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 lieutenants general

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 Harry Chauvel, from 11 June 1923. 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 lieutenants general

The following people have held the rank of lieutenant general in the Australian Army:
NameDate of promotionSenior command or appointment in rankNotes
*Chief of the General Staff, Inspector General of the Australian Army, Desert Mounted Corps
*Director General of Repatriation, Australian Corps
+
+
+
Chief of the General Staff, Inspector General of the Australian Army
*Chief of the General Staff
*I Corps
Chief of the General Staff, First Army
/
18 June 1941		First Army, I Corps, Southern Command
Southern Command
New Guinea Force, Second Army
British Commonwealth Occupation Force, Chief of the General Staff
Lieutenant General Administration at Allied Land Headquarters, Eastern Command
III Corps
I Corps, New Guinea Force, II Corps
Chairman of the Manpower Committee
Eastern Command
I Corps, Second Army, New Guinea Force, II Corps
II Corps, New Guinea Force, I Corps
+Southern Command
Eastern Command, I Corps, II Corps
Southern Command, British Commonwealth Forces Korea, British Commonwealth Occupation Force, First Army
Chief of the General Staff, Vice Chief of the General Staff, I Corps
+
+Southern Command
+British Commonwealth Forces Korea, Eastern Command
+Northern Command, Eastern Command
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of the General Staff, British Commonwealth Forces Korea, Southern Command
British Commonwealth Forces Korea
Eastern Command
+United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
Chief of the General Staff, Southern Command
Chief of the General Staff, Eastern Command
Eastern Command, Southern Command
*Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff
*Chief of the General Staff
*Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff
*Chief 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
Chief of Joint Operations
2011Chief of Army
*2013Chief of Army, Commander Operation Sovereign Borders
2014Chief of Capability Development Group
2018Chief of Army
2018Chief of Joint Capabilities, National COVID Vaccine Taskforce, Principal Deputy Director Australian Signals Directorate
2019Chief of Joint Operations
2020Chief of Defence Intelligence
^2022Chief of Army
^Chief of Personnel
^2024National Cyber Security Coordinator
^2024Chief of Joint Capabilities
^2025Military Advisor for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations