Virtual
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Australia

Throughout military history the importance of education for those serving in leadership roles has been of vital importance and a key part of this has been the establishment of military academies for the teaching of officers in the navy, army and air force. Read on to explore some of the interesting history of these academies.

Plans for an Australian military college were part of the earliest concepts for a national capital upon federation of the Australian colonies.

Even before an Australian armed force was contemplated, the tradition that led to the establishment of the Royal Military College at Duntroon was already well established at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, which has been training military officers since 1741. Similar institutions had also been established in the United States and Canada. These examples provided the model on which the Australian military academy was to be based.

Royal Military College Duntroon badge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Military_College_Duntroon_badge.gif

After the Yass-Canberra site was selected for the national capital in 1908, thought turned to the selection of a site for the military college. The sheep station of Duntroon had been owned by the Campbell family since 1825 and was named after the family’s ancestral home in Argyllshire, Scotland. Over the years, the property was used to house over 40,000 sheep.[i]

Duntroon House in located within the Australian Royal Military Academy.
Creative Commons
Author: Stuart Lindenmayer
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duntroon_House_Side_View.jpg

The federal government wanted the college to be established within the site for the nation’s capital. Accordingly, the college’s inaugural commandant, Brigadier General William Throsby Bridges, recommended the former sheep station because it was “outside the reach of the growth of the city” and cadets would be spared the temptations that a city would bring.[ii] Although this might have been true at the establishment of the city, it is not really the case anymore.

Brigadier General William Throsby Bridges
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P11013172

Initially the government rented part of the site for two years before purchasing the entire property from the Campbell family in July 1912.

At the time the Royal Military College, Duntroon was established, Canberra was very much a rural community with a scattered population of just 1,700. In fact, Canberra, the modern city as we know it today was not formally established until 1913 and the capital city did not fully develop until after the Second World War.

Royal Military College, Duntroon, opening ceremony, 27 June 1911
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28Royal_Military_College,_Duntroon,_opening_ceremony,_27_June_1911%29_%286173971574%29.jpg

The college also started small: the first intake was 42 cadets, with about 40 academic and support staff.

The first class of Duntroon cadets had not yet graduated in 1914, when the First World War broke out but it was decided to finish the course early and send them over to fight in Gallipoli. General Sir Ian Hamilton, commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, said that "...each Duntroon educated officer was...worth his weight in gold". During the war 158 Duntroon graduates had been sent overseas on active service, of whom 42 were killed or died of wounds and another 58 were wounded.

The first class of Duntroon Cadets in 1914.
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Brigadier General William Bridges, who was the first Commandant of Duntroon was fatally wounded by a sniper in Gallipoli and his remains were repatriated to Duntroon, one of only 2 soldiers killed in the Great War interred in Australia. The other being the Unknown Soldier, who was exhumed from France and buried in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial in 1993.

Brigadier General William Bridges grave at Duntroon.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/canberrahouse/2264111763

During their time at Duntroon, cadets in the early years undertook a rigorous series of training over four years. The first two years focused upon civil subjects and the last two years focused upon military subjects.

During the depression, the college was forced to relocate to the Victoria Barracks, Sydney between 1931 and 1936 to save money but kept the name Duntroon.[iii]

During the Second World War, in order to meet the demand for officer graduates, the college began running courses for as short as six months.[iv]

With the closure of the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in December 1985, the Royal Military College, Duntroon became the sole General Service Officer training institute for the Australian Army, as all Regular Army officers serving in combat, combat support or service support Corps were required to attend Duntroon to be commissioned.[v]

Duntroon Parade Ground.
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Author: Sheba_Also 43,000 photos
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RMC_Duntroon_Canberra_Parade_Ground-1_%2838445750692%29.jpg

Since the establishment of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in 1985, a tri-service military Academy that provides military and academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the role of Duntroon has shifted somewhat. Officer cadets firstly undertake an undergraduate degree at ADFA before "going over the hill"[vi], as cadets are marched in formation over a spur of Mt. Pleasant that divides the ADFA and Duntroon to complete an 18 month military course.

Today the college employs over 200 staff and operates five cadet companies of about 100 cadets each.

ADFA Badge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Defence_Force_Academy_logo.svg

Tertiary education at ADFA is provided by the University of New South Wales. Apart from educating future leaders of the Australian Defence Force, UNSW Canberra also provides postgraduate programs and short courses both to Department of Defence personnel and the general public.

An areal view of the ADFA campus.
Creative Commons
Author: Kurt Barnett, UNSW Canberra
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ADFA_Aerial.jpg

The main purpose of ADFA is to serve Australia by providing the Australian Defence Force with tertiary graduates who have the attributes, intellect and skills required of an officer.

