Not to be confused with Vice Chief of the Army Staff or Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (India).
Deputy Chief of Army
PostDeputy Chief
BodyArmy
IncumbentChris Smith
Incumbentsince31 January 2024
DepartmentAustralian Army
StyleMajor General
Member ofAustralian Defence Force
Reports toChief of Army
Formation1920
FirstBrigadier General Thomas Blamey
AbbreviationDCA
WebsiteOfficial website

The Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) is the second most senior appointment in the Australian Army, responsible to the Chief of Army (CA). The rank associated with the position is major general (2-star).

The current appointee is Major General Chris Smith, who took up the posting on 31 January 2024.

Appointees

The following (incomplete) list chronologically records those who have held the post of Deputy Chief of Army or its preceding positions. Rank and honours are as at the completion of the individual's term.

RankNamePostnominalsTerm beganTerm endedNotes
Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Brigadier GeneralThomas Blamey1 April 192015 November 1923[1]
Second Chief of the General Staff
Brigadier GeneralThomas Blamey15 November 192331 August 1925[2][3]
ColonelWilliam Foster1 September 192531 December 1925(Acting)[4]
Brigadier GeneralCharles Brand1 January 19261 May 1930[5][6]
Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Major GeneralJohn Northcott13 October 193931 August 1941[7][8]
Major GeneralSydney Rowell1 September 1941April 1942[8]
Major GeneralGeorge Alan VaseyApril 1942September 1942
Major GeneralFrank BerrymanSeptember 1942January 1944
Major GeneralJohn ChapmanOctober 194411 March 1946[9]
Major GeneralEdward Milford11 March 1946May 1946[9]
Major GeneralHenry Wells16 July 19461947[10]
Major GeneralRonald Hopkins1 May 195019 February 1951[11][12]
Major GeneralEric Woodward20 February 19511 September 1951[12][13]
Major GeneralEdward Sheehan1 September 195122 December 1952[13][14]
Major GeneralRagnar Garrett9 February 195315 December 1953[14][15]
Major GeneralLindley BarhamDecember 195329 October 1954[16]
Major GeneralHector Edgar30 October 195422 March 1958[17][18][19]
Major GeneralIan Murdoch23 March 195811 December 1960[18][19][20][21]
Major GeneralThomas Taylor12 December 196024 January 1964[20][21][22][23]
Major GeneralFrank Hassett25 January 196427 January 1966[23][24]
Major GeneralCharles Long28 January 196617 April 1966(Acting)[25]
Major GeneralArthur MacDonald18 April 196627 August 1967[25][26]
Major GeneralRobert Hay27 August 19679 February 1969[26][27]
Major GeneralStuart Clarence Graham10 February 19693 May 1972[27][28]
Major GeneralMark Bradbury24 November 19751977[29][30]
Major GeneralDonald Dunstan197720 April 1977[30][31]
Major GeneralJohn Whitelaw21 April 19771978[31]
Major GeneralJohn Williamson12 June 197818 February 1979[32][33]
Major GeneralPeter Falkland19 February 197927 May 1982[33]
Major GeneralDavid Engel28 May 1982July 1983[34]
Major GeneralPeter GrationJuly 19831983[35]
Major GeneralLawrence O'Donnell19841985[35]
Major GeneralPeter Day19851986[35]
Major GeneralGordon Fitzgerald19871990
Major GeneralMichael Jeffery19901991[35]
Major GeneralJohn Grey19911992[35]
Major GeneralArthur Fittock19921992[35]
Major GeneralGeoffrey CarterNovember 19921995
Deputy Chief of Army
Major GeneralJohn Hartley19951998[35]
Major GeneralPeter Abigail1998May 2000[35]
Major GeneralPeter LeahyMay 2000June 2002[35]
Major GeneralFrank RobertsJune 2002May 2004
Major GeneralIan GordonMay 2004November 2006[35]
Major GeneralJohn CantwellJanuary 2007January 2008[35]
Major GeneralDavid MorrisonJanuary 2008July 2009[35]
Major GeneralPaul SymonJuly 2009November 2011[35]
Major GeneralJeffrey SengelmanNovember 20112012[35]
Major GeneralAngus Campbell201219 September 2013[35]
Major GeneralGus Gilmore19 September 20134 January 2015[36]
Major GeneralRick Burr4 January 20153 May 2018[36]
Major GeneralJake Ellwood3 May 201810 December 2018[37]
Major GeneralAnthony Rawlins10 December 20182 February 2022[38]
Major GeneralNatasha Fox2 February 20225 June 2023[39]
Major GeneralCheryl Pearce5 June 202331 January 2024[40]
Major GeneralChris Smith31 January 2024Incumbent

References

  1. ^ "Head-Quarters". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 April 1920. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 22 November 1923. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 10 September 1925. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Staff Corps". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 October 1925. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Commands and Staffs". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 October 1925. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 22 May 1930. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 12 October 1939. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Permanent Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 August 1941. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 March 1946. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 September 1946. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 25 May 1950. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  12. ^ "General List". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 March 1951. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 16 August 1951. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 5 March 1953. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 November 1953. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 August 1954. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  17. ^ "General Officer Commanding – Eastern Command". Western Herald. 18 October 1963. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  18. ^ "New Southern Command Chief". Canberra Times. 24 January 1958. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 30 January 1958. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  20. ^ "General Staff Deputy Chief Appointed". Canberra Times. 23 June 1960. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 23 June 1960. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  22. ^ "Reshuffle of Army Commands". Canberra Times. 2 August 1963. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  23. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 August 1963. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 13 January 1966. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 6 April 1966. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  26. ^ "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 31 August 1967. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  27. ^ "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 7 November 1968. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  28. ^ "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 4 May 1972. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  29. ^ "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 October 1975. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  30. ^ "Brigadier Morrison to Command RMC". Canberra Times. 19 October 1976. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  31. ^ "Defence Act 1903". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 April 1977. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  32. ^ "Australian Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 August 1978. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  33. ^ "Australian Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 5 June 1979. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  34. ^ "Senior Army Appointment". Canberra Times. 14 May 1982. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  35. ^ Singh, Shivani (2014). Who's Who in Australia 2014. Melbourne, Australia: Crown Content. ISBN 978-1-74095-172-2.
  36. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army". Leaders. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  37. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army: Major General Justin 'Jake' Ellwood, DSC". Leaders. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  38. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army: Major General Anthony Rawlins, DSC". Leaders. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  39. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army: Major General Natasha Fox AM, CSC". Leaders. Australian Army. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  40. ^ Pearce, Cheryl (9 June 2023). "On 5 June I assumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Australian Army". No. 1666964041187864576. Retrieved 10 June 2023.