 1986 he attended the U.S. Army War College, returning to Australia with the rank of brigadier. After a six-month period as Chairman of the Army Reserve Review Committee, he assumed command of the 1st Brigade at Holsworthy.
Sanderson served as Chief of Staff Land Command for a brief period in 1989 and was then promoted to major general and appointed as Assistant Chief of Defence Policy. In this role he was tasked to develop and carry out major reforms to the Higher Australian Defence Force Staff, which resulted in him becoming the first Assistant Chief of Defence Force Development at the end of 1989.
From October 1991, Sanderson became engaged directly in the United Nations process to bring peace to Cambodia, first as adviser to the Secretary General of the United Nations, and then from March 1992, in the rank of lieutenant general, as the Commander of the 16,000 strong international military component of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia.
After the successful completion of the UN mission in October 1993, Sanderson returned to Australia to be appointed as the first Commander Joint Forces Australia, and developed this role until becoming Chief of the General Staff in June 1995. This position was renamed to Chief of Army in 1997, and Sanderson continued in this position until his retirement from the army on 23 June 1998.
Governor of Western Australia
On 18 August 2000, Sanderson was sworn in as 29th Governor of Western Australia.Sanderson retired as Governor of Western Australia in June 2005 after his term of office expired, but agreed to stay on until 31 October 2005 to assist with the transition to the new governor. His successor, Ken Michael, was sworn in on 18 January 2006.
Publications
- 1999 "Australia's role in Asia"
- 1999 "International humanitarian law and the Balkans : the dilemma of a superpower"
- 2005 "Ride the whirlpool : selected speeches of Lieutenant General John Sanderson AC Governor of Western Australia 2000–2005", University of Western Australia Press.
- 2009 "The reconciliation journey"
Honours and awards
| Companion of the Order of Australia | 26 January 1994 For eminent service and exceptional performance of duty to the Australian Defence Force particularly as the Commander UNTAC – United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia. | |
| Officer of the Order of Australia | 26 January 1991 | |
| Member of the Order of Australia | 26 January 1985 For service as Director of Plans – Army Office. | |
| Knight of the Order of St John | 27 November 2003 | |
| Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 | With the clasp VIETNAM | |
| General Service Medal | ||
| Vietnam Medal | ||
| Australian Active Service Medal | ||
| Centenary Medal | 1 January 2001 | |
| Defence Force Service Medal with Federation Star | for 40 years of service | |
| National Medal with Federation Star | for 15 years of service | |
| Australian Defence Medal | ||
| Vietnam Campaign Medal | ||
| United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia Medal | UNTAC | |
| Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia | 2006 | |
| Commander of the Legion of Merit | for his service to the region and the alliance. | |
| Meritorious Unit Citation with Federation Star | 2014 |