ADFA is located in the suburb of Campbell, Canberra, near the Australian Government district of Russell. It is situated next to Mount Pleasant, which gives some parts of ADFA a view over the rest of Canberra. ADFA is also adjacent to the Australian Army military academy, the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

Junior officers who attend the Australian Defence Force Academy hold the rank of Midshipman in the Royal Australian Navy, Officer Cadet in the Australian Army or Officer Cadet in the Royal Australian Air Force.[vii]

For recruits into the Australian Army who are not in training to become officers, there are training centres for different roles including a Parachuting School in Nowra, New South Wales, and the School of Special Operations in Holsworthy in Sydney. The Army Recruit Training Centre in Wagga Wagga serves as the army’s main training centre for new recruits.[viii]

HMAS Creswell Badge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HMAS_Creswell.png

The Royal Australian Navy also has a training facility at the base, HMAS Creswell, which includes The Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) as well as the School of Survivability and Ship's Safety, the Beecroft Weapons Range, an administrative support department and Training Ship Jervis Bay. It is located on the shores of Jervis Bay in the Jervis Bay Territory, a small Federal territory established to give the landlocked Australian Capital Territory access to the sea. The RANC has been the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Australian Navy since 1915.

HMAS Creswell in 1950.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/8320559547

On 7 November 1911, the Australian Parliament selected the site of Captain's Point in the Jervis Bay Territory on the south coast of New South Wales, near Nowra, as the site of the Royal Australian Naval College. The first intake consisted of 13-year-old boys, who stayed at the college for four years. The first graduation parade took place on 12 December 1916.[ix]

Subjects taught at HMAS Creswell include Military training, physical training, naval history, survival at sea, naval warfare and leadership.

After completing training at the College, officers proceed to other establishments for primary qualification training. Locations include HMAS Watson, for Junior Warfare Officers (formerly known as Seamen Officers), and HMAS Cerberus in Melbourne, for Electronics Engineer, Marine Engineer and Supply officers.[x]

Officers' Training School RAAF Badge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OTS_RAAF.png

For the Royal Australian Air Force, there is the “Officers' Training School RAAF” at RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria. There have been a number of different RAAF officer training facilities over the years. From 1950 until 1961, this was based at the RAAF Base Rathmines, New South Wales, then they were relocated to RAAF Base Point Cook, Victoria. In 2008, they began teaching at their new location at East Sale. Throughout this period the unit had several different names including Officers Training Squadron and RAAF Training Command.[xi]

Other establishments for the training of the members of our air force in various different roles are based at locations including RAAF Base Townsville, RAAF Base Williams, RAAF Base Amberley and RAAF Base Wagga. The Central Flying School, responsible for training flight instructors, setting flying standards, and auditing flying practices has also been based at East Sale since 1947.[xii]

Central Flying School staff, shortly after the unit arrived at RAAF Station Camden, May 1940.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_Flying_School_RAAF_1940.JPG

Australia has an elaborate system in place for the education and training of Australia’s military officers based at sites all around the country. The establishment of Duntroon followed by HMAS Creswell and the RAAF Officers Training School provided the basis for the officer training in the army, navy and air force. This military training has also been complimented with the establishment of the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra ensuring that Australia’s officer cadets get a wider general education as well. These institutions have evolved over time with Australia’s military, adapting to modern standards and technology.

Nicholas Egan

[i] Duntroon Estate: Work With All Your Might, Canberra Museum and Gallery [online] Available at: https://cfc.shorthandstories.com/Duntroonestate/in... [Accessed 23 Jun. 2024].

[ii] www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). Establishment of Duntroon | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/salute/st... [Accessed 26 Jun. 2024].

[iii] web.archive.org. (2015). History of Duntroon - Australian Army. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20151204073510/http://... [Accessed 26 Jun. 2024].

[iv] Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1986). Duntroon. The Royal Military College of Australia, 1911–1986. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-0-86861-883-8.

[v] Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (1st ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553227-9. p. 523.

[vi] humanrights.gov.au. (n.d.). Glossary of Cadet Terms | Australian Human Rights Commission. [online] Available at: https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/glossary-cadet... [Accessed 26 Jun. 2024].

[vii] web.archive.org. (2009). Australian Defence Force Academy - Our History. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20090504171333/http://... [Accessed 26 Jun. 2024].

[viii] Jobson, Christopher (2009). Looking Forward, Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Army. Wavell Heights, Queensland: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 9780980325164.

[ix] Royal Australian Navy. (2024). HMAS Creswell. [online] Available at: https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/bases-and-locations/hmas-creswell.

[x] web.archive.org. (2017). New Entry Officers’ Course | Royal Australian Navy. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20170805211053/http://... [Accessed 26 Jun. 2024].

[xi] RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 8: Training Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42800-7.

[xii] Mordike, John, ed. (1997). The Post-War Years 1945–1954: The Proceedings of the 1996 RAAF History Conference. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26501-1.