Lieutenant general (Australia)


Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army. It was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general, and is considered a three-star rank.
The rank of lieutenant general is held by the Chief of Army. The rank is also held when an army officer is the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, the Chief of Joint Operations, or the Chief of Joint Capabilities. The Chief of Capability Development Group, disestablished in 2016, also carried three-star rank.
Lieutenant general is a higher rank than major general, but lower than general. Lieutenant general is the equivalent of vice admiral in the Royal Australian Navy and air marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force. The insignia for a lieutenant general is the Crown of St Edward above a crossed sword and baton.

Australian Army lieutenant generals

The first Australian lieutenant general was Sir Harry Chauvel in 1917.
;CGS/CA – Chief of the General Staff and Chief of Army
From 1 January 1909 to 18 February 1997, the most senior Australian Army position was named Chief of the General Staff. The first Australian to occupy this position was Colonel William Throsby Bridges. The first Australian lieutenant general to occupy this position was Sir Brudenell White, from 1 June 1920. Since August 1940, this position, and its successor, have been held by Australian lieutenant generals.
;Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
In March 1958, the role of Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee was created, but with no command authority. This was initially occupied by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells, and was rotated through the three services, hence providing a three-star position available to army officers. In 1968 this became a four-star position. It was replaced in February 1976 by a new position, Chief of Defence Force Staff, with command authority over the Australian Defence Force, and in October 1984 the position was renamed Chief of the Defence Force to more clearly reflect the role and its authority.
;Vice Chief of the Defence Force
In June 1986, the three-star position Vice Chief of the Defence Force was created. As with CDF, this position rotates between the forces. Lieutenant General John Baker was the first army officer to occupy the position.
;Chief of Capability Development Group
A third three-star position, Chief of Capability Development Group, which also rotates between the forces, was created in 2003. Lieutenant General John Caligari was the final officer of three-star rank to hold the position before it was disestablished in 2016
;Chief of Joint Operations
In September 2007, a fourth three-star position, Chief of Joint Operations, was created.
;Equivalents
There are two other permanent three-star positions in the Australian Defence Force, Chief of Navy and Chief of Air Force. There are also a number of other three-star-equivalent positions in the Australian Defence Organisation, but these are all held by civilians.

List of lieutenant generals





The following people have held the rank of lieutenant general in the Australian Army:
NameYear of promotionSenior command or appointment in rankNotes
*1917Chief of the General Staff, Inspector General of the Australian Army, Desert Mounted Corps
*1918Director General of Repatriation, Australian Corps
*1918Chief of the General Staff
1918Australian Corps
1924
+1926
1938Chief of the General Staff, Inspector General of the Australian Army
*1939I Corps
1939 / 1941First Army, I Corps, Southern Command
1939Chief of the General Staff, First Army
+1940Southern Command
1940Eastern Command
1940Southern Command
1941New Guinea Force, Second Army
1941Lieutenant General Administration at Allied Land Headquarters, Eastern Command
1942I Corps, Second Army, New Guinea Force, II Corps
1942III Corps
1942I Corps, New Guinea Force, II Corps
1942Chairman of the Manpower Committee
1942British Commonwealth Occupation Force, Chief of the General Staff
1942 / 1946Chief of the General Staff, Vice Chief of the General Staff, I Corps
1944Eastern Command, I Corps, II Corps
1944II Corps, New Guinea Force, I Corps
1945Southern Command, British Commonwealth Forces Korea, British Commonwealth Occupation Force, First Army
1949Southern Command
+1949
+1951British Commonwealth Forces Korea, Eastern Command
1951Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of the General Staff, British Commonwealth Forces Korea, Southern Command
+1951Northern Command, Eastern Command
1953Eastern Command
1954British Commonwealth Forces Korea
1954United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
1954Chief of the General Staff, Southern Command
1958Eastern Command, Southern Command
1960Chief of the General Staff, Eastern Command
*1963Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of the General Staff
1966Chief of the General Staff
1971Chief of the General Staff
*1973Chief of the General Staff
*1975Chief of the General Staff
1977Chief of the General Staff
*1982Chief of the General Staff
*1984Chief of the General Staff
1987Chief of the General Staff
1990Chief of the General Staff
1992Chief of Army, Commander Joint Forces Australia, Commander United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
1992Chief of the General Staff
*1992Vice Chief of the Defence Force
1998Chief of Army
2000Vice Chief of the Defence Force
*2000Chief of Army
2002Chief of Army
*2003Vice Chief of Defence Force, Chief of Joint Operations, Chief of Capability Development Group
2005Chief of Army, Vice Chief of the Defence Force
2008Chief of Joint Operations
2011Chief of Joint Operations
2011Chief of Army
*2013Chief of Army, Commander Operation Sovereign Borders
2014Chief of Capability Development Group
^2018Chief of Army
^2018Principal Deputy Director Australian Signals Directorate
^2019Chief of Joint Operations