Michael Noonan (admiral)


Michael Joseph Noonan, is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy and the Chief of Navy since 6 July 2018. He previously served as Commander Border Protection Command from 2013 to 2015 and Deputy Chief of Navy from 2016 to 2018.

Early life

Noonan was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 13 December 1966 to Michael Joseph Noonan and his wife Valerie Jean. He was educated at Miami and Keebra Park State High Schools on the Queensland Gold Coast. Noonan holds postgraduate qualifications in Business Administration, Maritime Policy, Marketing Communications and International Relations from the Queensland University of Technology, Universities of Wollongong and Canberra, and Salve Regina University, respectively. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Noonan has been married to Jan since 17 December 1994. Jan Noonan is a captain in the Royal Australian Navy and was the first woman to command an Australian vessel on active service, leading HMAS Labuan on operations in East Timor in 2000. The couple have two daughters.

Naval career

Noonan joined the RAN as a midshipman in 1984. He was the commissioning commanding officer of, commanding her from 2003. He became Director of Sailor's Career Management in 2006, Chief of Staff in Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 in 2008 and Commodore Training for the Royal Australian Navy and the Director-General of Operations at the Headquarters Joint Operations Command in 2009.
Noonan was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service on two occasions, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012.
Noonan went on to be Commander Border Protection Command in 2013 and Deputy Chief of Navy in 2016. On 16 April 2018, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Noonan would succeed Vice Admiral Tim Barrett as Chief of Navy. Noonan was promoted vice admiral and appointed Chief of Navy on 6 July 2018.
Noonan was advanced to an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours.